Quote:
Lee Crockett wrote:
Graham,
Im not sure where to start, there is such a basic misunderstanding.
If the definition of Aikido is "Unification with the Universal", you tell me one person in the world today who is doing this?
How can you contradict someone as eminent as Arikawa?
Also, technique is NOT Aikido.Just because someone is practicing technique, it does not mean they are doing Aikido.
O'Sensei took the teachings of Takeda, and develped them further into principals and tools to find Aikido.
Look at weapons work. They are AIKIJo and AIKIKen. They do not teach how to fight with a sword or jo, but thats what people believe. The ken and jo are tools to be used for solo practice when partner practice is not possible. They are used to hekp find Aikido.
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Lee.
Do you understand unifying with the universal? First comes understanding then comes practice usually however sometimes it's the other way around.
Some may call it being in the zone for example. When you see a tennis player become a 'master' for want of a better word, at the top of his game and no one can touch him it's like he's at another level compared to everyone else. Ask him how he felt at that time.
He was at one with his opponent, he was there returning the ball before the opponent even hit it, he was centered, relaxed, full of life and energy and harmonious motion, his techniques to him were almost insignificant as they were merely a result of his being in tune with all that was there. Need I say more?
So yes there are many examples of people being unified with the universal and you can see it if you know what you are looking for.
As to contradicting Arikawa as I said it's not a contradiction, both statements are true.
Technique is a resultant part of Aikido. Any technique in any walk of life is a resultant part of the practice of principles so it is Aikido. However it shouldn't be the main focus of Aikido obviously.
O'Sensei did indeed use the teachings of Takeda Sensei but he didn't develope them into principles and tools for those teachings were already principles and tools. He did something with those self same principles and tools and thus developed Aikido. A subtle difference.
Plus may I add that when you see the principles are the tools then you will need another word for the techniques.
As far as weapons work goes and your view on that then I would have to leave that for a different thread.
So may I say that inherently I don't disagree with your views in as much as putting equal emphasis or even more emphasis on some of the things you point out but not to the extreme of that's right therefore all else is wrong.
Regards.G.