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Old 12-12-2008, 09:38 AM   #209
GeneC
Location: Henderson,
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 370
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Re: The continued Evolution of Aikido

Quote:
David Henderson wrote: View Post
FWIW I think it would be an enormous loss for Aikido to become unmoored from its cultural roots. That would be change, you might even make an argument it's "adaptation," but you'd have a very hard time convincing me it would be a good thing. DH
Nothing says it has to become "unmoored". I took Tae Kwon Do ( and MMA) partly because they had after-school pick-up/care (having 3 kids). This was a matter of simple logistics and win-win situation. My kids were taken care of after school, until I got off work and then we could enjoy practicing a Martial art together. Believe me, there was no lack of "cultural mooring". Korean history and culture was shoved down our throats every day. I found it funny how every culture will profess that their culture and Martial Art is the original and best. The Koreans, the Philipinos, the Chinese and Japanese, etc. and they are homo-geneous.Oh yes, I lived in Japan for 2 yrs. They really believe that they are the original and pure race and everybody else are savages and mongrels.
My study of Asian history told me they took turns defeating and accupying each other over the last couple of thousand years and their cultures are so intertwined that noone knows for sure where Chinese ends and Japanese begins and Korean extends, etc.

Then a wonderful thing happened 232yrs ago. A new Nation was born- America. We have a rich history of libery and freedom and managed to become a Super Power and the greatest human experiment in the history of mankind. In thousands of years China nor Korea nor Japan was able to do what we did in a 150 yrs. We became the greatest Country in the World by attracting the greatest minds, who knew the value of liberty and freedom. We absorbed other cultures and ideas and technology and made them our own and made them greater and better than they ever were before anywhere else.

So, it it our legacy to take all Martial Arts, including Aikido and make it our own, and take it beyond where it is now and there are still plenty of traditional schools deeply moored and steeped in Oriental culture, that spend half their time bowing and worshiping and crawling around on the floor, but to me, that's wrong. I can't Seiza due to RA knees, but still, it shouldn' tbe mandatory. I'm all for respect, but I worship no-one except my personal Savior Jesus Christ. This is what I mean by adapting Aikido to Americans. I'm a Christian, why should I have to practice Shinto or Omoto or Muslim (or anything else) practices? I shouldn't.
IMO, Marital Arts shouldn't have mandatory religious observation/practice. That stuff should be observed at a different time than practice, by whomever wants to do it, but it shouldn't be mandatory. That's completely un-American. Actually there should be NO religious practices at martial practice (and that's to say respect is still present- folks can still ask for and give thanks for instruction, etc) . It's well known that Shinto and Omoto influenced Osensei to adapt Aikido to show compassion and mercy, instead of permanently maiming or killing your opponent, but that does NOT mean we have to practice Shinto or Omoto to affirm that, it still boils down to each and every person and encounter- training, practice and temper. Imo, I can be a Christian and still have Budo, but I don't expect to worship Christ ( or perform Communion, etc) before, during or after practice( and that's to say a moment of silence for Osensei and Christ is appropriate[Lord knows I whisper a prayer before being thrown]).

Last edited by GeneC : 12-12-2008 at 09:41 AM.

Only between a single breath is Yin/Yang in harmony
Emotion is pure energy flowing feely thru the body-Dan Millman