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Old 01-28-2012, 10:11 PM   #275
DH
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,394
United_States
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Re: "The goal is not to throw"

Quote:
Robin Boyd wrote: View Post
Hi Mary,

Please don't take this as an attack. I just want to clarify.

'Empirical' means that a thing can be measured or tested. I understand and approve of a lot of what you have said about how you train. However I believe the crux of the matter is how do you know when you have "correct feeling"? Is there a way to measure it? What if someone's feeling is more correct than another's? What Dan et al are saying is that they are able to test when their feeling is correct, and show how that feeling affects themselves and others in their training. What Graham is saying is that he knows within himself that his feeling is correct and he doesn't have to prove it to anybody. That is fair enough in my book, however it begs the question of why he is trying to convince us all of this fact? Why bother?

Now, I have no idea whether Dan's or Graham's claims are true. I have never met either of them. However, I do like my aikido to be demonstrable and repeatable. I know I have mistakenly thought I had "correct feeling" several times, when it turned out not to be the case. This was promptly demonstrated by my sensei as he joyfully introduced me to the mat.
What is correct...is that what everyone is looking for as "correct feeling" that moves people with ease....IS NOT AN INDIVIDUAL idea. What everyone is looking for:
Has a history
Is known in Asia
Has a language
Has a training method to produce it in you
Has a method to then strengthen it with various added components
And can be replicated in others.
This guy called Morihei Ueshiba knew that and talked about how to do it.
And the results are visable, testable and cannot be faked. Throwing and attempting to throw someone, hell, even touching hands with them reveals everything to those who do know.

What is incredibly sad is that it's very easy to get limited results that work and then get stuck there....for the rest of your life. All while thinking you're doing well...and you..... are missing everything you really wanted.

And THAT is what happens to those who hide from those with better information.
Sadder still is that these people?
Are teaching others
Oops.....
Dan

Last edited by DH : 01-28-2012 at 10:23 PM.
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