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Old 03-13-2007, 10:07 AM   #81
Cady Goldfield
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,035
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Thank you, George. According to Mike's and Dan's past posts, both have trained in Aikido, and/or have encountered and felt numerous high-level Aikido shihan, and thus have a basis for discussing Aikido and its relation to Ueshiba's demonstrated (but seldom replicated by Aikidoka) internal skills.

Because Mike has been involved in Chinese arts for a long time, I can appreciate that his terminology is going to be Chinese-based. But when his educated eye sees what Ueshiba is doing to his ukes, and how his body is positioned, as well as the kinesthetic responses of the ukes, I'd give him credit for being able to discern something familiar -- even if he has only the Chinese lexicon with which to describe it.

So, IMO it is not akin to "kali drills" or such being recommended as additions to aikido training, but the very thing that Morihei Ueshiba did, via Takeda, to instill his internal skills.

To my eyes, the meat of these posts and threads that have flown incessantly for years, is that all of this internal stuff is, indeed, part of Aikido (and even its driving engine), as Ueshiba originally intended it to be, and which he in turn acquired from Daito-ryu (which is why some people refer to Aikido as "Ueshiba-ha Daito-ryu"). That's why these fellows, and the Aikidoka who have felt them, are arguing passionately to put this stuff back in, so the ghost of Ueshiba won't keep hollerin', "That is not my Aikido!" at his post-WWII descendents.

As far as I can see, that's very much an Aikido topic, though, understandably, a very uncomfortable one for some. I do believe that this Training forum is an appropriate "final home" for the thread, though!

Last edited by Cady Goldfield : 03-13-2007 at 10:22 AM.
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