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Old 06-14-2012, 02:37 AM   #24
Carsten Möllering
 
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Dojo: Hildesheimer Aikido Verein
Location: Hildesheim
Join Date: Sep 2008
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Re: Why people don't like Aikikai?

Quote:
Joe Curran wrote: View Post
I do not know Tissier Senseis viewpoint of the Aikikai.I simply pointed out he has a large group of students affiliated to his organisation.
Well, "his" organization is kind of "pure aikikai". Don't know, how to express this right:
Christian Tissier does no't have any administrative function in the FFAAA. He is only one of 39 members of the "Collčge Technique".

Actually his "function" is his strong connection to the aikikai/hombu. As shihan he is the link - or maybe one strong link beside others. And his loyalty to hombu/aikikai is kind of paradigmatic. And he is like a door opener for Europeans at hombu. Or at least used to be for a lot of teacher I know who got their letter of recommendation from him. And, kind of other way round, as far as I know he was the one who invited Endo seishiro for the first time in Europe?

So Christian unites two positions in himself:
He has no problem to state that there is very good aikidō outside of Japan. Not pointing to himself this way, but talking of so many, many high level teachers and commited students all over the world.
On the other hand his loyalty to doshu/aikikai/hombu is - like I said above - kind of paradigmatic: He himself is one of the important representatives of this school in Europe. And he allways makes unequivocally clear that his deep loyalty is with the aikikai.

So, I think, you chose a "wrong" example, for it points just in the opposite direction, you wanted to show us.

Quote:
... As far as being a critic ...
I apologize: I don't mean "critic" to be something negative!!! In my (german) vokabulary it is a very "honourable" word!
But Christian is sometimes used as example in this way or is asked for exampel what he feels about the aikikai not giving out hachidan to non Japanese. And he does not like that and feels misunderstood. Because he kind of "is" aikikai.

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I think the only thing you get from being member of aikikai is being member of aikikai. No more, no less. Just this.
And everyone can decide whether this is meaningfull or not. It doesn't affect or change practice in any way.
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