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Old 04-24-2002, 07:11 PM   #1
particleman151
Dojo: YMCA Akido/ Appleton, WI
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 29
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Not what i expected.

Hello every one,

Well I just stared Aikido just under two weeks ago. But befor i started i have done lots of research on the web and have read two books on Aikido. I choose Aikido as my martial art because it works on the principle of non-resistance and i also liked the spiritual part of it too.

There is only one Aikido dojo in the area (Appleton, WI), which is at the YMCA. So far i love the classes and i have learned alot of really cool stuff. The only thing that i expected is more emphasis on the spiritual part of Aikido. Every thing is perfect about the dojo other than the focus of Aikido as a self defence and not as a self defence and a way of life. Maybe i should talk to the Sensie and ask him if he could put more emphasis on these aspects but i do not know him good enough yet.

The other thing is that the Aikido at the YMCA does not teach a certain Ryu or style of Aikido? Is this not a good thing? They just teach diffrent moves and i was just wondering if this makes a big deal or not.

A true warrior uses the greatest weapon... The art of Peace.
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Old 04-24-2002, 07:49 PM   #2
shihonage
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 890
United_States
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Re: Not what i expected.

Quote:
Originally posted by particleman151
Hello every one,

Well I just stared Aikido just under two weeks ago. But befor i started i have done lots of research on the web and have read two books on Aikido. I choose Aikido as my martial art because it works on the principle of non-resistance and i also liked the spiritual part of it too.

There is only one Aikido dojo in the area (Appleton, WI), which is at the YMCA. So far i love the classes and i have learned alot of really cool stuff. The only thing that i expected is more emphasis on the spiritual part of Aikido. Every thing is perfect about the dojo other than the focus of Aikido as a self defence and not as a self defence and a way of life. Maybe i should talk to the Sensie and ask him if he could put more emphasis on these aspects but i do not know him good enough yet.

The other thing is that the Aikido at the YMCA does not teach a certain Ryu or style of Aikido? Is this not a good thing? They just teach diffrent moves and i was just wondering if this makes a big deal or not.
Stick with it for a year and your questions will answer themselves.

Have a little faith.
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Old 04-24-2002, 09:06 PM   #3
Bronson
 
Bronson's Avatar
Dojo: Seiwa Dojo and Southside Dojo
Location: Battle Creek & Kalamazoo, MI
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,677
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Welcome Brandon,

Some of the best advice I think I was ever given as to training in aikido was to not expect to learn anything. Go to class with your mind open and do what is being taught with your full intent and to the best of your ability.

Quote:
Maybe i should talk to the Sensie and ask him if he could put more emphasis on these aspects
IMHO definitely not. I think that many of the teachers out there prefer to teach the more technical aspect of the art and let the student figure out how to apply those lessons to their own life. After all, what worked for the teacher won't necassarily work for you.

Even if the teacher never mentions the spiritual/philosophical side of aikido that doesn't mean you can't learn it. Pay attention to the lessons and try to apply the things you learn to real life, every day, non-martial situations. I once witnessed a kyu test where the student was asked to talk about the idea of shodo o seisu (controlling the first move) in a non-martial situation. He thought for a second then said "I don't leave the cookie jar on the low shelf where my kids can reach it." Sensei seemed to like the answer

These are strictly my opinions. Others will have different ones. Listen to them, learn from them and form your own. Their opinions are an expression of the path they've chosen. They're not wrong, just different.

Stick with it,
Bronson

"A pacifist is not really a pacifist if he is unable to make a choice between violence and non-violence. A true pacifist is able to kill or maim in the blink of an eye, but at the moment of impending destruction of the enemy he chooses non-violence."
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Old 04-24-2002, 09:26 PM   #4
particleman151
Dojo: YMCA Akido/ Appleton, WI
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 29
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Thanks alot for the feed back. When i said spirutal aspects of Aikido i meant the description of ki and meditation and such. Not that a dojo that does not teach or talk about these things is bad in anyway. Thanks again to for the feed back.

