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Old 06-24-2002, 08:59 AM   #16
Bruce Baker
Dojo: LBI Aikikai/LBI ,NJ
Location: Barnegaat, NJ
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 893
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futility of violence

When we speak of the Aikido and the harmony of the universe, we are using the futility of violence when confronted by and unbeatable opponent ... which forces those of violence to either be destroyed, or find a way to coexist with the world around them.

The harmony of our Aikido becomes the deterent to those who would seek the short cut, the illegal unfair advantage, or the just plain downright mean spirited twisted mind that will run wild until faced with a force that can enlighten or destroy them.

That part of the philisophical divergence over, how is it that reponses can refer to the physical practice of Aikido solving all questions, when in fact, to mis-quote another thread writer, purely physical practice is the masturbation of ego without the proper outlook or mental awareness to understand what is happening in the physical arena.

(Had to say it, the slur to not thinking while practicing Aikido, or at least observing balance, motion, or effect will not correct mistakes or separate you from emotional baggage to avoid mental wanderings into sexual arenas.)

The thought of too much harmony in Aikido and not enough in the wanderings of Aikiweb threadwriters, who are indeed meandering into the fields of violence while pretending to understand the wider aspects of Aikido, gives me the a feeling of ambiguity for most of the responses to questions.

On the one hand, there is more violence in the world than most of us can correct, but on the other hand, even though we train in Aikido to make a difference, most advice is to run away?

I hope that is not the total solution.

I hope you physical form leaving the scene of violence is to acquire assistence to make a difference?

Funny thing about harmony, and disharmony, it takes a lifetime to tell when the opposite reaction is the right one for the situation?

Sometimes your violence awakens the moral outrage, and sometimes it quells the situation.

Maybe there is too much harmony, and maybe we need some more mental masturbation, as mentioned earlier.

Aikido is not all physical strength, and it does involve a lot of mental training as well as spiritual searching, so ... maybe we should reserve a little more time for going over the discussion part of what makes Aikido work during class? We should get a little less harmonious, and get a few more written words, with discussion.

At least it would cut short many of the misconceptions.
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