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Old 01-31-2010, 04:29 PM   #40
Demetrio Cereijo
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,248
Spain
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Re: Matt Thorton recounts an experience with Aikido

Quote:
Bob Strahinjevich wrote: View Post
I happen to like Matt's ideas, teaching method (3-I) and arguments. He makes a compelling, logical and well reasoned argument - for randori. But martial arts > just randori. (I'm open to the obvious counter argument, too. As always - ICBW).
I don't think Thornton would disagree with you.

Quote:
Finally, all that's left is a sports like environment, and performance. At this point it's time for the ego's last step. The realization that measurement itself is futility.

Although what you are now left doing is a million times more ‘real' than anything an image based Martial Artist will ever engage in; it still must not serve as a measurement of who YOU are.

Why? For one it's always relative so you must evaluate yourself ONLY based on YOUR own increases in performance. And although that requires another person, or opponent, that does not mean you are measuring yourself against that person. You only measure your progress based on your previous skill level, not their previous skill level. There will ALWAYS be someone better, stronger, faster, or smarter on any given day. There will also ALWAYS be people you will better then, on any given day. Therefore that form of measurement is meaningless at best. All that matters is that you grow in comparison to where you where before, NOT in comparison to who you could or could not beat before.

The second reason why measurement is futility is because WHO you actually ARE exists completely outside duality, and therefore outside the process of measurement.
http://www.straightblastgym.com/newbook.htm
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