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Old 08-24-2011, 02:44 PM   #91
Marc Abrams
Dojo: Aikido Arts of Shin Budo Kai/ Bedford Hills, New York
Location: New York
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,302
United_States
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Re: philosophical or practical martial art?

Quote:
Mary Eastland wrote: View Post
I guess it was...it seems like we all can be intolerant at times.

Maybe I am reading into some of the threads but it does seems like if people disgree the issues get lost in the egos. (not just yours and mine.) Or maybe yours never does but mine does sometimes...I can only see what I see and then later when someone takes offense at something I have said I can see another side.
It does help my thinking though it can be painful at times.
Mary,

I am anything but perfect.... My feces stinks like those from others....

Sometimes, things are not an issue of agreeing or disagreeing and not everything is relative to one's own opinions. I frankly put the poster in the category of knowing enough to not recognizing how little he really knows, while believing too much in what he thinks that he knows. Ushiro Sensei put it very succinctly when he said that the major impediment to learning is what you believe that you already know.

I can't speak for others, but I am frequently going out and testing my knowledge/skill base to find out how little I do know. I frankly love the experience of facing the "beginner's mind" usually experienced at the end of recognizing the "errors in my way." This position is encouraged by my teachers as a means of being acutely aware of how much I have to learn.

I am always humbled by the shared wisdom from some of the posters on this forum who bring to it a wealth of experience, research and knowledge. When the poster in question can finally acknowledge the frequent errors that have been pointed out to him by numerous people (many far superior in skill, knowledge and experience than myself), maybe, just maybe there is some hope for him. These are not things that are relative and/or subject to opinion to agree or disagree with. Those same areas are evidenced (in my own opinion) in the videos posted. Numerous people have attempted, in good faith mind you, to challenge him on the errors of his beliefs. Those same people usually give up after encountering the mistaken "sleight of hand" in trying to pass off differences as merely opinion or just not knowing the "true way" yet. You too, have been caught up in that cycle. I was simply suggesting to you that based upon where he is presently at, "discussions" with him typically end up nowhere useful.

Marc Abrams
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