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Old 06-02-2008, 08:13 PM   #7
Peter Goldsbury
 
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Dojo: Hiroshima Kokusai Dojo
Location: Hiroshima, Japan
Join Date: Jul 2001
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Re: Does anyone truly "learn" anything at a seminar?

Quote:
Joseph Madden wrote: View Post
Although I am deeply respectful of the teachers that I have seen at a few of the seminars I've been to, I really don't think I've learned anything "special" that my own sensei hasn't already taught me. My own belief is that these are merely opportunities to see the "rock stars" of aikido, as it were. For those that make a concerted effort to actually decide to start training with these men and women on a regular basis because they have something that they want is one thing. To all others, it just seems to be so much fan worship. You simply are NOT going to learn anything of value at these seminars. Its great to meet new people and all, but I think the value of these seminars are no more important than the average Trek convention.

Osu
With respect, I completely disagree with such a blanket condemnation and I think you need to add YMMV with almost every sentence.

The only times I have ever met the late Saito Morihiro Sensei, for example, were precisely at such seminars. Once he spent a week at the New England Aikikai Summer Camp and I still refer to the detailed notes I took at the time. At that time, Saito Sensei went through much of the contents of his older Traditional Aikido volumes, including all the ken and jo suburi, kata, kumi-tachi & kumi-jo.

Similarly with the seminars taught here by Yamaguchi, Tada, and Arikawa. Of course, I was able to attend their classes at the Hombu, but Iwama is simply too far away from Hiroshima and regular training there would have meant a change of job, house etc. and abandoning the teacher we have here.

The seminars were part and parcel of the dojo training.

P A Goldsbury
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