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Keith Larman wrote:
All right, David, since you seem to not want to let this go, I'll give it a stab.
I have attended seminars by Dan H (as well as Mike S although Mike doesn't appear to cause you any angst).
WRT to Ark and Dan, neither is teaching "martial arts" in those seminars. They're certainly not teaching "Daito Ryu". Nor are they teaching a weird approximation of daito ryu. Best I can tell they're teaching about their understanding of Aiki. As well as exercises/routines/etc on how to build those skills as well as the physical body in order to do those things. I learned no techniques in the sense of something like "katatedori nikyo". I learned no strategy. I learned no martial philosophy.
Daito ryu, Aikido, and most arts of any substance are, IMHO, based on some of the things Dan, Ark, and others are teaching. And without those things I think Aikido and Daito Ryu lose some of their power. However, they are not *the* art. The art is vastly larger, a vast curriculum of techniques, philosophies, and approaches.
To contrast, if we assume that Toby Threadgill's art contains aiki as well then Dan and Ark are teaching things that are part of the base of his beloved TSYR. But you wouldn't say Dan is teaching TSYR. Neither are they teaching Daito Ryu. They are also *not* teaching Aikido, not by any stretch.
I wish I remember where I read it, but Ellis Amdur wrote something I thought was quite profound. He compared Aiki with a fine brandy. Without a vessel to carry it all you have is all over the floor. That's one reason I am somewhat skeptical of those who abandon everything in favor of "pure" aiki skills. That's cool, I suppose, if that's what you want. But for me I see it as part of the toolkit/foundation that I use to build/inform my movement and express my art. But it, itself, is not the art. Far from it.
It is about building a "budo body". I like that quote (from Dan for a proper attribution).
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Perfect Keith
There is a whole lot of presumption in statements about me that do not prove out in reality. There is much I can indeed do or teach as more than a few now know. I stay away from that in these get togethers. I recently decided l am also no longer going to do light sparring in seminars either. It is not part of my goal nor part of what I have been asked to do.
I was recently asked by a 6th dan at a seminar to define certain things I was doing in Aikido. I stopped him on the spot stating.
"I am in the presence of a 5th dan and a 6th dan and you want my opinion? No thanks...above my pay grade. That's your job"
Of course he went on to try to discuss the use of the body method I was teaching and it's fluid consistency from Koryu to Daito ryu to MMA and modern weapons I stopped him again only now saying.
"Now you're above your pay grade."
Oddly enough I keep having students and teachers from many different arts telling me where this training fits into their arts. I have the same answer.
"Thats your job...not mine."
Anything else is hubris and disrespectful to the teachers, I am there to teach a certain skill set...not to challenge them on the vast array of other skills and knowledge they have. As a couple of teachers have recently pointed out when they stepped outside to learn from a certain IP coach only to find out they were being slammed behind their backs, I have too much respect for all the other things they know and for what they are trying to do and for stepping outside of their fighting ability to put their asses on the line to learn something new.
My goals are not to "take away from them" or cause harm, but to add to their game. So far the respect.... can indeed work both ways.
Anyway... thanks for laying that out
See ya soon
Dan