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Old 05-26-2010, 09:34 PM   #66
"PhB"
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Anonymous User
Re: The purpose of Aikido?

Quote:
Anonymous User wrote: View Post
If you don't mind me saying, I don't think that everyone has that ability like you to take Aikido to the intended letter. For some of us, we are drawn to Aikido for personal reasons, like attracted to the spiritual Aikido over the ability to apply physical skill in a contest. I know some people work toward the ability to match up the physical and spiritual and reap those rewards. They are concerned with the abilities you kindly laid out for the physical Aikido, but not to the point of a physical conflict. But, rather how that bonds to the spiritual Aikido and its result for them. There is no need to prove anything. It is a personal journey and not a contest.

I appreciate your comments, and hope quoting you didn't offend you, I don't think it did. All too often people come to Aikido with expectations of a physical goal, and those people are very much unsatisfied with Aikido.
And not because Aikido can't deliver, or it falls short when it comes to fighting, but because Aikido isn't and wasn't designed to be a combat or tournament art. Aikido is stamped from Bujutsu. It developed beyond when spiritual growth became a focus for Aikido. Aikido prior to the addition of spirituality a.k.a pre-World War Aikido has the greatest and purest elements of physical Bujutsu, and imo is a more reasonable subject for any arguments evaluating the validity of its physical elements. If you're e are going to debate Aikido's ability to deliver in a contest or conflict look at pre-World War Aikido, it was a true Bujujtsu. Today's Aikido shouldn't be judged or strictly held up to fighting standards after World War. Today's Aikido works toward spiritual growth, and judging whether or not it delivers the spiritual goods is a more relevant argument.
I think allot of people become jaded or dissatisfied when they come to Aikido looking use it in a fight. When expectations are place on Aikido by people looking for fighting applications and find that Aikido is no longer about that, but instead is focused on a spiritual growth experience they are often let down and disheartened. Suffice it to say they don't decide to embrace the spiritual experience of Aikido, turning away from the path of violence, and embracing the way of peace. People who like to fight really don't last in Aikido. It doesn't offer what they look for. Those who are looking at Aikido as utilized by the characters of Shihan Seagal in his movies, will undoubtedly be let down by post World War Aikido.

When I spoke of Aikido being stamped in Bujutsu, I am referring to the mental approach adopted by Aikido from Bujustu. Hell's dojo's of pre-World War Aikido wasn't a place where people fought to destroy each other. Wasn't it a place where limits where pushed? Where training was a very serious matter? The intensity level at a high level pushing people beyond the levels of what they thought they could do? A Special Forces training school experience might be an equivalent idea?

That element I am guessing was carried onto the current version of Aikido. I don't think the aim of Aikido is to bust people up with it. But to train hard, pushing yourself to new heights and levels personally and physically. That is my opinion of why people shouldn't merely take a fall, walking through the motions. I agree with you. I part ways here with many when I say, I don't think any of that really was designed or intended within the context of combative fighting. The pseudo combat platform of the Samurai, and the mock attacker with the training scenarios are all within the structure Bujutsu. All of which is grounded in Bujujtsu. Which is used as a form for a greater purpose and experience is termed as Budo. What makes Aikido a Budo is the elements of spiritual growth over the application of combat. When those wires get crossed expectations don't fit result in having some people become disillusioned with Aikido. That fall-out ends up morphing into hyper-critical evaluation of Aikido as a fighting tool.
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