JJF

Okay Jim!
I just didn't quite understand you post (english is not my first language so I tend to miss some of the nuances but hey - it makes it a lot easier to be a pushover ignoramous (sp?) )

As a response to your question: I consider Nishio Sensei (8 th. dan shihan) one of the great teachers and I know he generally likes what he sees when he comes to europe, but if he (or any other great sensei) should find their way to our dojo to observe an every-day class they would probably be very happy to see a few very talented aikido-ka's but it would hardly balance out the rest of us running around like chikens believing we're peacocks .
I still remember three 8. dan senseis visiting my old Kendo-dojo. They spend the first of a three days stay teaching us to put on our clothes and armor correctly. Day two was dedicated to learning how to hold the sword and some basic waza and on the third day we were actually allowed to do a little sparring. It was VERY humiliating...... Perhaps the same thing would happen with one of the old masters of Aikido visiting our dojo. Since they would have travelled half the way around the world they would probably tend to make us work hard on basics. Not because we do that particularily bad, but because they regard it as imperative in order to create the basis of developing good Aikido. If they have to teach us for a brief period then there is no need spending time doing fancy stuff and working with the details at a very high level, since only a few would benefit from that. Basics is allways good. Right ?
Enough of this. I'm not really getting my opinion across, but I'm supposed to be working right now and haven't got the time to refrase the whole thing. E-mail me with questions if anybody want me to elaborate.
Sincerely