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Old 03-12-2009, 06:17 AM   #245
Buck
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 950
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Re: Who Sez O'Sensei Was Wise!

Quote:
George S. Ledyard wrote: View Post
This pretty much fits in with the view that many Japanese teachers have, namely, that foreigners can't really understand Aikido. I don't agree with that. As Peter points out, there are all sorts of issues which prevent native Japanese from an unclouded view of the Founder and his art.

There were Americans who trained with the Founder like Terry Dobson and Bob Nadeau. I don't think they came away misunderstanding the Founder's intentions for the art any more than the Japanese deshi of the time. I actually think that the fact that they were pretty much unaware of many of the nuances of the culture, socially and historically, left them in a position to hear the Founder's message unhampered by a lot of the baggage carried by the Japanese students. Anyway, that would be my take on it...
It isn't not what am saying at all. Why should we not educate ourselves well in Japanese culture and the way they think? Why shouldn't we question what we are told and test it for truth. Should we live in ignorance about something we are passionate about. Why is it important to believe in the myths and our own assumptions for the truth, for the facts. Doesn't that lead us down the wrong path? If you are going to walk the path of Aikido you might as well do it right.

I will never believe that O'Sensei was super human no matter how many students it brings in, and who propagates that, be they Japanese or not.

What do you fear by looking at Aikido and O'Sensei in the right direction, in the proper light, or O'Sensei as he truly was- warts and all?

I weight the truth over anything else, no matter how beneficial mis-information it is to whom ever.

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