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Old 03-11-2009, 03:13 PM   #239
JO
Dojo: Aikikai de l'Université Laval
Location: Sainte-Catherine-de-la-J.-C., Québec
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 292
Canada
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Re: Who Sez O'Sensei Was Wise!

Quote:
Philip Burgess wrote: View Post
I needed to correct the stuff in the quote I wrote.

Basically, I want to add that the Japanese traditions of myth are not that of the west. Aikido and O'Sensei's stuff must be not be removed out of the Japanese tradition and put in another tradition. And that goes for all things in Aikido and with O'Sensei that they should stay within their Japanese context and Japanese traditions, and not placed in any where else. No matter how bad we want Aikido and O'Sensei to reflect our stuff, our likeness etc. We must realize Aikido reflects O'Sensei and the Japanese.

I realy disaggree with this. I don't train in aikido as some type of exploration of Japanese culture. I have also never been the direct student of a Japanese sensei. Though I have trained with several at seminars. I have no problem with Japanese cultural elements being maintained in aikido as this reflects it's origins and it's "center" still today, but I truly view it as a path that can be walked by people of any culture, that I can think of anyway. Of course, I do understand that understanding O-sensei is impossible without understanding his beliefs and culture. But it wasn't O-sensei that got me hooked to aikido.

But then I'm not a purist, and I see no problem with making aikido what I want it to be as opposed to what O-sensei may have wanted it to be. To me the relationship between the "way" and the practitioner is an organic one with each influencing the other.

Jonathan Olson
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