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Old 08-01-2009, 11:09 PM   #437
Buck
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 950
United_States
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Re: Is It Missing In Everybody's Aikido?

Good thoughts, Kevin. You touched on something I wasn't make obvious on purpose. I think I better. I wonder if we compared Mike wearing a Hakama in his video to the original one where he wears sweat pants how the movements would change and compare. That would be in the results. It is hard to layout the details here in words and stuff to get an accurate picture, and what am getting at is the scope of Aikido is different than that of CMA. The approach and goals are different and stuff as well.

Because of that some people feel there is something missing in Aikido, and there isn't. I am not against different methods of explanations of principles or execution of Aikido. Or the comparing or pointing out in the similarities or differences of principles/physics associated to any martial art. What I have difficult with the thinking that Aikido is missing something in someway, when in fact it is more likely what is missing is with the individual's scope and stuff.

What this means is there is a displacement of understanding and a undeveloped perspective of Aikido technically that is displayed in the form of criticism by the individual, rather than an element missing in Aikido. You don't blame physics if you can't work a lever, or blame he physics behind something, because it didn't work for you as intended.

If you don't understand physics and it applications, no martial art is going to work properly for you. You really have to understand Aikido for it to work at its maximum potential- and that is true for Tai Chi, Chi Gong and other CMA. That doesn't happen over night because Aikido is an art. Mike has been at CMAs for how long and he even make criticisms concerning his tapes. Point being it is an on going, a growing, developing processes. Both arts are not like learning to use an iphone, and there really isn't a quick tips guide that will get you started right away.

What Mike shows is CMA. Aikido isn't CMA. Both share the use of physics, used in different approaches, methods, result and stuff.

In simple terms, I don't think a cricket player can fix the swing of a baseball player. Both games swing a stick, and hit a ball, but they are not the same game. And if you where to mix the two sports together then it wouldn't be either. It would be something different, a whole different ball game. But, I don't think either game is lacking nor that one can fix the other.

I do believe learning new approaches to teaching and learning is fine in any art within the art- keep in mind my cricket and baseball example. Aikido is just such an art where that can be beneficial especially to those who don't understand Japanese language. But that is different then taking Taichi methods to Aikido. Like I said before it is because of the different purposes and frameworks each are in.

Last edited by Buck : 08-01-2009 at 11:17 PM.
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