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Old 09-25-2014, 09:36 AM   #12
Rupert Atkinson
 
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Dojo: Wherever I am.
Location: New Zealand
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,013
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Re: How To Make Your Aikido Your Own

In terms of making an art your own: I would say you can do whatever you like with it for yourself - after you have spent the required half an age learning it and making it fit yourself. Having spent half an age, my guess is you'd probably stick with it. Anyway, if you do adapt it to yourself - no problem. Except that is, if you end up teaching it - then - you had better teach what you were taught - rather than the particular slant you prefer for yourself. Just my 2c.

But what of Aikido? Many on here and elsewhere are waking up to the fact that after 20 years doing it - it still doesn't work as advertised. Older teachers are passing on. We have more freedom and less direction. It seems to me that we have no choice but to start searching. We have to rediscover that which has become lost. It may be that we have almost no choice to break away from tradition that has become stagnant. Aikido is not Koryu - it is not kata - it has life. We have Takemusu. We need to establish new focus and find ways to move towards it. We actually have no choice. Another 2c.

Last edited by Rupert Atkinson : 09-25-2014 at 09:44 AM.

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