Quote:
Cliff Judge wrote:
To the extent that they do, you are talking about something that is a cultural contextualizer.
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Yes, but it still helps us create a non-universal definition of aikido without using setting, clothes, or social customs as criteria, which is my point.
It seems to me that what you are arguing is that cultural context is essential to aikido. I don't think anyone is disputing that point.
Cultural context is inseparable from aikido; it is built right into the technique. And that's kind of my point: even if you take away the dojo, the gi, the bowing, and the clapping, shomenuchi ikkyo is still chock full of cultural context, both generally Japanese context and specific Ueshiba context.