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Old 03-26-2010, 11:17 AM   #59
Budd
 
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Dojo: Taikyoku Budo & Kiko - NY, PA, MD
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Re: Diff. styles, 1 Aikido

Quote:
George Howard wrote: View Post
Yeah: based upon O'Sensei having said words to the effect of 'i don't believe in competition' i have based my understanding of what he defined his Budo as, on what he said - as well as his practice of it too: having no competition in it as he practiced it at the Aikikai (and everywhere else) - which i believe he founded/taught at...
That seems very unambiguous to me.
Yet, there's ongoing debate on what exactly he meant by 'competition' and it's unambiguous to you? There's ongoing debate regarding the translations into English that you are quoting and it's unambiguous to you? Are you ignoring the debates, unaware of them or just choosing the side you like best and sticking with that? His practice of aikido certainly included shiai . . perhaps not in the form of arranged matches for sport events, but more a form of "come on then, if you're hard enough" -- how do you think he got all those rough and tumble judoka to stick with aikido (the same ones that later complained about listening to the old man go on for hours)?

Quote:
George Howard wrote: View Post
Who defines aikido? The person who creates it, i would say is the person who defines it: the components (ai, ki, and do) already had definitions in the Japanese language (i would imagine), and so these were combined, as their meanings corresponded to the defintion of what he wished to give a name to (viz., aikido)...
Uh huh . . are you aware of how the name came about? Are you saying that Ueshiba both defined explicitly and named aikido? Are there any gaps you're aware of between what he did, what he taught and what is now practiced as mainstream aikido? Is it possible that some of the ongoing debates that I reference above might be related to some of those "gaps" as perceived by others . . does it all still seem unambiguous to you?

Quote:
George Howard wrote: View Post
'The way of harmony' - indeed. From this definition is not excluded '...with ki as in life energy or ki as in spirit of the universe'.
My answer was not restrictive - quite the contrary, in fact.
Yet, unless I'm continuing to misunderstand - you're trying to restrict what aikido includes based on what I'm pointing out to be a rather limited perspective.

Quote:
George Howard wrote: View Post
The notion of harmony? I would say that those who are experts in the definition/application of words would be best placed to answer questions regarding the application of words to events, objects, etc.
And do you just accept what they say or define? What if there's conflicting statements or definitions? How do you reconcile them or do you accept that there's . . conflicting definitions?

Quote:
George Howard wrote: View Post
'Yet, you've posted a lot of words around something you have never thought about.'

I think you misunderstand: i have not posted a lot of words, and nor do i accept that they were about this; rather, they were concerning the attitude of another person towards competition.

I didn't quote somebody as if it was attributable to you. I think you misunderstood.
I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one . .

Quote:
George Howard wrote: View Post
You can generalise, and say 'Yup, I'll just make an admittedly blanket statement without firsthand knowledge and say that in all likelihood this happens in the hierarchies of aikido, too.', but that doesn't advance this position at all: we're still in the dark as to what the reality is.
It's possible, but 'in all likelihood' allows for the possibility that it is not the case that this happens...
Uh huh, anything's possible . . I think you're going to stay in the dark about the reality at this rate . .

Quote:
George Howard wrote: View Post
'there are plenty that behave in questionable or even detestible ways' - but then: there are plenty that don't.
Now you're just being contradictory . . yes, you are . . yes, you are

Quote:
George Howard wrote: View Post
'but I never wrote 'in it for the money' '

I think you misunderstand: i was not saying that you said these exact words; i was replying to your assertion that within the Aikikai there are those 'that are in it with a major objective of maintaining their power and position' - 'in it for the money' is not necessarily literal, but is a shorthand expressing this.

Regards

- GG
No, I understood that part . . I was just highlighting the irony of what you were doing with what I wrote - which is changing the words, which inherently changes the meaning . . and then applying your own definition based on a limited viewpoint to it . . hmmm . . kinda of what I've been saying all along
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