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Old 09-08-2007, 04:19 PM   #84
Neil Mick
Dojo: Aikido of Santa Cruz
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 225
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Re: Teacher and Drugs

Quote:
Erik Jögimar wrote: View Post
Show some respect.
Quote:
Anonymous User wrote: View Post
Excuse me SIR.

I do not appreciate your tone at all.
Respect, online, is a moving target. Even amongst different websites, respect and etiquette have different meanings.

Personally, I tend to tow the line of "hate the game: not the player." That is, when someone says something I find outrageous, or patently false (such as, drug-usage is something you find happening a lot, around aikido-practice): my first impulse is to ridicule the statement (rather than the post-er).

For me, the guidelines of anonymous post'ers are a little wider, especially when the statements get progressively outrageous. Altho, the worst thing I'll ever say of a person directly, is that they are a troll...as that is my assumption (wrong, or right) of the activity that they're engaging.

But let's all take a step back, because some here seem to forget a basic tenet of the internet.

Quote:
concerned wrote:
I was simply sharing what had happened to me. Yes, I used the term 'sparring' So what? I couldn't think of the proper term at the time.
Almost all aikidoists train (keiko); they do not "spar." Other MA's "spar" (boxing); while others "play" (i.e., Capoeira). Your usage of "sparring" made me think that you were possibly a MA (martial artist) from another discipline, coming online here to play "Diss the aikidoka." (it's been done before)

Quote:
concerned wrote:
Give me a break! I'm NOT doing this just to get attention,
And the reason I would know this, is....?

Quote:
concerned wrote:
I was trying to express my real concern for how SOME people 'practice' aikido. I didn't intend that to be a blanket statement. If it cam off like that, I am sorry.
Well, it did. This sentence is what really set me off:

Quote:
concerned wrote:
As you know, sad as it is, Aikido combined with drug use seems to be common.
Quote:
Why do you automatically assume that I am lying about having witnessed people smoking pot? I really don't appreciate you ASSUMING that I am making this up.
I'm sorry that you don't appreciate it. However, there you are...anonymous, and making blanket statements about a practice in a martial art, of which I spent a great deal of time studying. On the face of it, you are describing an activity of which I have never seen, experienced, or heard about, after a long time of training in dojo's of many affiliations, in more than a few countries. Of course my default position would be skepticism, and doubt about your intentions.

Consider the nature of the internet, for a second. We all can come online here, and pretend to be, do, or have witnessed, anything we like. You COULD actually be who you say you are, OR you COULD be Erik Jogimar (who COULD be someone else, entirely). I really have no way to tell (just as, you have no way to tell if I am who I say...it works both ways).

So, all I have to go on as to your veracity is your word, balanced against my own experiences. A lot of ppl come online and love to tell us all how ineffective aikido is, etc. Your post sounded suspiciously in that vein.

Quote:
The dojo in question is run by someone I know, and I started studying there because I know the person. I did not know at the time that they smoke almost every day before class. Trust me, I AM looking for another school. And I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't automatically assume that I'm a troll and lying.
Point taken. But I hope you see the reasons for my doubts, as well.

Quote:
Have a little respect.

A Concerned Student
OK, fair enough. Now, coming from the assumption that everything you say is true and accurate: here's my response:

I voted for medical marijuana with the rest of California when it came up. I also think that marijuana should be legalized, and that too many police resources are spent prosecuting marijuana users.

However, aikido is a martial art that could easily cause accidental injuries, even in the best of times. One thing I HAVE seen in almost all (American) dojo's where I've trained is the "release from harm" form that all students have to sign before training. This form is supposed to serve as an official notice that you understand that aikido can cause injury; and that you won't sue the dojo, should you become injured.

Pot-smoking would make this form completely moot: should you actually BECOME injured, all you'd have to do was mention pot-smoking at the trial, and the dojo would be liable (i.e, Sensei and the senior members were not acting in a manner that was safe to train).

At the very least, it's really stupid for yudansha (or ANY rank) to smoke pot before class, as it affects their judgement of what's going on (just as you pointed out, in your training example). They cannot accurately assess possible injuries of anyone training, under the influence.

At the very worst, they are presenting a very bad example to their dojo-members and are NOT really representing the teachings of O-Sensei. In short, what they are doing is not aikido.

My advice? Again: run, don't walk, to another dojo.
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