Quote:
Cliff Judge wrote:
Why have people happily drifted from Aikido to other arts, or even cross-trained in other arts alongside Aikido, for decades, and not felt the need to go on the internet and claim they have found "the true Aikido" and that the various Toms, Dicks and Harrys have to admit that the entire art is flawed?
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Cliff-
First, we certainly have our fair share of armchair quarterbacks intent upon telling us what we are doing wrong. I am going to dismiss this group straight out because they are not competent to expound upon the validity of aikido.
Second, I think we also have our share of bastardization as cross-trainers bring exercises, techniques and others aspects of arts into aikido curriculum. I am going to dismiss this group because while the knowledge may be relevant and beneficial, it is not necessarily aikido.
Third, I think the internal group is trying to say, "Hey, you already have this stuff, you just are not paying attention to it." I think the reality is that many of our exercises and techniques are not done the same way it used to be done.
So, in answer to your comment, I think the internal group is trying to raise awareness to the fact that we could be doing this training without rocking the boat. However, that comes across as "let me tell you what's wrong with aikido." I do not personally think that is the message they wish to present. I think the forum in which that discussion is taking place (i.e. Internet) is not the best forum and has directly contributed to this miscommunication. I know several internal people who have integrated this training into aikido and if they did not tell you, you would not know it was "internal training".