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Christopher Li wrote:
For example? What kinds of things are to be gained?
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Well for starters they maintain the only place in the world where you can meet and train with a very wide array of great senseis under the same roof. Also whenever a new national organisation is being formed they provide a framework and good advice for those doing the work. They also do work nationally and internationally in order to promote Aikido, and I have hear several stories from our national organisation about how they have had fruitful interaction with the Aikikai.
They do also to a certain extend lend a seal of approval to anybody starting a recognized dojo. Action speaks louder than affiliation for us who are already in the art, but for the rank beginner who gathers his or her information from the internet and books, it's comforting to know that the Aikikai has at least some supervision (through national organisations) over the dojos around the world.
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Christopher Li wrote:
That's true (although I have a few quibbles) - but I could say the same about the Catholic Church, does that mean everybody forever after ought to be Catholic?
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well.. no... but if you want to continue practicing the catholic rituals and call yourself a catholic, then you would be expected to stay in contact with Rome. Should you choose to break that relation then I hardly think you would call yourself a catholic anymore. In the same manner breaking away from the Aikikai should result in choosing a different name for what you do. I know 'Aikido' is not 'one thing' and therefore can be expressed in an endless number of shapes and forms, but it would at least not be 'Aikikai Aikido' anymore.
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Christopher Li wrote:
Note that - I'm not anti Aikikai, in fact, I support the idea of a general umbrella organization like the Aikikai. However, I think that realistically if the Aikikai wants to remain relevant for the next 50 years they have to make some serious changes to their model.
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well - I agree that change may very well be needed in some areas. But I still think we all have as much of a responsibility to create this change. How should the people at the Aikikai be able to create the organization that best aid the growth of Aikido if we do not tell them about how we fell, and what we think should be changed? They can't ask everybody, so those who go there will have more of a saying, and those who meet with Aikikai teachers at seminars around the world also have some influence. It's not perfect.. but you have - at least in theory - a chance to be heard.
See ya
JJ