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Old 08-21-2012, 08:26 PM   #26
R.A. Robertson
Dojo: Still Point Aikido Center
Location: Austin, TX, USA
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 346
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It Has to be Felt #0

Is what you are doing at this very moment the most worthwhile use of your time?

What is the difference between martial proficiency and thuggery?

In civilian self-defense, which is more important: damaging/apprehending the assailant, or liberating the prey and bystanders?

Are broken bones in the dojo a sign of realistic training, or unrealistic training? With what frequency?

In the hierarchy of rank and dominance, who is fittest for building a better world?

To what extent does your training make you feel invincible, and to what extent has it heightened your awareness of your vulnerabilities?

Do you know how to live? How to die? The difference between right and wrong? Real from unreal?

Is your training a commitment or an obsession? Is it a way of life, a hobby, a contingency, an art, a sport, a philosophy?

What is it that binds you to things you despise?

Is pain and discomfort a measure of seriousness?

What is aikido? What does it mean that the most senior practitioners cannot agree on meaning, purpose, or method?

Is O Sensei still relevant? Was he ever?

When was the last time someone said to you "My life is so much better because of your aikido experience?"

Again and again and again I ask, are you practicing self-defense or selfish defense? And what Self, anyway?

Are you still looking for magical powers? Esoteric knowledge? The world's most excruciating nikyo?

Who among us is heroic enough to break a cycle of abuse, even in a revered tradition?

Can you feel what cannot be felt?

Who are you, and where is your Art, once you've grasped the Void?

2012.08.02
Ross Robertson
Still Point Aikido Systems
Honmatsu Aikido
Austin TX, USA

www.stillpointaikido.com
www.rariora.org/writing/articles
@phospheros
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Last edited by akiy : 08-21-2012 at 12:29 PM.
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