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Old 03-24-2007, 08:03 AM   #8
gdandscompserv
 
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Join Date: Sep 2004
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Re: The Point of Aikido

Ok...I know...I said I was gonna shut up, but George can draw me in every time. Now that's real aikido.

That article was so spot on for me on so many levels. I was physically and emotionally abused as a child. I'm not sure to what degree that drove to towards martial arts, but I've always felt it was significant. I was drawn to them from an early age not really knowing why. Even today I see that not many people are really interested in studying budo and wonder why I am one of the few weirdos.

Training in budo with a caring and compassionate sensei can be highly beneficial to traumatized children and adults. Aikido can truly be practiced by anybody of any age or gender, and through the study of aikido or other another budo, ones life can be enriched. I often think what a lovely world we would live in if we had Iwao Yamaguchi sensei's in every dojo. Even better, a duplex dojo with Yamaguchi sensei on one side and George Ledyard sensei on the other side. And in the barn for all you males, between the ages of 18 and 50??, who like to punch and roll, a "fight club" featuring the always RRrrough and RRrreeaaddy tooo RRuumble, Dan Harden. And who's that over on the grass? Oh that's Mike Sigman teaching that "internal" stuff he does so well, occasionally glaring at me out of the corner of his eye for some sarcastic comment I have made. Yes, I would like that.
Of course it is an odd dream. I'm sure if I shared it with my co-workers they would not understand and in fact would think I was quite completely out of my mind. Wouldn't I rather be in Vegas, or riding quads in the desert, they would ask? No I say, I'm going to an aikido seminar. Huh? How odd they say. They just don't understand.
Of course, who knew.
Not many...Not many at all.
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