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Old 11-07-2003, 10:36 AM   #19
Alfonso
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 346
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How much of this is rhetoric and how much of it is in a sense "real" politics?

I mean, is Iwama Ryu establishing itself as a separate Aikido line because of problems in promotion, certification of teachers and so on?

Aikikai as an organization has to deal with national governments some of which regulate and control all martial arts practiced in place. There's also the matter of recognizing one federation per country, or recognizing authority for promoting dan ranked students and so on?

My impression is that this split has to do more with the situation of Aikido in France and Germany than a sense that the so called "Aikikai" aikido is not real enough, or that the only "true Aikido" comes kissing the blarney stone located in castle O'Iwama ..

OR is this really a claim to be the "Real Aikido TM" ? I think that's already taken.

I can't buy that it's a methodology problem; I don't know of an "Aikikai curriculum" that forces every affiliated dojo to forbid static training or weapons work derived by Saito sensei.

Alfonso Adriasola
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