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Old 07-05-2014, 06:10 PM   #5
Robert Cowham
Dojo: East Sheen Aikido and Kashima No Tachi
Location: London, UK
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 289
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Re: The Most Essential Principles of Budo: Ma'ai

I was at a seminar with Suganuma sensei and he had a Q&A at the end. I asked him "what is the most importance thing in Aikido for you?". He answered connection/musubi (which I know has multiple meanings).

2 or 3 years later I was with him at another seminar (again in Norway), and asked him the same question. His response was the same.

I admitted to him over dinner that I had asked him the same question after a couple of years, and he had answered the same way (not surprisingly he hadn't remembered my previous question). I hadn't sought to try and catch him out but was interested to know if he still felt the same way, or if he had changed his mind - in either case I was interested to know the answer. He was much amused by the situation and indeed brought it up in a session the next day!

I increasingly feel that connection is important, and even that it doesn't required physical connection. This is for me a much easier concept to experience/manifest on the mat than off it!
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