ps for instance, without awaiting for a
person to object it, so to show we're actually addressing a topic and not characters: what about boxing categories arranged by weights, that is: once boxers are competent, they are arranged by weight categories - does that mean that size matters?
The answer is:
no.
Aside from the fact that many boxing categories have been placed there only in order to multiply belts (more categories, more belts; more belts more championships; more championships more bets; more bets, more money; more money, more big business...) - think of the class spuriously added between the middle wieghts and the heavy weights, which appeared totally
unnecessary.
However, there is no
real reason because a super-light weight could
not confront (and also beat) a middle weight - and there are as many as 4 categories in between. By all account, a
welter may beat up a middle weight.
The arrangement has been devised to make sure the contest can begin being confident beyond any reasonable doubt that
only training comes in the way as discriminant factor. That amounts to saying that size
may play a role (take two guys trained both at level 10, then size may play a minor role) - and categories want to be sure only
ohter factors are thrown in.
But between
boxing categories there are at times only
4kgs: do we seriously believe that 4 kgs (8 lbs) will make any
real difference?
So categories should not be misunderstood in the sense size plays
THE role. A good fighter, with great experience , with great
heart ( that is, capable of taking punishment without getting scared), with stamina, will beat easily guys
100lbs heavier even if they are well trained, provided a variety of factors like, for instance, that they have a glass jaw... or that they may run short of breath faster... or that they are much slower on feet... there are many strategies you can arrange, right on the spot, while on the ring in order to leverage on your strong assets and exploit the weak spots detected in your foe regardless of his
size.
In our case, the case of Aikido, the promise of making size totally irrelevant is, besides, one of our
typical tenets: if our aikido is deterred by size, it's not living up to its promises. Which isn't aikido's fault, but only of the chosen type of training.
This does not address this or that person; does not predicate that one should train in this or that manner, or with
randori on steroids.
This only means that you may
achieve whatever goal you may set for yourself, provided you are allowed to train accordingly and consistently with the chosen goal.