Quote:
Erick Mead wrote:
Compassion in aikido, like in anything else, is not about doing any good to the person exercising compassion. Quite the contrary, in fact.
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Mike my friend surly you can't mean that. Compassion has done me a great deal of good. My interaction with Aikido and the people in it has helped changed an angry, confused, bitter young man and ex GI into a decent and loving father and husband and I hope a good friend and teacher. Compassion from others took me from a wheel chair and a respirator to a functioning person. These people did not have to help me but their compassion for a fellow Aikidoka and person compelled them to. Now you guys can say what you want about Aikido and it's lack of power of core skills or baseline skills or whatever and I will not get into the fray because I know what I know. However, please be aware that Aikido and a lot of its people are here for reasons beyond these things. I will not talk of my skills (although they be great) nor about my ego (though it be humble) but I will say Myasthenia Gravis can lay one low and to learn kokyu skills necessary to live when in its grasp is far greater than it martial application. I had a young lady in a wheel chair who could move no appendage and after tow days of Kokyu training she could move a finger up and down by herself. This made her and her mother so very happy. So yes my friend compassion is here and it helps.
Take care
Dennis