Quote:
Mary Malmros wrote:
From my perspective, this is the A-number-one thing that has always bugged me most about aikido: it is packed to the rafters with people whose favorite recreation is passing judgment and condemning others as not practicing aikido. Couch it in all the elevated terms you want, but I can't help but see this as exceptionally childish behavior.
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This is the problem I have with most martial artists.
Imaizumi Sensei, in my experience, doesn't trash talk anyone's art...to the point that his own students have incredibly diverse expressions of aikido. It drives some people so crazy they have to move on.
It's frightening, I think, to feel that no one has the answer. That deep need for comfort and stability we all have forces us into the judgment trap. We are entitled to our opinions of people's individual skills, of course. But I find that trying to follow the lead of people you disagree with on the mat is often more fruitful than staying in your comfort zone.
So folks can tell me my stuff "isn't aikido" (or my other favorite fall back "you need to relax"), and I can think that their stuff is about as useful as a pecker on a pope. We still need each other to progress.
Remember 15 years ago when all you had to say was "well I practice BJJ and blahblahblah"
?