View Single Post
Old 02-05-2009, 07:22 PM   #66
Peter Goldsbury
 
Peter Goldsbury's Avatar
Dojo: Hiroshima Kokusai Dojo
Location: Hiroshima, Japan
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,308
Japan
Offline
Re: Who Sez O'Sensei Was Wise!

Quote:
Philip Burgess wrote: View Post
Good question. No, I don't. This is because I am not an expert on the spirituality of O'Sensei. You also have to consider who you are talking too. Most people who are not martial artists that are curious about Aikido are not interest in an in-depth lecture which I can't give. It is too much info for them at first and you loose their interest. Then it also depends on how your deliver system and approach of the information. The results can be negative, like it's too weird, it's a cult, it's a religion you want them to join, or its archaic hippy stuff. It is that type of thing. That is what I mean my superficially; not in great depth or detail of what I know and understand about the spiritual side of Aikido.
Well, I have read all your posts on AikiWeb and this provides the basis for my idea of who I am talking to. Many Japanese people ask similar questions, but they are not so generally hung about about cults, religion or 'archaic hippy stuff'. Thy are not martial artists either and their curiosity rests on a vague idea that aikido is 'like karate, but more spiritual', for example. Though I probably could do so, the one thing I avoid doing is attempt to explain O Sensei's spirituality. This is why I thought it might be rather rash to do so.

Best wishes,

PAG

P A Goldsbury
_______________________
Kokusai Dojo,
Hiroshima,
Japan
  Reply With Quote