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Old 08-16-2012, 11:41 AM   #11
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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Re: Aikiweb as a "Big Tent"

Quote:
Janet Rosen wrote: View Post
Dan, this may well all be TRUE. You've got the years, experience, and training to back up your assertions and I don't doubt the veracity of what you are writing. But it ended up being a thread-killer for those on Aikiweb who do train in dojos where ki testing is done, who find it has a place in their regular training, and for any of us who are interested in reading about or writing about it. All of a sudden instead of talking about ki testing, it is a battle about the way people train.

I understand you think that ki testing hasn't done a damn thing to enhance martial practice. But if Aikiweb is to be an online forum for the broad spectrum of people who enjoy training in aikido, there needs to be a baseline respect for the disparity and breadth of all aikido and frankly sometimes that just means choosing not to post so that people who DO a certain mainstream practice can discuss among themselves the things that interest them. On that level, while I have theutmost respect for your work, your training and your teaching, I sympathize with Mary's frustration when she replied, "Perhaps we should just call this site DanWeb."

One thing I have learned, not in the dojo, but as a nurse and a family member, is that "being right" isn't always the most important thing. How we comport ourselves among others is.
Janet, I hope you know I have a lot of respect for you, but ... this was a major sigh moment for me.

You said, "there needs to be a baseline respect for the disparity and breadth of all aikido" while stating that certain groups in that same breadth of all aikido should just shut up.

Reading the Ki thread that got closed, I once again find that it is the "harmony" and "blending" group of Modern Aikido who are the ones who do *not* have the "baseline respect for the disparity and breadth of all aikido".

I mean, really, you can count at least three times Mary Eastland brought the thread subject straight to the personality of Dan. (Danweb 29, how great thou art 41, and platform to market 54)

I can count zero times Dan brought the thread subject to any personality (of the posters). Instead, it was a conversation pointing to the depth of abilities and skills of the aikido greats. You know, those men who stood out as exemplary examples of aikido.

You (plural) want respect for the disparity of aikido until a group shows up with a far different viewpoint and/or cause and then it's disparity of aikido *except* for that group which just needs to STFU.

It's a public forum where people express their opinions regarding their training. And, sadly enough, it's been 99% of the time, the "peace and harmony" "Aikido" group that brings the discussion to the personal level.

Instead of just stating something as simple as, "yes, you're training is different, but I'd like to just talk about how we approach things", you get, "Danweb", etc.

Instead of, "yes, I understand that Shioda, Tomiki, Shirata, Mochizuki, Tohei could do these things that we can't do (which, really groups together a lot of us) and you seem to be able to, but I'd like to talk about how we are approaching our organization/dojo/group's training", we get it'd be better if your group just didn't post at all.

You (plural) post you want respect for the breadth of all aikido but then go on to tell us to shut up. Where is the respect in that?

In the end, I still would like to train with you (plural) because I think the Internet is *not* a communication device at all. It's just an information medium that people think can be used to communicate. With that in mind, I try to keep an open mind about people. Meeting them usually goes far, far better.

Mark

P.S. And Jim is just using this thread to post yet another personal jab at Dan. All seemingly politely, mind you. The intent behind it was not and IMO is deplorable.
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