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Old 08-03-2011, 02:17 AM   #164
Nicholas Eschenbruch
Dojo: TV Denzlingen
Location: Freiburg
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 323
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Re: Hidden in Plain Sight - Indeed!

Quote:
Dan Harden wrote: View Post
Well, as a History teacher you understand that "those who ignore history are....."

I see the debate not as right or wrong aikido. That's why I choose my terms and try to remain consistent Aikido™ as the standard fair approved by the aikikai, and Aiki...do.
I am aware you chose your terms carfully, and I respect that, even though I still perceive them as polemical.

For me, there is Aikido as it is practised, and the "Aiki-do" you keep talking about is, frankly, a fiction: a historical fiction, or a futurist tale. The second more interesting than the first to me personally.

Unless you say, for example, "Aiki-do" is what you do yourself - in that case it would immediately turn into a fascinating reality. But I do not think you will, will you?

Quote:
Dan Harden wrote: View Post
You didn't really address the points that should be indicators to a history buff. When you are researching, precedents and known terminology and and cultural norms help to understand contextual references made by a subject. You don't get very far reinventing an entirely new meaning of something said or practiced through a researchers ignorance of the subject.
Please resolve, or dispute the following:
His own students admitted they did not understand him.
His translators misunderstood well established budo terminology Ueshiba was using for a random collection of disparate words they never understood ...chained together and thus they mistranslated him.
Why did they not know the terms and their meanings? Because Ueshiba, for all his greatness, was apparently a lousy teacher.

Now....
Modern researchers and translators who understand those terms
know what he was speaking about
Aikikai banned training videos- of one of Ueshibas original deshi- demonstrate a parallel understanding to what the modern researchers are saying.
These same methods that Ueshiba Morihei espoused, Six direction awareness, heaven/earth/man, Spiral energy (with some interesting familiar references), Leading intent from dantian out to fingers, training breath-power, now properly translated and referenced into the already established and known training principles and practiced by aikido-ka teachers are being vetted that they are dramatically improving their aikido.
Care to address any of that please?
Dan
No, I do not care to adress that, because I do not disagree with you.
While I am not always so sure about the validity of many of the sources, my central issue is with the uses of history and evidence, not with the individual tidbits.

As long as it does not include, let's say, a description of what "hanging out with the Yamabushi" to give just one example, meant to the man, we do not have a valid reconstruction of "Morihei Ueshiba's aikido". And there are many similar areas. Most of us don't channel spirits, but I have yet to hear the argument that we don't do Morihei Ueshiba's aikido because of that.

To sum up, I feel that the operation of isolating one aspect of the work of Morihei Ueshiba and then claiming that whoever does not perform to an (outside!) standard in that area today is not doing his aikido is invalid. If that is not the point you or Mark are making, I am sorry I misunderstand you guys.

Anyway, I sort of feel I have stated my points already, also in my post to Mark above, not sure I will have much to add.

Best

Nicholas
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