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Old 03-05-2012, 12:43 PM   #193
graham christian
Dojo: golden center aikido-highgate
Location: london
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,697
England
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Re: How to be non-competitive in a competitive world

Quote:
Jon Reading wrote: View Post
Hey Graham, let me address the two bolded comments:
1. I believe the original post is not actually referring to "competition", but rather, the sport-oriented mentality that drives us to "win" or "lose". In this sense, I am actually aligned with much of what the poster presents. For example, I agree that designating "winners" and "losers" can be detrimental to personal growth. I have chosen not to use the word "competition" because I do not believe that is the appropriate term. As I said in my previous post, using "competition" in this sense would eventually lead us to a conflict of scientific theory (using the theory of evolution as an example to demonstrate that natural selection is competition). The original post's argument is too weak to stand against Darwin, so I am speculating that he is actually referring to the sport-oriented mentality.
2. I do not believe "cult" is a negative word; you may choose to place a negative label on that term. Rather, "cult" refers to a small religious offshoot of devotees to a singular entity. I believe this labels your perspective rather well. You emphatically advocate spirituality (derived from some religious or some moral foundation) is central to (even over the physical practice) your aikido. Cult aikido is quite common and while your flavor is different, you are one of many one who have deified O Sensei and his spiritual path. To be fair, Big Trouble in Little China is one of my favorite cult classics.

I have more time (and a full keyboard)... What I am trying to get at is that I see little empirical evidence to support a claim that the "sport mentality" that we manifest is wholly at fault for any number of our shortcomings. You [Graham] posted some fictitious examples to outline some of my earlier comments, to which I can now respond:

In your first example, you are talking about projection. This is actually quite common and has nothing to do with competition, but rather the projection of causation onto a person or object.

In your second example, you are talking about the drive to place yourself in a position of security. The example lacks the necessary facts to ascertain whether those actions are or are not appropriate. For example, if the employee was better than her fellow employees, would her actions to illustrate this fact be inappropriate? If the employees job was quality control and her job was to illustrate the poor performance of her fellow employees, would her actions be inappropriate?

In neither example can you assert that the idea of winning and losing was wholly at fault for any outcome... and you fictitiously created them to serve as your examples. The original argument uses inductive reasoning to cast a generalization using a limited number of examples. Generally, inductive reasoning is considered to be a poor style of argumentation because it is very difficult to support. Not necessarily wrong, just argumentatively weak.

The sense I get from this thread that raises my hackles is that for being a personal journey, I am hearing many "thou shalt nots" that are associated with budo. The thread also hands out alot of judgements (in my opinion lacking sufficient evidence to support a position) in the name of budo. To ask the rhetorical question, if my aikido is about me, why should I give a f%#$ whether my partner is being competitive? Or negative? Or resistive? Because if my aikido is poor, I cannot get it to work on uke unless she is anything but a lamb.

Truly, I believe this is a conversation to justify a change in [uke] behavior that contributes to aikido success. I am not sure if that is the intent of the original post, or the progression of responses. Once again, uke is bad and nage is good. Competing is bad and not competing is good. Resisting what I want to do is bad, letting me throw you is good. This has nothing to do with budo. The assumption on my end (and I assume others) is that we are talking about an aikido that requires cooperation to work. This is not my aikido. The aikido I am working on is about me and it [should] work regardless of what my partner thinks, acts, or says.

I am trying to tease out from the thread that if we are talking about something other than simply glorifying nage while admonishing some habit in uke that prevents success, then I am missing some key facts to help me understand the argument.
O.K. Jon.
Firstly I believe the original post has nothing to do with sports mentality and is not too weak to stand up to Darwin. Quite the contrary. Darwin would be an observation the competitive mind would love for on the whole it fits it.

As far as the word cult is used I was tempted to say I take it as a compliment but it tends to have too many negative connotations. So thanks for the compliment.

The examples are not fictitious. Projection in such a way is done by the competitive mind.

The secretary who is good need not go behund others backs and say negative things for her work will stand out like a bright star and needs no competitive 'help' I think you will find in life that it would be the others through fear for their job security or plain jealousy would resort to such things. Then maybe even justify it with Darwins theory of survival.

Whether or not inductive reasoning is considered the way of arguing or not I don't really care. I would say that too is more to do with competitive mind also. It reminds me only of a 'friend' who would come to visit me on my stall in portobello road every week. He loved an argument just like you describe. Every week I would listen and take my time and give him a short answer which had him laughing and going away to think about it. Then next week he would come back with a new 'yeah but' and argument and only get the same result.
It actually blows some peoples minds when all I say is no, or I don't know, or good. They wait and then complain saying 'you can't just say that' . 'I just did'. I say. They then go into but, but, but, blah blah blah,. Good. No argument. You see they want an argument. They want competition. Good.

So you believe Budo is about you being able to do whatever you wish to the opponent, I'll add while defending yourself so you don't think I'm being 'clever' Good. Then that's your view and how you practice.

So I will inform you of another budo. Both are disciplines and both take great discipline and training and studying, ie: shugyo. Yet they are different.

It is not the person telling you what you should do, ie: me or anyone else, it is the rules of your discipline that tell you what you should do.

Now this other Budo is non competitive and thus a different Budo. Thus this Budo is not about self it is solely about the protection of the other. Thus different principles.

Therein lies the difference.

Peace.G.
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