Devon Natario

Mr. Ledyard,
I have always been hungry for "Martial Arts" and knowledge. I understand your point in that aspect. I just started Aikido about 7 months ago now. I have already been to a camp and I am planning on going to a Seminar in Missoula to see Saotome Sensei. Anyways, I don't think the lack of "hungry" students is the issue. I think it's the lack of knowledge that instructors are passing down. My instructor here has told me about Saotome Sensei, what to expect, how great he is in skill etc etc. It made me enthusiastic to go. Had he not explained or told me about it, I wouldn't have thought about going.

I think there may be an issue of communication. Yes, a hungry student may perhaps find out information. But in all honesty, there are some people who just need a push in the right direction.

Then you have another issue of "why". What is the point to be hungry? Patience is a virtue. The knowledge will come when we are meant to have it. The light will turn on when we are meant to have it. I know that sounds ignorant, and I am not speaking in temrs of myself, but in terms of what people may think. Americans need to be motivated to do something. What is the point of someone searching for knowledge when they will get nothing for it. No offense to Aikido, but it's one of the slowest arts for promotion that I have ever been in. The better you are means nothing. The faster you learn means nothing. It all has to do with inner growth. Dont get me wrong either. I am an instructor of Jujitsu, I dont need the rank in Aikido. I learn things, and that's all that matters to me. But had I been a student with no experience. I would have been bored of this art already because there's no goal. 7 months without a promotion would be pretty boring to me as a beginner.

Again dont get me wrong. I just dont see a point, except for self growth, which I am sorry is far less important to Americans than self gratification is. If there were some way to gratify students, maybe they would attend more Seminars and be more hungry.

It's funny. I run forums a lot. And when I put rank for number of posts, it increases the number of posts people make. It sounds really stupid, but it's all about showing off. Maybe if these "so called" great instructors allowed photographs, autographs, a certificate of attendance, etc for students they would be more hungry to attend.

I know this isnt your point at all. I guess Im just used to coming up with a solution before I complain, and that's my solution to your complaint. We as instructors need to make people hungry to seek us out, not expect them to seek us out.

You can believe if O'Sensei were alive, you'd see many more hungry students at his seminar. However, he never expected it, it just came.