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Old 08-19-2009, 09:42 AM   #59
David Orange
Dojo: Aozora Dojo
Location: Birmingham, AL
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,511
United_States
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Re: Steven Seagal seems like a jerk teacher. A bit at least...

Quote:
Maarten De Queecker wrote: View Post
I have not yet seen any forms of "subconcious communication" in aikido, whatever that might be.
What do you think it means when Sokaku Takeda says "The art of aiki is to overcome the opponent mentally, at a glance and win without fighting"?

When it's down to real life-and-death matters, aiki communicates deep to the would-be attacker's unconscious mind and weakens him from within. There is tremendous subconscious communication in many of the martial arts, but aikido contains a highly refined form of that if one can tap it through serious training.

Quote:
Maarten De Queecker wrote: View Post
Why should one not be allowed to use something one is very proficient at-in this case: aikido- to earn some money, while at the same time recruit new members for the aikido family? If I'm not mistaken, a whole lot of Japanese masters do exactly the same: they travel around the world giving seminars, and people often have to pay a lot in order to attend. I'm even happy for them, because very few people actually manage to make their passion their main source of income.
The way masters present the art respects the art. Seagal has prostituted the art for personal gain. If you don't see the difference in presenting aikido demonstrations and presenting gory images of violence and hate, for profit, I don't know how better to explain it to you. Read Stan Pranin's letter.

Quote:
Maarten De Queecker wrote: View Post
"A great art" is, again, subjective. What we find in aikido, others may find in Judo, Tae Kwon Do, personal religion or even their daily job. Aikido is not some kind of be-all end-all religion/thingy. It's a martial art. The main focus should always be on the martial. I know dojos who don't spend a second on the spiritual side of aikido and choose to focus only on the techniques.
But what dojo goes to such bloody lengths to pimp their art?

Someone earlier mentions Spencer Tracy and Jimmy Cagney as movie actors who had "misused" martial arts, but Jimmy Cagney was a judo black belt who I never saw misuse his art or misrepresent it or present it in such a sick light. Likewise with Spencer Tracy, of whom I'm aware of only one martial arts scene, in Bad Day at Black Rock and he just takes down a bully with some one-arm ju-jutsu. The Japanese, too, have quite a history of martial arts movies. But it's still considered low, low class to really prostitute the martial arts like Seagal does.

See, as I pointed out, The Challenge was a great movie (which Seagal, supposedly choreographed, but in which he did not appear). See the difference in that and in Seagal's much later Exit Wounds and you see the devolution into pure trash.

Quote:
Maarten De Queecker wrote: View Post
I have also read about dojos incorporating christian elements and teachings in their aikido (mainly in the US). It's really up to the instructor, what his beliefs are, and what he finds useful for his students. However, I believe that as a student, the biggest part is up to you.
It's not about his aikido training. It's how he sells aikido out for a dirty buck. It's low and unworthy.

David

"That which has no substance can enter where there is no room."
Lao Tzu

"Eternity forever!"

www.esotericorange.com