View Single Post
Old 11-23-2011, 01:49 AM   #5
Tim Ruijs
 
Tim Ruijs's Avatar
Dojo: Makato/Netherlands
Location: Netherlands - Leusden
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 463
Netherlands
Offline
Re: Violence and Aikido

...I responded to Stefan Stenudd in Pas de Deux for Peace which also fits here I guess

As I always say in class: the sword is not dangerous, the persons who wields it can be...

When you say "do not rock the boat, there is bound to be at least one that wants to know what happens when you do". When you strive for peace, there is also always someone that disagrees with your take on exactly what is 'peace'. Good vs evil, the balance constantly shifts, none will ever prevail.
Someone stated humoursly that when you fight with a gorilla you cannot stop when you get tired, you can only rest when the gorilla gets tired. This one (finding balance) is an angry silverback...
So live in the moment, enjoy the moment...

Aikido is but a tool, the user decides its use....

I am not so sure if Aikido, as is, actually dissipates violence. Again, Aikido is a tool, one can be very very aggressive using Aikido; even be violent. You can literally destroy someone. Now how is that dissipating violence? Aikido is not supposed to be used as such, sure. One can use the tool Aikido to 'counter' violence and change the situation to one in which violence can no longer exist.

In a real fight:
* If you make a bad decision, you die.
* If you don't decide anything, you die.
Aikido teaches you how to decide.
www.aikido-makato.nl
  Reply With Quote