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James Finley wrote:
Of course, I realize that the Dalai Lama has likely never trained in Aikido, so it is just a hypothetical question.
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I once taught an Aikido class attended by the Dalai Lama's youngest brother (himself a recognized tulku) and his son, the Dalai Lama's nephew. At a party after the class, I asked him what he thought of the class and of Aikido. He said, "I think it's terrible." Then seeing the shocked look on my face, he said, "Just kidding." (If you read the Dalai Lama's biography, he's the one who was always playing practical jokes on people and getting in trouble as a kid.) He did say seriously that he wondered if the slapping of the mat during ukemi (which is generally done harder than necessary) is ego-building rather than ego-diminishing.
Charles Hill