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Old 01-28-2011, 12:20 AM   #148
Michael Varin
Dojo: Aikido of Fresno
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 567
United_States
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Re: Why do you perceive "internal" superior to athleticism?

Quote:
David Orange wrote:
Quote:
Michael Varin wrote:
Wow. The confusion persists!
Man, this stuff just eats you alive, doesn't it?
And there you have it.

My above quoted comment at the beginning of this thread had nothing to do with "internal strength."

It had to do with something that is all too common here on Aikiweb, that is, posters' apparent lack of ability or lack of desire to read, comprehend, and address the topics of discussion or specific questions of a thread.

We all know how quickly these threads degrade once they become infected with agendas, bickering, and tangents. That is why I suggested a format for responses that would allow both posters and observers to more accurately evaluate people's positions and the weight of their contributions.

With all due respect to the "it has to be felt" nature of some of the things we discuss here, this is a forum that relies on verbal communication (with the occasional aid of videos and images).

Like it or not clarity, objectivity, logic, and patience are required to overcome the imperfections in human perception.

Otherwise, we are just exchanging "warm fuzzies" and insults, grandstanding, and making sarcastic remarks, etc…

If that is where we want to go, fine, I can do that with the best of them.

But at that point Aikiweb is for entertainment value only. And it will lower us as a community.

That would be a shame.

Full disclosure: Chris Hein is a good friend of mine, and longtime training partner.

Chris definitely is responsible for some of the negativity and absurdity of this thread, but he is not alone. David Orange's posts spiraled completely out of control, and he was the one that took this to a personal level… I guess in the interest of humor. And take a look at the thread, there wasn't much of an on point contribution until Jon Haas at page 5, post 114 (apologies to those earlier posters who did contribute), so many of the early posters are at fault as well. Let's remember, this thread started with questions, not an argument. You cannot answer questions with questions. You cannot answer questions by begging the question.

It's fine to be forceful with points, to ask and expect answers to challenging questions, to argue, to use colorful language, and even to be confused or go off on tangents, but the level of vitriol is almost unacceptable.

I have noticed that there are a few new members and a few other members who have just started posting regularly. They are excited about aikido and are thinking about it with some depth. If you can't put more effort into your posts for yourself, consider doing it for them.

No one forces anyone to participate on this forum, so I would expect a higher level of discourse.

Maybe I'm a wishful thinker…

-Michael
"Through aiki we can feel the mind of the enemy who comes to attack and are thus able to respond immediately." - M. Mochizuki
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