Re: What is "IT"?
I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. The question was asked and a statement offered that the person could look forward to finding it in Aikido.
I offered an opinion as to the chances of that happening to any significant degree.
I would be thrilled to feel or see expert level aiki or expert level internal power from anyone in the aikido community. I have never personally felt it from anyone in Aikido up to 8th dans, and I have never seen even what I would consider good mid-level structure or aiki on any video anywhere.
I am confused as to why you would want more video.
Everyone has been encouraged to offer input-yet not everyone's opinions are equally qualified are they? There are levels of IT. Some can deliver a little bit and some can deliver in spades. It serves no purpose to lie or inflate skills of aikido teachers that are simply not there. They can be hoped for. We can wax nostalgically for teachers we wish had IT to a higher degree but I've never seen it. I would be happy to touch hands, or better yet rock and roll with someone you think has IT to a substantial degree.
As for replicating and teaching it to others? For faults-all their own making-I am uninterested in Japanese teachers as a source. They have, for all intents and purposes, failed to deliver! They don't get aiki. And of the few who might- they have proven themselves to be unable to teach it in a methodical sense to the next generation. At what point do we wise up and stop caring what they say or do?
I think the future of aikido is being written right now. The previous generation of Japanes teacher's failure to teach aiki is becoming obvious to an increasingly educated student base under them. I have been hearing of Japanese Shihan being unable to respond to direct questions about aiki and the means to train the body by their own students, who are increasingly going outside of aikido find it. The Shihan are bereft of advice on what to do and why and where it leads. The American teachers under them are just not talking about it publicly.
Thankfully more and more American teachers are becoming aware of that and are just looking at the Japanese teachers influence (as a source) nostalgically; more akin to the comment from Abe Shosaburo in Dave Lowry's book: "Autumn lightning"
“In the Changing of the times they were like Autumn Lighting, a thing out of season, an empty promise of rain that would fall unheeded on fields already bare.”
We can do better amongst ourselves…heck we already are.
I don't see what the worry is though. I see it in a very postive light. What is left to argue when Aikido's senior teachers and Shihan are now stepping outside the art to learn aiki...I mean ...hello?
Cheers
Dan
Last edited by DH : 09-30-2009 at 12:10 PM.
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