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Old 03-25-2007, 12:22 AM   #20
Thomas Campbell
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 407
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Re: The Point of Aikido

Quote:
Jim Sorrentino wrote: View Post
[snip] My open invitation (which still stands) was neither rude nor hostile. It was blunt and skeptical --- two qualities which you seem to admire and espouse. Readers may judge for themselves: http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10287.

[snip]
"Blunt and skeptical"? Perhaps the initial invitation was. But your post on page three of that thread was rude and hostile. You invite readers to judge. Here it is:

"Greetings All,

I had an interesting experience last weekend that has led me to resurrect this thread: I attended one day of a two-day seminar on Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu with Roy Goldberg-sensei. Goldberg-sensei is a 6th dan and a member/representative of the Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu Kodo Kai. The seminar was hosted by the Kim Studio, a tae kwon do school founded in 1964 by Ki Whang Kim (see http://www.kim-studio.com/). The studio has hosted Goldberg-sensei many times, and on one occasion, has hosted Goldberg-sensei's teacher, Kiyama-sensei.

The day I attended, practice ran from 12:00 to 4:00, with a short break around 2:00. There were about 30 participants, ranging from tae kwon do beginners to seasoned jujutsuka from Virginia, New York, an Massachusetts. Tim Anderson and Steve Kotev also attended, so I wasn't the only aikidoka there. Goldberg-sensei brought one of his students, Gino, who took most of the ukemi.

[snip]

During the course of the afternoon, someone (not me) asked Goldberg-sensei about Dan Harden. Goldberg-sensei's first response was. "If you come to tomorrow's session, you will have spent as many hours on the mat with me as Dan has." And he recommended that when Dan posts on aikido Internet forums, we should ask Dan: 1) what is his rank in Daito Ryu? 2) who gave him that rank? and 3) what is his present relationship to the Kodokai? Dan, if you're out there, I'm asking.

[snip]

Sincerely,

Jim Sorrentino"

That was a set-up of Dan Harden, under the guise of a seminar review. If you're seeking to learn training insights or experience real skill from someone who's worked long and hard and passionately to cultivate them . . . that's just a stupid way to go about it.
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