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Old 06-27-2011, 08:56 AM   #51
lbb
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Re: What Is Your Frame Of Reference For Understanding Aikido?

Quote:
Dan Harden wrote: View Post
As I said, I think people need to have their feet put to the fire and be decisive other than to keep quoting him to validate what ever it is they're trying to say, which most of the time leads to the contradictions which were his life.
Do you think you are capable of "recreating his vision in all its detail?"
Oh, agreed -- I think trying to do "O Sensei's aikido" is a fruitless endeavor, because we don't really know what that is. So, you can take the academic/scholarly approach and do a lot of research, which isn't necessarily a bad thing in and of itself -- Donn Draeger comes to mind. On the other hand, I never got the sense that Draeger's purpose was to find some fountainhead of Asian martial arts in order to be able to practice it -- he just wanted to investigate the history of martial arts styles in Asia.

On the other hand, when you talk about putting feet to the fire, doesn't that raise the question of just what the "fire" is?

Quote:
Dan Harden wrote: View Post
For those making claims of physical understanding, they should in- whatever part- be able to demonstrate at least some of his physical power, and that power should be greater in those training the longest. If not, what's up with that?
Ok, so in that case the "fire" is defined by those who are making the claims? That makes sense.

Quote:
Dan Harden wrote: View Post
If not and they want to walk away and stand on their own and do what ever it is they do, what's wrong with that? Although I do think its odd that people claiming spiritual understanding are dressing up in Japanese clothing and waving weapons (that they clearly have no clue how to use) in the air and running around in a circle. I think it's an embarrassment to him and themselves, but whatever.
Is your beef that Japanese clothing is incompatible with spiritual understanding? Or (as I suspect) is it that putting on Japanese clothing does not create spiritual understanding?
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