graham christian

I don't Judge Dan, which you imply. I don't give technical anything with relation to what you have done for x years or anyone elses technical ability on here for that matter.

I am in a position however to judge, based on my experience, given as such, thank you very much. I can judge and give my opinion on all the various 'types' I have encountered.

I have seen nowhere written that what one individual does as I/P is any different and in fact that the difference is in it's transmission. It is not of itself something brand new is it? It is internal power isn't it? Therefore I have come across it before and I am quite aware of it's potential. I do have friends who have trained in such things for many years too.

It is not me who likes to think I need to get out more or that unless I meet certain prescribed people then I don't know. Therefor it is me who smiles at such ways of thinking and inside believe it is those who say such things that need to get out more for it is they who think they can judge me so inaccurately.

Maybe it's cultural, meaning I don't think you Americans especially realize just how many people a person born and raised in London and involved in martial arts for many years has met. In fact couldn't avoid meeting. In the U.S. with it's great wide spaces and distances maybe a lot of you don't meet many folks from other arts etc. and so getting out is a big thing to you. It always seemed like normal procedure to me and my friends and part of the adventure.

Even in Aikido alone do you realize just how many clubs there are around here? Yet I often here on posts people asking does anyone know of any Aikido place in this or that area over there. You virtually fall over them over here, well around London and the outskirts anyway. Tai chi, kung fu, you name it. Less than five minutes from me now is the only real Shaolin school in the whole of England and a great bunch they are too.

So I don't judge a person based on someone I met trained a couple of times with him or her. I don't judge anyone personally I have not met. A person who did a bit of 'x' can tell me the type of thing they did and practice and I with my experience can get quite a good idea about the type of thing thank you.

I say 'it's all good.' I also say many things are not Aikido. I'm very clear. You can say my views are wrong if you like, that's all good too, but all this you cant judge and you must feel so and so is to me superfluous nonsense.

I could say 'you must feel the spiritual Aiki or true kokyu or such' but prefer to keep it under my hat ha, ha. But seriously I would never do so because to me it's a stupid thing to say, I don't care how many think it's some kind of stable must. I wouldn't want any of you to feel what I do. Why would I?

How would that help you? It wouldn't help you one iota. As I've said before I'm not into dilettantes. People who want to dip their toes in and have something to talk about. So the fact someone felt someone is again to me minor. They learned nothing really for themselves. It's good for gossip.

Nah, give me someone who says this is what I do and this is what I experience and this is what I learned from and can now do. Many things, even how I do, etc. but do being the operative word.

That's my preference. I wouldn't lower myself to discuss someones charachter tell them what they can or cant judge based on their experience or imply I know how good or bad they are at the thing they do. That's not budo in my book or even acceptable in real life in your local bar or shop or anywhere.

Here's a good question for you: Does I/P result in the persons communication being less negative? Does it result in being more stable, more certain and positive and at the same time averse to putting others down and gossiping and ridiculing others ways.? In other words, does it lead to better behaviour as like O'Sensei for instance? True spiritual disciplines tend to do this.

Peace.G.