A true warrior uses the greatest weapon... The art of Peace.
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Old 04-25-2002, 01:15 AM   #5
Steff
Dojo: University of Cologne
Location: Cologne, Germany
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 3
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Hi Brandon,

I am a beginner myself (six months of aikido so far) and I think there is another thing about getting started with aikido (as with getting started with any other art, philosophy aso): you canīt learn/hear about/do/practise everything about it at the same moment. So, just wait ad see.

At our dojo, we are taught the techniques first place, but nearly every time there is a strategical or philosophcal twitch in out senseiīs explanations. It resembles learning through the back door .

I am wondering about another thing: You say there is no special style tought at your dojo. Did you ask your sensei or more experienced students?

Anyway, stick to learning aikido: itīs great

Have a nice day,
Steffi

Steff
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Old 04-25-2002, 02:49 AM   #6
Kami
Dojo: ShinToKai DoJo of AiKiDo
Location: Brazil
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 355
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Cool THE BEGINNING AND THE END

Quote:
Originally posted by particleman151
Thanks alot for the feed back. When i said spirutal aspects of Aikido i meant the description of ki and meditation and such. Not that a dojo that does not teach or talk about these things is bad in anyway. Thanks again to for the feed back.
UBALDO : Hello!
You are a beginner. Train like a beginner and do not be in a hurry. Aikido is a PHYSICAL way for self-development. You begin by the physical side. Later you may get into the spiritual side (whatever that means) or not.
Some instructors do not teach a spiritual side. Others do.
Some believe the spiritual or philosophical side must be taught by the instructor. Others believe that this is a study that the pupil must endeavor to attain by himself.
Some styles of Aikido have a heavy emphasis on the spiritual side and the study of Ki (as the Ki-Aikido style). Others, as Yoshinkan, does not place this emphasis in its training.
To finish : you said yourself that you are a beginner. Train like a beginner, with an open mind and an open heart. After a year (more or less) of heavy practice, go look at other dojo and find one more to your liking.
Or perhaps, at that time, you are beginning to enjoy your present dojo and you no longer will care so much about a spiritual side...
Best regards and good keiko
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"We are all teachers, and what we teach is what we need to learn, and so we teach it over and over again until we learn it".
Unknown author

Ubaldo Alcantara
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Old 04-25-2002, 06:41 AM   #7
Bruce Baker
Dojo: LBI Aikikai/LBI ,NJ
Location: Barnegaat, NJ
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 893
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Not what was expected

Aikido may seem strange.

If you can learn to "get the hell out of the way" and "harmonize with movement", you can take that into any other martial art.

It will be worth all the trouble to learn these mechanical reflexes, and if you find some other lesson ...

Relax ... have fun.

Feel the flow of energy in a throw, and ride the wave.

It really gets to be fun when you can create the wave, or ride the wave.
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Old 04-25-2002, 08:03 AM   #8
particleman151
Dojo: YMCA Akido/ Appleton, WI
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 29
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I will defenitly stick with it. I like the dojo very much its just that i expected more emphasis on ki and the spirutal stuff of Aikido. I guess every place is diffrent.

My Sense said that we do not train in a certain type or stlye of Aikido. He said we just learn diffrent moves. Does this make a diffrence or not.

Thanks much

A true warrior uses the greatest weapon... The art of Peace.
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Old 04-25-2002, 10:38 AM   #9
AikiAlf
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 47
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Smile

take it easy particleman. Sensei says Aikido is like an Ogre...er an Onion. There's layers to it that'll take reportedly the rest of your life to peel.

Such a complex art , you'll probably find the facets you're looking for further down the line. For now open your mind and body and try to learn whatever's taught to you.

I remember after a year and half of Aikido I thought I knew my school's curriculum only to be floored when we started doing things in training I'd never glimpsed before.

So much to learn, it won't be all covered in the introduction.
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