Quote:
Tom Verhoeven wrote:
The other problem is that we tend to see Aikido as a fighting skill. And we have a very modern western approach to it; it has to be measured to prove that it is correct. I call that the hidden contest in Aikido (as Aikido holds no contests). People find ways on the mat to compete or they find a forum like this one to compete, to measure, to judge,...
The transmitted words of the founder show that he was teaching something that had nothing to do with competing with one another, really had nothing to do with fighting even.
|
I would suggest that you do a bit more research into what Morihei Ueshiba thought about "competition". I think you will be surprised at what he really meant. Peter Goldsbury touched on that subject in a post here on Aikiweb ... or maybe it was in one of his TIE articles. From what I remember, to suggest that Ueshiba discounted all competition is wrong. If I recall correctly, Ueshiba discounted the kind of sport competition where there is an actual winner and loser. For example, Olympic Judo. I do not believe Ueshiba discounted peer competition within a dojo to make oneself better. I'm sure there are other definitions of competition that Ueshiba allowed and some that he did not.
Quote:
Tom Verhoeven wrote:
It might very well be that someone has a deep understanding of the teachings of the founders and yet does not practice martial arts. And that is something that you cannot "feel" by doing a technique.
Thanks for being open to my questions and remarks.
Best wishes,
Tom
|
I would disagree with this for the aiki arts. If we look at a brief glimpse of Ueshiba:
1. Tenryu could not budge him, push him over, move him, or get the better of Ueshiba because ... Ueshiba knew the secret of aiki. No mention of spirituality.
2. Shioda was tested and passed without mention of spirituality. It was entirely martial.
3. Ueshiba, himself, stated that aiki was not a religion but that aiki made religion better.
4. Ueshiba, himself, stated that one did not have to follow in his spiritual footsteps. He not only allowed but encouraged others to keep to their own spiritual path.
5. Horikawa and Sagawa were Ueshiba's peers and martially, they all did similar things. This martial skill can be directly traced back to Takeda and aiki. Aiki, the martial body changing method. No spirituality.
6. Ueshiba, himself, stated that he is not a religious man, but a man of budo.
7. Nearly every single martial artist who came into contact with Ueshiba, Horikawa, Sagawa, Takeda, all knew (not thought, not believed, did not quibble) that they had encountered something beyond (some said incomprehensible) all their 10, 20, 30 years of training in countless other martial arts including kendo, judo, jujutsu, karate, sumo, boxing. These highly skiled, experienced martial artists *heard* about the aiki greats, but it wasn't until they actually, physically experienced training with them did they find out how utterly wrong their opinions were. What was it that Ueshiba said of Takeda ...
He opened my eyes to true budo.
So, when talking about the aiki arts ... no amount of "deep understanding" can be complete without the martial context. It Has To Be Felt. IHTBF. Not technique. Never technique. But, that aspect of the aiki arts ... which is "aiki" ... the aiki as handed down by Takeda must be there or there really is no "deep understanding".
100 years of studying Omoto kyo is not aikido. 100 years of being a devout christian is not aikido. 100 years of being Buddha is not aikido. While 100 years of spirituality may be its own reward, it should never be confused as synonymous with aikido. No aiki ... no aikido. Ueshiba said pick your religion, pick your spirituality, but this is budo, the way of aiki. And, if you read Chris Li's blogs, you begin to understand that Ueshiba talked incessantly about old, known martial training methods, sayings, ideas, etc. He just hid them inside his spiritual ideology. Martial training methods that have a spiritual component hidden inside spiritual ideology. Aiki completes religion/spirituality. And that is where one will find the deeper understanding.
All IMO anyway,
Mark