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Ernesto Lemke · 01-10-2011, 02:21 PM

Hello George.

There's hardly ever a post from your hands I don't find worth reading. They are always so well considered and thought provoking.

That said, I do wonder whether you have any hope that this column will help those people you are describing any further (maybe more towards your own standpoint) or that it's mostly an expression of frustration and infuriation.
For me, once upon a time not too long ago, it surely was…

There was so much in this post I recognized that it was almost as if I was reading my own experience. It's what made me leave my former organization and leave the seminar circuit. I think I haven't been to an aikido seminar in almost ten years.
That is, with the exception of my own teacher who I get to see and train with once a year.

The thing I love about my own teacher (though my ego hates it) is that he doesn't cut me any slack when it comes to getting the demands of the curriculum down. (Whilst at the same time being totally technically explicit about those same demands.) Which is quite the opposite of my former experience.

Back then, I used to get mad, raving mad for people's lack of investment, their lack of commitment. At the same time these weren't ‘bad' people. Some I still see each year when they come visit my teacher. They are still within the organization I left and are seemingly content with it.
Back then I was trying to be "thought provoking" too (though I went about it in an arrogant/naïve sort of way) but it didn't change a thing. And as I said, they still seem to be ‘happy.' More or less.
But they have only sparsely technically ‘developed' any further from the point where I left them ten years ago.

I'm so thankful to not be part of any organization nowadays (unless you count our three dojo, 18 members an ‘organization'). For the rest, I admit I still feel a similar ‘fire' when it comes to how I would like things to be. At the same time though, I'm too immersed in my own training to even bother…
Hey! That kinda sounds like the approach of a certain MA Founder…

Tongue in cheek folks, tongue in cheek....

01-10-2011, 02:21 PM	#6
Ernesto Lemke Dojo: Seikokan , Leeuwarden Location: Leeuwarden. the Netherlands Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 150 Offline	Re: What Is Your Responsibility in Training? Hello George. There's hardly ever a post from your hands I don't find worth reading. They are always so well considered and thought provoking. That said, I do wonder whether you have any hope that this column will help those people you are describing any further (maybe more towards your own standpoint) or that it's mostly an expression of frustration and infuriation. For me, once upon a time not too long ago, it surely was… There was so much in this post I recognized that it was almost as if I was reading my own experience. It's what made me leave my former organization and leave the seminar circuit. I think I haven't been to an aikido seminar in almost ten years. That is, with the exception of my own teacher who I get to see and train with once a year. The thing I love about my own teacher (though my ego hates it) is that he doesn't cut me any slack when it comes to getting the demands of the curriculum down. (Whilst at the same time being totally technically explicit about those same demands.) Which is quite the opposite of my former experience. Back then, I used to get mad, raving mad for people's lack of investment, their lack of commitment. At the same time these weren't ‘bad' people. Some I still see each year when they come visit my teacher. They are still within the organization I left and are seemingly content with it. Back then I was trying to be "thought provoking" too (though I went about it in an arrogant/naïve sort of way) but it didn't change a thing. And as I said, they still seem to be ‘happy.' More or less. But they have only sparsely technically ‘developed' any further from the point where I left them ten years ago. I'm so thankful to not be part of any organization nowadays (unless you count our three dojo, 18 members an ‘organization'). For the rest, I admit I still feel a similar ‘fire' when it comes to how I would like things to be. At the same time though, I'm too immersed in my own training to even bother… Hey! That kinda sounds like the approach of a certain MA Founder… Tongue in cheek folks, tongue in cheek....