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Old 07-31-2011, 06:48 PM   #90
JW
 
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Location: San Diego CA USA
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 561
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too many cooks = bad

I don't think Ueshiba wanted too many cooks in the kitchen. He didn't teach to many, and here's what he got:

A worldwide phenomenon that bows daily to both his visage and his cause. They are inspired by the beauty of the images (David O.'s term regarding waza) they have been given. They look to those who can excel at neutralizing violence with admiration and devotion. The population of aikidoka has grown at a dramatic rate. They have built a culture more or less centered on the ideals that he espoused, and are together in an endless journey, paying tribute to him and his works every day.

Sounds great. (Especially from the spiritual point of view where his spirit is fed by the energies of his followers... through us, he lives forever.)

There's a fine line: no more people with skills like him, and the movement will dissolve and fade over time, as people stop believing in it. Too many people like him, and the movement fractures and people forget about him and his cause, instead following all these other greats. No more unified family.

What is best from Ueshiba's point of view? A bunch of people who really believe and really try, but still all end up being together in skill level. The bigger this culture of people grows, the better, and the longer it lasts, the better. The more inspired they are the better. So, rare gems every few decades is best, to keep it alive yet unified.
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