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Old 01-13-2012, 04:30 PM   #35
lbb
Location: Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,202
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Re: how do you describe Aikido to people?

Quote:
David Santana wrote: View Post
so far I like this one the best because I can actually say it in a short time to a general audience.
But is it really accurate? Or is it misleading? Before you use this as your pitch (or anything like it), ask yourself this:
  • Are we really doing a movement analysis? And isn't that the impression that people would get if we describe aikido as "a study of human movement"?
  • Do we actually teach "mindfulness" and "physical and psychological centeredness"? That is, do we say, "Okay, now we're going to do a mindfulness/centeredness exercise" and then teach some esoteric practice? Do our teachers have any quaifications as teachers of esoteric practices?
  • What does "self-advocacy" mean to a prospective student, and does it have anything to do with what we teach?

Again, the point is communication. I have no beef with anyone who describes their own practice as "mindfulness" or "internal power" or "centeredness". But if I'm seeking to communicate with a prospective student, I need to use a common language -- and by that, I do NOT mean the same words. I need to use words that have the same meaning for my audience that they do for me. I need to stay away from words that are ambiguous, or commonly misunderstood, or whose meaning is distorted in the popular culture. To use an example, what do you think "centeredness" means to the average non-aikido practitioner -- and is it really the same thing that it means to you?
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