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Old 01-25-2010, 06:01 PM   #5
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Dojo: Team Combat USA
Location: Olympia, Washington
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Re: Matt Thorton recounts an experience with Aikido

Thanks for the post Keith. I'd love to find a hole in his logic, and I don't like that he is so blunt about his experiences with aikido, but to be honest, I could have been the aikidoka friend that he encountered. I had almost that exact experience of dissonance that aikidoka had when Matt was a purple belt, and I had pretty darn much the same conversation with the purple belt that burst my aiki bubble as well.

I get what he is saying and understand it and frankly as hard as it is to listen to what Matt is saying I think he is right.

Now, it does not mean that he is right in dismissing aikido as a training methodolgy, but the fact of the matter that aikidoka could not articulate or communicate aikido outside of the aikido paradigm!

I had the same thing happen to me...why should the aikidoka not be able to "roll" with Matt?

Why should he NOT be able to clearly articulate the value of aikido as a martial practice?

Why feel bad about your practice? Why let Matt be a threat to you and bother you?

Matt is correct in his concepts and I think they are fairly well thought out.

It is obvious that he may place a slightly different value or weight on training than others do in martial arts, specifically Aikido..but frankly...his assessments and opinions are pretty darn correct for the most part.

So what are you doing about it? Ignoring it? Meeting his challenge head on? Sending him an email to get with him to show him why he is wrong? Whining about it? dismissing it or what?

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