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Old 04-04-2001, 06:13 AM   #11
Sam
Dojo: Kyogikan Sheffield
Location: UK
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 90
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Re: WHY NOT COMPETITIONS IN AIKIDO?

Quote:
Kami wrote:


<snip>
Also, as in all competitive formats, the art of Aikido will suffer
<snip>

[Edited by Kami on April 4, 2001 at 03:28am]
I can understand that you do not want to see competition in your aikido.
I too believe that competition is not suitable for the practice of traditional aikido.

However I strongly object to the suggestion that competition in aikido is morally wrong and that it will somehow harm aikido.

We need to make a distinction between the aikido which Tomiki taught and the aikido O'sensei taught. Fundamentally they are different in practice and philosophy. Only the waza are the same.
Tomiki aikido owes a great deal of its philosophy and the developement of certain waza to Kano Jigoro who had an equal influence to O'sensei on Professor Tomiki.
Therefore I believe that tomiki aikido is not subject to the same moral rules. We have our own guiding beliefs which happen to include randori.

Of course the inclusion of the olympics will lead to a minority of people 'manhandling' the art, but I believe that a true art can withstand this. The embu element is present to exclude this type of developement. If a person seeks to do well, they will be unable to avoid the need for correct technique - as you know it is impossible to do embu if you intend to change what you see to suit yourself - it will no longer be the correct technique.
Even in randori you will only progress if your waza are correct - aikido is not forgiving of modification and has a way of dousing people with big ideas. But you cannot know this unless you do it.

I am trying to justify myself, and maybe I should not. I try to be an open minded preson and that is why I am not upset despite the fact that a lot of people feel free to critise Professor. Tomiki although it would be blasphemous to critise their founder/shihan.
Please dicuss competition, but you have no right to take the moral high ground here.
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