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Old 12-29-2009, 08:04 AM   #20
chillzATL
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Re: O'Sensei Thought It Was Important

Quote:
Peter A Goldsbury wrote: View Post
So, when someone like Chiba Sensei used to tell me that O Sensei believed that there was an essential connection between budo and farming, I was extremely skeptical, as I still am, that this had any relevance to anyone except O Sensei himself.
This was my initial feeling as well, but I do leave some wiggle room based on ideas others have raised from reading Ellis Amdurs Hidden in Plain Sight.

Perhaps O'sensei found some parallels in the Daito-Ryu aiki training methods and farming methods? I've never done hard manual farming, but what extended garden/yard work I've done makes it obvious to me that anyone who did that extensively would quickly learn more physically economical ways to get things done than simply using their muscles. You would likely develop unique body postures and movements and ways of generating energy through those movements so that you're not relying on pure strength. Also, the type of strength one gains from doing those things is quite different than simply putting on muscle.

On a similar line of thought, maybe this was just something he was doing at the same time that he really developed his aiki ability and it, along with his spirituality, were things he gave the bulk of the credit too for those abilities.

Last edited by chillzATL : 12-29-2009 at 08:07 AM.
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