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Old 09-01-2012, 07:19 PM   #38
Tom Verhoeven
Dojo: Aikido Auvergne Kumano dojo
Location: Auvergne
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 295
France
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Re: Masakatsu Agatsu

Actually, I was not so much interested in the semantics of opposing forces or contradictory forces. The idea of two paired entities that form each others opposites and/or partner has been known for a long time in cultures like that of China, India and ancient Greece. But there is in general a difference in looking at those two entities - in Western thinking we see it more as good versus bad, us versus them, human versus nature, man versus woman and only one can be a winner.
Several of the eastern ways of thinking are more about cooperation, coming together, joining of these entities or forces or elements or etc.This last way of looking at it is also more conform modern Biology then the Western way of thinking. And seems to fit more with Aikido and other budo.
But the In-Yo point I made was just an aside. I was reacting on Mark Murray's post nr 26. And especially the quote of Mary Heiny with Mark Murray's response on it I found interesting.. I feel Mary Heiny is right when she comments on O Sensei's quote; "Aikido is not a fighting art". I think O Sensei's thinking goes beyond that. That is why I mentioned the importance of the mitama, musubi and misogi in understanding masakatsu a katsu katsu hayabi.
Tom .

Last edited by Tom Verhoeven : 09-01-2012 at 07:22 PM.
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