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Old 08-27-2013, 10:36 AM   #105
Janet Rosen
 
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Location: Left Coast
Join Date: May 2002
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Re: Is it still Aikido if you take away the Japanese clothes, etiquette and other things?

I'm confused. Sincerely. Cliff and maybe a couple of others seem to be saying that if we are training outdoors in street clothes it isn't aikido but some kind of jutso.

Does this mean that the intent and principles are not important, but the clothing and the building are? I cannot accept that.

I've participated in aikido camps and seminars where the weapons training and even some of the empty hand training was done outdoors. I think the shihans and other instructors would be very surprised to discover they were not teaching or doing aikido.

And I've been at one seminar where a high ranking instructor taught in street clothes because his luggage was lost. He would be very surprised to discover that he was not teaching or doing aikido.

And if I were to do Tohei Sensei's 8 basics, exactly as I do in the dojo, in a city park in street clothing, and then have a little randori and a little of Saito Sensei's jo practice, I would be very surprised to be told that what I'm doing is not aikido.

So I would like to know precisely HOW and WHY this is not aikido.

Janet Rosen
http://www.zanshinart.com
"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
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