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Old 12-15-2010, 07:48 PM   #9
Erick Mead
 
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Dojo: Big Green Drum (W. Florida Aikikai)
Location: West Florida
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Re: Doubts of Aikido answered with other arts

Quote:
Chris Hein wrote: View Post
I was wondering if you could say a little more about what you mean here?

I feel that physical conflict, by it's very nature involves someone getting hurt. Aikido, a style of studying physical conflict, is not immune to this fact.

When we train, we study this. In the training we also get hurt ourselves and see others hurt. We learn that physical conflict is not a fantasy, but in truth, a very real problem. A problem that can most often be solved through other means. This can be learned through any kind of marital arts training, for this is the nature of martial arts training.

Are you saying that by studying Aikido, you will not have to hurt someone if you were to get into a physical confrontation?
"Hurt" is not the issue, as I see it. I've been hurt riding a bike, I've been hurt training in aikido. Football players receive far more life-long lasting injury than most martial artists, not even considering aikido.

So aikido is violent and a study of violent conduct. What aikido is not -- and is four-square against -- is the mind and soul of violence. It is a study of how to conduct oneself in violent action without a mind of violence. This far Zen in martial training goes. But Aikido goes to a place nearly Christian in concept -- to the point of loving the enemy even as as we engage his violence actively.

Quote:
You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. Matt. 5:21-22
Aikido is not about avoiding the violence -- we are all fundamentally violent. Anyone who says otherwise is lying first to himself. It is about transfiguring the violence within ourselves in the midst of violence all around us -- physical and otherwise. The physical principles of aiki and the psychological/spiritual goals of aikido are integrated toward that end.

Cordially,

Erick Mead
一隻狗可久里馬房但他也不是馬的.
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