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Old 01-29-2001, 06:48 PM   #7
Mike Collins
Location: San Jose
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 189
United_States
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You can't train long distance, why would you consider committing to training without seeing the school (preferrably more than once), watching not just the teacher of the evening, but importantly, the chief instructor, and watching how folks seem to relate?

It's okay to take the long drive to train, but what is the hurry? Take the long drive to look first. If you don't see an Aikido teacher who seems like a good fit for you (and it's probably a good idea to give them several visits to establish that), train in another art. It is far more important to find the right teacher than the "best" art.

After several visits, if everyone in a given area is simply not right for you, consider being a "groupie" and following a great teacher around to seminars to get your true teaching, and training with a lesser teacher to hone yourself. Maybe you'll bring the level of training up if you are sincere enough.

If you decide to do this, you probably ought to make a sincere effort to train on the stuff each teacher is teaching at the time, but with an eye for the principles as taught by the teacher of your choice. I don't think any teacher would be less than pleased if your training is sincerely your best each time you get on the mat.

I forget sometimes how lucky I am to live where I live, and have access to the teachers who choose to teach here, if only a few times a year.
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