View Single Post
Old 07-15-2008, 08:23 AM   #47
MM
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,996
United_States
Offline
Re: "Non-Aikido Martial Traditions" Forum

Non-Aikido Martial Traditions.

In a world where various aikido groups have argued what constituted "Aikido", it isn't really too far a stretch to place some of our conversations in this forum.

In a world where quite a few people said, I know what you're doing, we do that, too. And then when these people felt it directly, they found it was different and it wasn't what they were doing. To the aikido world, that can translate as "non-aikido". Even though these people noted that it constituted the higher levels of aikido.

When the people advocating aiki have training backgrounds in Daito ryu and Taiji, it isn't a far stretch to have those conversations in a "non-aikido" forum.

Dan, Mike, Timothy, Rob, Ron, Ellis, and I have all experienced things first hand. Jun has not. Do not disparage those who have not yet had the chance that we were given. And do not disparage the decisions those people make, because they certainly do not have the same experiences we do ... yet. (I'm certainly hoping they get the chance.)

While I believe that the aiki we talk about should be the driving force for aikido, it is not yet a recognized or accepted idea. Sometimes things change slowly. And in that, Jun has given us an area for discussions and there have been some very good discussions in the "non-aikido" forum. Jun changed aikiweb and gave us this forum. We should be thankful for that. I am. To me, whether I talk about this in a "non-aikido" forum or an "aikido" forum, the truth of the matter is there for those that want to read it. For those that don't, it will hopefully be archived for when they decide it is important to them. For some, it never will be.

What makes aikido, aikido? I'm sure that will always be something of an argument. Having a place to discuss with other aikido people Daito ryu aiki in relation to aikido, Taiji skills in relation to aikido, aikido(tm) to aiki...do, the aiki of the martial world, the body skills, the usage of aiki in any venue, etc etc is more important to me than what forum label it falls under. And Jun has graciously provided that.

Thank you, Jun.

Mark