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Old 08-20-2002, 09:59 PM   #28
opherdonchin
Dojo: Baltimore Aikido
Location: Baltimore
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 586
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Quote:
Ueshiba wrote:
"Peace, peace, peace, peace, peace! So many people going around talking about world peace -- when they're not even at peace themselves!"
Amen to that! I also found Kevin's list of things he'd done sort of inspiring. I certainly haven't done anything!

Still, since we are trying to relate to the issues in the world, at least for the purposes of this thread, I guess I'll share the following thought about terrorists and buildings:

In my Seidokan incarnation (where we talked a lot), we talked a lot about the idea of 'shodo o'seiso', or "controlling the first move" (do I have my japanese right?). If you wait until you are being punched to take control of the situation, it will be too late and you will be punched. This is Kevin's (and others) idea that the time to stop the terrorists was well before they boarded the plane, and, ideally, even before that.

On the other hand, sometimes you don't have control of the first move. There you are getting punched. What do you do then? Well, experience teaches us that you get punched. This, actually, is our situation vis a vis terrorists and buildings. We CAN'T do anything to stop the terrorists who flew the planes because they've done it already. It's done.

So, what happens when you get punched? Well, those are the times when you really realize that ukemi is more than half of AiKiDo. You look for ways to receive the attack without losing any more of your balance than you need to. You look for ways to stay engaged with the situation without resisting it. Perhaps later there will also be a time for reflecting on how you got there in the first place. Can we do that with regards to the terrorists and their (our) planes? I'm not sure. I'm open for answers.

Yours in Aiki
Opher
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