View Single Post
Old 01-10-2010, 05:57 PM   #62
Linda Eskin
 
Linda Eskin's Avatar
Dojo: Aikido of San Diego, San Diego, California
Location: San Diego County, California
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 335
United_States
Offline
Re: My Own thoughts on Aikido

Thank you Mary. I value your experience, and really appreciate your jumping back into the conversation.

I told myself the same thing (about being done with this thread), but then came across that preface by Doshu, which led me to revisit the posts. I did not want to leave the impression here that I had been asked to leave, or had bowed out on my own either.

I didn't intend to paraphrase anything you had said. It was someone else who responded to me directly, saying "What arrogance!" for suggesting reading, and went on to add that "No, Linda, as you can see, reading books doesn't do any good."

It was an author whose words led me to begin practicing Aikido, and I feel I've benefitted from the variety of reading I've done. So when another beginner, Eugene, asked "Can someone direct me to a website or literature..." my reply was to suggest to him what worked for me "... find any books that sound interesting to you, that get decent reviews on Amazon, and read them. Get a lot of points of view. It helps me learn to learn - what to look for, questions to keep in mind - if that makes sense."

I can see your point about how for some people, reading could be confusing or misleading, especially (my thoughts only, not intending to tag this onto your words) if one has little life experience, or poor critical thinking skills. Of course the same could be said for reading what people post here, watching videos, or for that matter choosing a dojo and sensei. In every case one has to make some judgment about whether the information is sound, and whether the source is to be trusted.

How we practice Aikido, how we learn about Aikido, and what we gain from that practice and study are all questions that interest me. I'm grateful for your thoughts, and I am keen to hear what others have to say, too.

Linda Eskin - Facebook | My Aikido blog: Grab My Wrist

"Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train." - Morihei Ueshiba
  Reply With Quote