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Old 12-06-2012, 02:18 PM   #14
mathewjgano
 
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Dojo: Tsubaki Kannagara Jinja Aikidojo; Himeji Shodokan Dojo
Location: Renton
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,276
United_States
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Re: aiki, aikido, tomato, tomahto

Quote:
Christian Moses wrote: View Post
My jab at skiers is completely a joke, my daughters ski and I love them anyway...)
Whew! That was a close one! This skier was about to put the virtual smack down! Or at least to point out that we aren't afraid of gravity (we face it more head-on), unlike those sideways thinking boardheads...no disrespect...

Quote:
Mary wrote:
The philosophy of self-defense without hurting another, without humiliating someone...to truly take care of oneself at the expense of no one is really at core to me. It is what makes Aikido a practice of deep determination and commitment. One can find strong inner strength through this practice.
Despite the issues of remaining true to lineage, etc., we all practice our own Way; Aikido, to my mind, is about self-correction. That said, I am happy to be corrected by others, even when I think they're wrong...and when I'm not happy to be corrected by others I see it as a sign for me to pay closer attention. For me, everything is secondary to my personal path...and I'm often inclined to call a tomato a cat, but let's not call the whole thing off. We need exchanges with people who disagree with us and I would argue it's a better, more difficult practice than the alternative; one which is often underappreciated because of the unpleasant difficulties it often reveals.
The "IP crowd" tends to be very assertive. Ok, "take my wrist:" Maybe I am unable to make a beautiful form (like waza) from the interaction, but at least I can keep trying until I get a little better...and each time I can get a little better, and maybe eventually some crtical piece of info pops into place that makes things more meaningful on both ends of the exchange. The intent of my partner matters little where my self-corrective process is concerned. I can worry about their efforts to apply pressure or I can worry about how it's affecting me and address that part.
Take care,
Matt

Last edited by mathewjgano : 12-06-2012 at 02:32 PM.

Gambarimashyo!
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