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jonreading · 04-03-2013, 01:31 PM

Great posts...

I tend to agree with Kevin is regard to the ability to access a number of resources in resolving problems. We tend to accommodate solutions that do not apply or are not feasible more often than we should. A million dollars would solve many of my problems; however, it may not address the cause of why I needed a million dollars. In other words, we treat symptoms, not causes. Again, for me, martial arts [used to be] a collection of tools used to provide more ability in solving problems, specifically in combat. I used the comment from my grandfather to illustrate how an seemingly non-martial technology was more useful in his opinion then say, his 12-cut hand-to-hand knife sequence.

Love is not a resource, it is an emotion. You do not use a "love" to fix a flat tire, or pay a bill, or punch a guys lights out. You can perform an action with love; or, more appropriately, compassion or empathy. I will pay a restaurant bill with love in my heart after enjoying a romantic dinner with my wife. I will fix a flat tire with love in my heart that my family was uninjured in the accident. I will punch a guys lights out with love in my heart if that saves him from injuring himself or someone else. I don't want to hijack the thread to talk about "love is budo", but I think is has its relevancy...

I think Kevin's description of his practice of vegetarianism is a good one. I think when we consistently marginalize those aspects of budo we do not like, what we are left with is not only what we believe (right or wrong), but in fact the only way we can express [what we believe to be] budo. In another thread I made a comment about aikido's difficulty in expressing aiki. Given the ranging and non-definitive opinions of aiki, how could we possibly express with any consistency aiki?

Love is what will cause a mother to override her personal safety to save a child. Fear is what will allow a body to endure more effort than it should. Courage is what will provoke us to act when we otherwise would not. These are great emotions to understand and use to assist our action, but actions "solve" the problem.

04-03-2013, 01:31 PM	#102
jonreading Dojo: Aikido South Location: Johnson City, TN Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 1,209 Offline	Re: how do we define martial? Great posts... I tend to agree with Kevin is regard to the ability to access a number of resources in resolving problems. We tend to accommodate solutions that do not apply or are not feasible more often than we should. A million dollars would solve many of my problems; however, it may not address the cause of why I needed a million dollars. In other words, we treat symptoms, not causes. Again, for me, martial arts [used to be] a collection of tools used to provide more ability in solving problems, specifically in combat. I used the comment from my grandfather to illustrate how an seemingly non-martial technology was more useful in his opinion then say, his 12-cut hand-to-hand knife sequence. Love is not a resource, it is an emotion. You do not use a "love" to fix a flat tire, or pay a bill, or punch a guys lights out. You can perform an action with love; or, more appropriately, compassion or empathy. I will pay a restaurant bill with love in my heart after enjoying a romantic dinner with my wife. I will fix a flat tire with love in my heart that my family was uninjured in the accident. I will punch a guys lights out with love in my heart if that saves him from injuring himself or someone else. I don't want to hijack the thread to talk about "love is budo", but I think is has its relevancy... I think Kevin's description of his practice of vegetarianism is a good one. I think when we consistently marginalize those aspects of budo we do not like, what we are left with is not only what we believe (right or wrong), but in fact the only way we can express [what we believe to be] budo. In another thread I made a comment about aikido's difficulty in expressing aiki. Given the ranging and non-definitive opinions of aiki, how could we possibly express with any consistency aiki? Love is what will cause a mother to override her personal safety to save a child. Fear is what will allow a body to endure more effort than it should. Courage is what will provoke us to act when we otherwise would not. These are great emotions to understand and use to assist our action, but actions "solve" the problem.
	Jon Reading