View Single Post
Old 10-21-2005, 06:54 PM   #28
mathewjgano
 
mathewjgano's Avatar
Dojo: Tsubaki Kannagara Jinja Aikidojo; Himeji Shodokan Dojo
Location: Renton
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,276
United_States
Offline
Re: Have you ever experienced this?

Quote:
See, we live in a world of political correctness these days. O'Sensei's philisophical teachings were greatly misunderstood at the time and think, therefore, were widely disregarded. This seems to have perpetuated a teaching of aikido that focuses on the "art" of aikido and the martial aspects of it, leaving a great deal of the spirituality completely out of the picture... and thus, Aikido today is missing something.
Perhaps in a general sense, but I think that depends on how one would define "missing." I think there are places which more or less mirror what OSensei was trying to convey. I think a big part of why this is generally true has to do with your remark about the state of the world today. Certainly in America there is a general tendancy to avoid anything non-Christian. Not that intolerance is rife, but simply that people tend to absorb information through the lense of their previously standing inclinations and presumptions, right or wrong. The dojo I train at in the states is a Shinto shrine and there has certainly been a level of adjustment for me...and I'm very very open-minded when it comes to spirituality, so i can imagine how that plays out for others with stronger opinions. Coincidentally, I may have been having a flash-back but I recall seeing a spark of bright blue light at the finger-tip of the Sendai Guji, Yamamoto Yukitaka, of Tsubaki OKami Yashiro of Mie-ken. He never trained in Aikido so far as i know though. It was after a particularly genki experience carrying the Mikoshi of Tsubaki America. All that "wa shoi"-ing can really go to the head.

Quote:
And it's a big something, imho.
For me spirituality is a big part of life. Aikido reflects my personal philosophy about life in general and so, for me, there is a strong spiritual aspect to Aikido. At Tsubaki Kannagara Jinja (in America), we practice a short Shinto meditation at the end of training whenever Sensei Barrish teaches.

Quote:
Terry Dobson was quoted once as saying,"The form of aikido is the enemy of aikido." He never went on to explain what he meant by that. But as I type, I think I'm getting an idea of what he was saying. We can get so wrapped up in the form: hand position, foot work, atemi, angles, ma ai, etc. that we forget about the philisophical ramifications of what Aikido is a manifestation OF!
I think most people who are interested in martial arts are interested in learning physical self-defence. However, I also think it's next to impossible for people these days to have the time OSensei did to devote toward budo. You say it's rare that people are doing what OSensei intended for Aikidoka to do, but it's just as rare that we find someone who devotes that much time to it. The ascetic life-style is itself very rare these days.
Take care,
Matt

Gambarimashyo!
  Reply With Quote