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Old 06-15-2012, 09:01 AM   #59
Gary David
 
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Location: Long Beach, CA
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 332
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Re: My Spiritual Aikido.

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
Gary,
But what are you, as a teacher, offering Stephen who just had a stroke? He is in a wheel chair? So is Joe Arriola. How about a paraplegic. Can they study aikido? Is someone allowed to ask such a question under this thread or on this site?

Is your definition of Aikido reductionistic? I am asking this in sincerity.

Chris
Chris
Your questions above are like asking me why I don't like motherhood, apple pie and the American flag....how am I suppose to answer them....

My part in this thread was directed at Graham in response to his laying out of his version of Aikido. My questions to him about his nikkyo were ask for me to get a better understanding of how he did these mechanically.... I got my answers and when I shared my approach it was clear to my we were not on the same page or that any effort at an understanding of what I was doing was taking place. I am fine with that......

Somehow folks seem to think that the body is the third wheel in the set and you only have to make sure it works at a cooperative level with others. Like your Yanagi teacher I am doing my best to figure out how to work around the body parts that don't function like they did when I was 55 or younger. The parts still function, but they seem to wake up at different times or decide on their own to take a break from time to time.

My talking body was NEVER to say that one needed to have a perfect body to do any of this or that people couldn't work their approach to this art from where ever they are coming from.

Spirit is not first with me....it is just one of a set.....leave one out, short one in practice...the whole is less than the sum of the parts. And cooperative practice is not the key here.

see ya

Gary