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Old 08-28-2011, 05:09 AM   #140
Anita Dacanay
Dojo: Cleveland Aikikai, Cleveland, Ohio
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Join Date: Nov 2009
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Re: philosophical or practical martial art?

Quote:
Mark Murray wrote: View Post
Morihei Ueshiba.

A: Studied Daito ryu under Sokaku Takeda and learned the secret of aiki. Aiki which is a training methodology to change the body. It is not a technique. This is the primary and very important fact. Aiki is not a technique. Nor is aiki the motion of using timing and blending to complete a technique. Aiki changes the body such that it operates completely differently than normal. Techniques are all the same, are not the focus, and are not meant to be a primary goal.

B: Studied Oomoto kyo under Deguchi. Spent years fine tuning his spiritual ideology.

Then Morihei Ueshiba took "A" and infused it with "B". He spoke in terms of common internal martial principles of "A" by using "B". He took A and B and combined them such that he built "C" which allowed him to offer other options in a martial world supported by a spiritual ideology.

Okay, so along comes Kisshomaru and Tohei. Tohei learns from the Tempukai to build some internal skills. Tohei attempts to learn from Ueshiba but doesn't get all of aiki (then again, no one did). Kisshomaru is affected by WW II and the burden of his father. No one understands him, no one can do what he does martially. It's war time and no one is really around. Then it's after the war and no one is around, Tokyo is devastated, Ueshiba is in Iwama, and there's people living in the dojo. Kisshomaru does the best that he can and changes things with Tohei's help. They are the two main teachers who created Modern Aikido.

A-1: The full body changing skills of aiki are not to be found. Students are now focused on techniques. Techniques are practiced over and over again. A syllabus is created so that techniques can be trained and rank can be given. Ranks are inflated so that teachers can be sent out into the world.

C: By training techniques with peace, love, and harmony, one can achieve a spiritual philosophy. Aikido techniques and training are the basis for creating a change within someone for peace, love, and harmony.

Now, instead of a dualistic nature of Ueshiba's "A" and "B" creating the end result of love and harmony of "C", we have Kisshomaru's changes where Aikido training replaces Ueshiba's "C". The entirety of a separate spiritual/religious/philosophical knowledge base (Ueshiba's "B") has completely been replaced by the end product of "C".

Instead of A+B=C, you have A-1+C=C and that isn't even getting into the fact that Ueshiba's "A" is not the same as Kisshomaru's "A-1". Look at all the definitions of aikido in modern times. They all state that aikido training will allow one to be a better person, allow one to be in harmony, etc, etc. It all is defined by aikido practice. Morihei Ueshiba defined it by his very involved study *outside aikido and Daito ryu* of Oomoto kyo. His point of reference was external. Modern Aikido's point of reference is itself.

Ueshiba used the very martial aiki as the basis for his homonym usage. He had years of study to gain a spiritual ideology for aiki as love. He combined them. Modern Aikido does not do this. Modern Aikido promotes itself as the end result. By training aikido, one learns how to be peaceful, harmonize, and love your attacker. Modern Aikido is its own spiritual ideology through training techniques. Modern Aikido is very different than Morihei Ueshiba's aikido.
I appreciate your clarifications, Mark. What you say is interesting, but I am not sure that I "get" the practical application of your conclusions for any of us who want to learn Aikido in the modern age. What you say seems to imply that unless we study Daito Ryu and Omoto Kyo, we will never be able to understand O Sensei's Aikido, so we may as well not even bother.

I am sure that Kisshomaru did his best to try and a fashion a way to teach the art his father had developed. Certainly, each of us can only do his or her best to try and understand what our teachers have to offer. Certainly later in his life, O Sensei's desire was to share Aikido with the world. He knew that he would not live forever, and that he had to pass the torch.

Personally, I have to believe that O Sensei was not completely unsuccessful in his goals. In my personal training, I think the best that I can do is to seek out and listen to the teachers whom I trust.

Also, referring back to the original post, upon reflection I think that the best answer to the question is indeed, "Yes" - as others have pointed out.
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