Quote:
Mary Eastland wrote:
We develop strength.
Along with this strength comes a compassion and understanding because we are practicing Aikido with a partner.
Having internal strength for the sake of beating another seems to have lost the point.
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M2c... I think that kind of compassion only comes from having the ability to dish out serious harm to others. This stuff was kept close-vested because it gave you an edge in combat (ie the other person ending up more or less dead or battered).
Waxing philosophical is nice, but if you can't hold your own, its a moot point.
I don't think it needs to be pointed out that Takeda Sokaku was historically, (at least if you read interviews with Sagawa and others) a killer.
Even Ueshiba was a pretty uptight bastard before he joined the Omoto Religion.
Tohei - a pretty crude guy according to various annecdotes, but also pretty standard for guys that could walk the walk. You'll hear similar parallels in China. I think there was some Tai Chi dude who had a good rep, for his skills...and also for tearing through an entire brothel without losing his stamina
So maybe we can leave the whole "but shouldn't internal guys be wide-eyed nirvana chasing lotus eating buddhas" image alone and just focus on the skills.
