George S. Ledyard

As the Taoists said, "He who knows, does not speak. And he who speaks, does not know." The problem, with the forums is the everyone speaks. So, how do you sort it out? The only way is to feel it.

What gets me is that there are son many folks willing to argue these points based on ZERO personal knowledge. Dan H was in England... to my knowledge none of the folks who perpetually argue with him about these things attended. I assume it was the same when Mike taught overseas since I hadn't heard different. I think folks should take the example of Ron and Mary seriously. We had a number of discussions on-line and they showed up when I taught somewhat near them. It was clear that they had to go our of their way to do so. So they now can talk knowledgeably about what I do. We don't have to agree nor does anyone have to change anything he or she is doing. But we can now have a discussion which goes beyond strongly held opinions based on no information.

Some of these discussions remind me of talks I had with a friend from college who was "born again". He did not believe in evolution. You'd ask why the fossil record showed different and he'd say "it's a mystery." You'd ask where'd the fossils come from, he'd say God put them there. You'd ask "why would he do that? He'd reply, "It's a mystery." You have people here who are genuine experts in a certain area. People who know little or nothing in that area argue with them that they understand. When told that from everything they say it is clear they do not know, they simply reply they do.
It's idiotic.

Chris Li is an expert on the Japanese language, and unlike most translators has extensive knowledge of Aikido as a practitioner and has also studied Aikido more from an academic standpoint. Yet a person having few of these qualifications is going to sit down and argue with him about a point that he is in a perfect position to have an expert and informed opinion about.

I have no problem with arguing with Mike and Dan about what Aikido is and is not or what it could or should be. I can hold my own with most on the history angle and am happy to debate about areas where I have a different interpretation.

I try not to get into discussions at all about things that I either know nothing about or have only a remedial understanding of. I think the folks who post here should take the trouble to get some in person, hands on exposure to one of these folks so you understand what they are talking about. Take the trouble to read a single book like Ellis Amdur's Hidden in Plain Sight. We wouldn't be having some of these circular, never going anywhere discussions if more folks bothered to be informed about what they are talking about.