View Single Post
Old 08-22-2009, 02:26 AM   #12
aikilouis
Location: Germany
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 219
France
Offline
Re: Transmission, Inheritance, Emulation 15

Peter,

I agree with the interest of writing a history of aikido, taking history in its fullest sense. It is not just a story, made of testimonies and anecdotes put together in a chronological order. Every complete historical work is also supported by complementary research, analysis and interpretation.

In a way, aikido lends itself to that sort of enterprise because, as Ellis Amdur said it a few days ago in another context, it has one foot in the past (traditional martial arts of Japan) and one in the present (and future perhaps). Koryu teaching includes a system of layered release of information, determined by the advancement in the ryu and generally keeping a low profile on the outside. On the other hand, in aikido everything is before us : the films of O Sensei and his students, the writings, the interviews, etc. What is necessary though is a method to assemble information and organise it in a way that can be useful to us aikido students.

Thank you again for attempting this effort and for opening to us to difficult but essential knowledge.

  Reply With Quote