View Single Post
Old 08-16-2012, 12:58 PM   #21
Nicholas Eschenbruch
Dojo: TV Denzlingen
Location: Freiburg
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 323
Germany
Offline
Re: Aikiweb as a "Big Tent"

Janet, thanks for opening this discussion.

While I have no easy explanations and cannot think of any clear culprits, I deplore two related things in recent months (geeh, is it years already?):

(1) I strongly believe in "modern aikido", as it is sometimes disparagingly called, as a fascinating practice which is "fun", for lack of a better word, and can change lives. So do most aikido practitioners. However, it seems very difficult these days to discuss it as such on aikiweb without intensive, almost ritualised reference to a lot of stuff that, for a huge majority of practitioners, has nothing to do with their practice for now. (Please note that I am not saying I agree with all of modern aikido; also note that I still belive Dan's teaching is invaluable for me personally)

(2) history - as it relates to the aikido most of us do - has recently been predominantly used in discussions here in a negative, backward looking and often fundamentalist (as in, back to the golden days) way. It is hardly ever used in a constructive, forward looking manner. I wonder whether there is still a gap between truly fascinating historical insights some of you have had, and, well, their practical relevance to what most of us do, which is modern aikido. I really look forward to the times when that gap will be bridged, but until then, we should treat each other with more tolerance and courtesy.

On the whole, I sometimes find it a little peculiar that opinions and arguments that do not contribute (or sometimes, even do not care about) modern aikido as a living practice get such bandwidth here.

Last edited by Nicholas Eschenbruch : 08-16-2012 at 01:02 PM.
  Reply With Quote