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Old 03-26-2012, 12:44 PM   #38
amoeba
Dojo: Aikido Netzwerk
Location: Düsseldorf, NRW
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 80
Germany
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Re: Humility or inferiority complex?

Well, I know a lot of people that are (in my opinion, at least) really very good at aikido and I'm quite sure they know that, too. And are proud of it. Some of them even like to show off a little, yes. But none of them ever walked up to me and told me "Hey, my Aikido is really good, isn't it?"

That's just not something one would ever say about oneself. At least not where I train, and actually I don't think that's Aikido-specific, the same would go for, oh, I don't know, tennis or something.

And it would be equally strange (and look very much like fishing for compliments) if those people were overly humble.

For myself, yes, I actually believe there's parts of aikido that I'm pretty good at, compared to other people about my level. I can take breakfalls quite easily (probably because I'm still young and more or less fit...) and all in all I think I'm a good uke. But I also know where my problems are and am humbled often enough, be it at home or at seminars, by better people, to never forget those, either. And anyway, why should I walk around talking about my skills? If somebody wants to comment on them, fine, if it's a compliment, I'm glad, if it's constructive criticism, I think about it. And yes, sometimes I'm annoyed by criticism, I'm only human. But I'm annoyed in silence...
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