Quote:
Joshua Reyer wrote:
Why is the KNK so conspicuously absent from the Aiki Expos/Friendship Demos, despite the presence of so many "outsiders"? I'm not casting blame there; I truly don't know why top KNK shihan weren't there. But I suspect whatever reason it is, is also why Mike, Dan, and other "outsiders" have proven to be the catalyst, at least in a small way, for many to re-examine their aikido, and what they should be able to do.
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It is actually politics, big time. So you are right "outsiders" would be necessary for many who have drank the kool-aid of their organizations that what Ki Society does is extra and not needed to do aikido well. So while I sometimes wonder if Mike, Dan, and others don't have cajones bigger than Dennis's cantalopes for the the tone they take, I also remember the Ki wars on Aikido-L in the 90's especially for years before any cross style Aikido-l seminars. There was a great deal of hostility on that list that anything on here pales in comparison to. Those aikido-l seminars were small affairs, more low key, and the participation of a KNK Shihan who believed in being open and that communication and exchange of ideas was very worthwhile.
While Stan Pranin and his family in Japan certainly had social relationship with Tohei's family privately, when it came to aikido publicly he was very much on the other side of the divide having been closely associated with the Aikikai through Iwama. Though Stan's four part interview of Tohei Sensei in AJ definitely was long overdue you definitely saw that he caught a great deal of flack for it. Stan had zero communication or relationship with high ranking ki society shihan on this side of the Pacific. It also certainly didn't help that shihan from groups splintered from Ki society like AAA and Shin Budo Kai were there. So for Ki Society being there officially, I think it was a matter of trust. Is also is that many in KNK are getting internal aspects in their practice so they don't see a great need to go looking for it. Others like me just like playing with and meeting different people, so while a number of us KNK yudansha have gone we definitely have kept a low profile and that's not a problem.
Also by having Imaizumi Sensei, head of the Shin Budo Kai, featured at one of the Aiki Expo's, there was essentially a top Ki Society Shihan featured. Doing a seminar with Imaizumi Sensei for is essentially coming home to the way I started my practice.
It should be noted that he simply taught waza and demonstrated waza and he neither shared nor was he solicited to share any of the internal stuff which he knows. Now that I am thinking about it, it was a bit sad that people were falling over themselves to pick up stuff from outsiders like the Systema guys but essentially ignoring someone like Imaizumi Sensei. So I don't think there was much upside for KNK Shihan to be there given what I saw.