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Old 09-10-2009, 04:13 PM   #15
Suru
Location: Miami, FL
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 453
United_States
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Re: Aikido - Martial Arts - Fighting

From the unintentional random sampling of Florida's population from which over the past decade I have roughly made a standard normal distribution, most people have not heard of Aikido. Karate? Of course. Judo? Of course. Jiu-jutsu? Most. I saw my friend in the FSU gym and athletic center, and told him I had just started Aikido, and I was really excited about it. He hesitated for just a second then said, "Oh, fighting?" I hesitantly said, "Yes." At least he knew about it somewhat, and I didn't feel a five minute lecture was appropriate as I spotted him on decline: a lecture about harmony and peace attained by inflicting pain on others and throwing them to the ground.

When really thought all the way through, especially by an Aikidoka, the contradiction/paradox/oxymoron of Aikido fades away. A problem is that many do not put forth the effort required to ponder this art's complexities and arrive at its simplicities. Many would rather not think deeply in general, and I understand why. It is work, hard work.

Drew
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