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Old 04-26-2011, 10:30 AM   #64
DH
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,394
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Re: Are we really doing O'Senseis Aikido?

Quote:
Christopher Li wrote: View Post
There is also a published quote from Kisshomaru Ueshiba where, in his own words, he clearly stated his intention to "preserve Aikido as his father taught it".
Hi Chris
Good points
I think it is important to differentiate what Kisshomaru said from what he actually produced. I know of no credible source that ever stated that Kisshomaru's aikido was anything like his fathers-not that it isn't obious. What we see from the family is more or less a bland template- lacking the real power that had made his fathers movements incredibly powerful and viable.
Administratively, the son created a framework and preserved an organizational model. Preserving the fathers actual aikido? In that....he failed.

Quote:
One more thing (and maybe the most important thing) to consider is what it is that Ueshiba was actually doing, and whether copying exactly the outer form and appearance is actually sufficient to duplicate that.
It isn't.
I've not met or seen a current aikido teacher yet who possesses a clear understanding of how to teach their people to develop power and aiki. If there is someone out there- I would love to see it and test their methods out.
So the question of the day is whether we let the millions doing it poorly...mostly because of the poor Japanese teaching model... continue to re-define it?
Or do we tell them to keep their teaching model for themselves and we set about fixing it ourselves, to give it back the power it once posessed?
All the best
Dan
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