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Old 03-21-2007, 07:26 AM   #84
DonMagee
Location: Indiana
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,311
United_States
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Re: Shihan vs Fighters

I was really just teasing the people who make comments like "Until you have trained with Shihan X you have no right to comment on X art", Or "I would like to see you tell Shihan X that...". I've started using this argument for fun by saying things like "Until you have defeated Fedor you can't comment that MMA doesn't work in the street."

But yes, the converse applys, Aikido shihan are no more qualified to comment on what works in MMA then MMA fighters are qualified to comment on what good aikido is. To comment on something they have no experience in would be silly. How could a aikido shihan know aikido works or doesn't work in the ring. There is only one way to know, get up and use it in the ring. If a shihan did comment on if aikido would or would not work in the ring without actual ring fighting experience, they would be speculating. I try to not put any stock in speculation when you have a very easy means of getting proof.

- Don
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough" - Albert Einstein
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