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Old 12-05-2011, 02:14 PM   #106
Mark Gibbons
Location: Seattle, WA
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 177
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Re: Saotome Sensei's Training History

Quote:
Ken McGrew wrote: View Post
Graham,

The way you try to live non-violence is admirable. I admire pacifists but I am not one. I will not drink the hemlock.

I look at it this way. If I'm attacked on the street I don't want to hurt the attacker and will be merciful if I can. Chances are I will hurt the attacker. The more of a threat the attacker poses the more likely I'll have to hurt him. If I were good enough, an ideal that not even O Sensei could achieve 100% of the time, then I would never need to hurt the attacker. Sometimes criticism is the only (given ones abilities) or quickest way to achieve what's needed. They are criticizing and you are criticizing them for criticizing in a manner you find objectionable.

What is important, is that Aikido survive as an art based on the harmonious notion of Aiki. This is the most important thing. If the average Aikido practitioner is somewhat less effective in a cage match as a consequence of this changed focus, and yet a wider variety and larger number of people are able to train in the art, then I'll call that a bargain. Not that I accept this claim.

All the forest for the trees that goes on in these debates. The problem is that the forest is being depleted. Individual efforts take various forms, chainsaw, ax, fire. It is a beautiful forest that should be preserved. I see this general trend as an existential threat. War is peace, freedom is slavery, love is hate. Definitions matter.
Why is the concept expressed by the sentence in bold the most important thing? I'm really not trying to be snarky but I don't see it. In what context is the survival of Aikido the most important thing? In my daily life I can't say it makes the top 10. Could you explain what you mean by aiki? To me it seems like "harmonious notion of Aiki" has odd redundancies and it's hard to tell what you mean.

Regards,
Mark