Quote:
Chris Hein wrote:
Saying that the main Idea behind Aikido is "power" is like saying the main idea behind studying Judo is winning randori matches.
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How so? They're unrelated ideas. However, it is probably true that most people's original motivation for judo training is to win matches. It certainly is not to be beaten up in real life.
Don't forget Ueshiba's original motivation was to become strong so that no one could beat him as they had beaten his father over his political views.
To try to rationalize anything else out of that is just denial of reality.
Quote:
Chris Hein wrote:
Ueshiba, liked power, so do I. I lift heavy weights, train and compete in sport martial arts, own and train with modern weapons. But if anyone said my life, and my practice are about gaining more power, I would say that they are crazy.
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And, as I've said, this is because your training has indoctrinated you with a compulsion to consciously deny what you actually seek.
Quote:
Chris Hein wrote:
I respect power, and I respect humility. To say that one excludes the other is fool hardy.
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I think you were the one who said it, so...
Quote:
Chris Hein wrote:
I had a really bad reaction to this thread because it was right in my face. I came to Aikido looking for power.
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Excellent. That was my original point. Why have we had to go through all your paragraphs denying it, just to get to that point? Well...because you now deny it, but it remains in your heart, though you intellectually deny it. If you lift weights and think that aikido techniques are based on carrying a bladed weapon, you own and train with modern weapons, etc., you are training for power.
And what is wrong with that?
What is wrong with the fact that aikido is an art of developing tremendous personal power? It doesn't take a saint to tell you to be careful with power and that power is not the end purpose of life. But if we deny the basic nature of aikido, it only damages the art.
Quote:
Chris Hein wrote:
I had a bad life, and wanted to stop having one via the ability to physically dominate others.
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So you wanted "power over others," as I said is the common motivation of people who begin training. Why do so many people need to deny that basic truth?