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Old 12-08-2010, 04:13 PM   #109
mathewjgano
 
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Dojo: Tsubaki Kannagara Jinja Aikidojo; Himeji Shodokan Dojo
Location: Renton
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,276
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Re: Golden Center Sword

Hi Graham,
Thanks for answering my questions!
Quote:
Graham Christian wrote: View Post
As to remaining standing after an attack, well I don't know what you mean by that unless it's connected to the statement about feeling good giving that impression.
I stand by that statement that all training should make you feel good otherwise you're doing the wrong training. If a person is sweating blood and tears and knows why then they will feel good, and so they should.
Absolutely, I agree. I was trying to see how you might set your priorities as a place to potentially address some of the comments made about the training in the videos, and partly because I came to Aikido without much care for learning a strictly martial form of effectiveness. My thinking was that, rather than address the appearance of the training, we might discuss the values which drive it.

Quote:
As an example, let's start with the word Aikido. Very simple to me, harmony-love,kindness,life energy-the way. I see people on some writings trying to say it's all a matter of interpretation and the japanese language blah, blah, blah. Well, not to me. Love is love and harmony is harmony so I suggest many people do not know what love is and also do not know what harmony is.
Well, there is certainly a valuable discussion to semantics, so I can see why folks would say that. However, that the homonym "ai" (love) is even discussed, i think, points to an undeniable intended aspect of Ueshiba Aikido. Arguably he felt somewhat differently earlier on in life...but then again haven't we all?
Quote:
Your definition of harmony is one of the best I've seen which leads me to point out that there are indeed natural laws to be learned and followed in Aikido. It is precisely this point which could better be understood. For example love itself has natural laws so I translate these as priciples to be followed in Aikido.
Thank you, though to my mind it's a very wide open definition and means that sometime I may have to intentionally hurt someone very badly. To my mind it means looking for both the best and worst-case scanarios to any given situation and accounting for them to the best of my ability. This means I have to be capable of being indominable as well as yielding and everything in between...again, to the best of my abilities, based on my daily priorities...which is always seems to involve some measure of a gamble, give and take, what-have-you...and that's Great Nature for you...as I've come to view it, at any rate
Well it appears my crying son is not going back to sleep so I'm done for now. Sorry if I got less comprehensibe here at the end...top of the head on a deep subject and all...
Take care,
Matt

Gambarimashyo!
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