shihonage

Michael,

Although I agree completely with everything that you wrote in this thread, you might want to reconsider basing life-altering decisions on something originated on the Internet.

Even if the Internet thing is the last straw, that is not how it should be.

Internet flame-wars on the forums should play absolutely no role in affecting your judgment. Forum wars stay on the forums.

Once you log out, thats where they stay.

About Aiki Expo, it is quite clear that Mr. Stanley Pranin is a businessman, and he's making $$ from these events.

Everyone survives how they can, but of course I would prefer if that didn't involve making a laughingstock out of Aikido.

I don't think I'm the only one who looked in disbelief at that "Sensei" in green uniform who is probably forbidden from crossing certain bridges due to weight safety limits.

Fortunately there are still some good demonstrations of Aikido out there. I have a clip on my hard drive of some third-world country 3rd dans doing a nice little demo.

They even (gasp) do some punching !

Anyway... I hope that there will always be at least a niche for martially inclined.

I'm sure that even in the most flowery dojo there's still a couple of guys who know each other well and go beyond the "prescribed" training.

Ahem. Lost my train of thought there.

Well anyway, I bid you good evening.