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Old 03-06-2001, 07:05 AM   #24
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Dojo: Vestfyn Aikikai Denmark
Location: Vissenbjerg
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 803
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Mixed stuff

Hi everybody - just a few comments to some of your posts.

When it comes to the number of Aikido-dojos outnumbering the number of judo-dojos perhaps one reason could be that Aikido is divided into different styles to a larger extend than judo. This is not something that I know as a fact though - just guessing.

On the subject of influence: I seem to remeber to have heard something about Jigaro Kano being connected to the Yakuza - I guess that is a kind of influence too.... Please don't flame me on this - I'm just relaying a rumor.

I myself believe that Ginshin Funakoshi (founder of Shotokan Karate) had a big influence on Martial arts. He was a very dedicated karakteka and if my memory serves me right, he played a big part in getting martial arts legal again after the ban in the post-WWII years.

In a completely different way an american man by the name of Stephen K. Hayes has been a big influence. His books about Ninjustsu were among the first in many libraries in my country to show broad aspects of martial arts. I think a lot of danish boys have been absolutely captivated by his books after watching every single 'American Ninja' movie available. I'm not much of a fan anymore, neither of the movies or Mr. Hayes books, but it helped me and many other to build a fascination of Japan and to enter the world of MA's.

Finally late movie director Akira Kurosawa often portrayed aspects of japanese MA in his movies, and since he was a highly respected film maker, it was a good way to introduce MA to those who thought movies with Bruce Lee, Dudikoff or Segal was not worth watching.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

- Jørgen Jakob Friis

Inspiration - Aspiration - Perspiration
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