Thread: Equitable?
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Old 03-04-2005, 09:41 AM   #91
Mike Sigman
Location: Durango, CO
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,123
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Re: Equitable?

Quote:
Lynn Seiser wrote:
IMHO, a lot of anxiety, depression and wasted energy is expended by resisting what is instead of entering and blending with it. The world is not going to be the way I want it to be. It doesn't call me up and ask for my directions or even input. I don't blame my technique on the uke's attack. I personally don't improve that way. Its by looking at my own part of the dance that I learn to redirect and change the dance. I don't change other people, but they might just change in response to what I do.
I think a more succinct summary of my suggestion not to mix "gender parity" or other things in the dojo goes like this:
When you're practicing Aikido or any other martial art, the idea is to remain "centered" at all times; i.e., you shouldn't be off-balance either physically or mentally or you're easy to throw and your technique may not be too good. If your head is wrapped around social issues, pop psychology, worrying whether someone is "victimizing" you, worrying about your place in the pecking order, playing a role-game about "blending", etc., you may be in the sort of off-balance situation I'm talking about. My suggestion was that leaving the extraneous out of the dojo is probably best, if someone is interested in doing a martial art.

Regards,

Mike Sigman
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