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Old 06-24-2011, 01:55 AM   #28
Eva Antonia
Dojo: CERIA
Location: Brussels
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 211
Belgium
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Re: What Is Your Frame Of Reference For Understanding Aikido?

Hello,

I have two frames of reference that give me some consolation for not yet understanding aikido yet...

...first is my university education. It took me two years to get my pre-diploma; that was in pre-Bologna Germany that what in the anglo-Saxon world a BSc is. => equivalent to 3rd kyu.
Then it took me two more years to get my Dipl.-Ing (= MSc in engineering = shodan).

Then, as a "shodan" engineer starting my professional career, what was I? A mere beginner without experience. So I started working very much and learning very much and scrambling slowly towards more understanding.

Now I have 20 years of experience, but still I wouldn't consider myself as a "shihan" in environmental engineering. And I still have as many years in front of myself as I'm in good health and able to find assignments. So the learning process is going on.

And I get the impression for aikido it's very much the same.

Second reference is languages.
I learnt a lot of them during my life; some I did master, some I gave up because they were too difficult for me, but the process was always the same.
At first you learn single words and grammar structures. It's just like in aikido when you learn tai sabaki, nikkyo and so on; you learn them all separately and without really understanding the connection. Then you learn to form complete, but simple sentences. You would be able to give an answer on, let's say,
shomen uchi. You perform stutteringly ikkyo ura.
And after some time you can give fluent answers with a more complex structure.
And after some time more, you could engage into conversation, discussion and disputes. That would be kaeshi waza and randori.

And obviously, some people also learn to write poems, scientific essays or mighty novels. Most of us never get there, neither in their first language nor in other languages they learn later and also not in aikido....

Best regards,

Eva
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