taking the final elbow

Response to final warning of behavior in aikiweb forums.

Dear Jun,

It is very interesting how some of the practitioners are so caught up in the throws of Aikido that they don't realize how much it has ingrained itself to the point they can't can't see the irony of the words, or the comedy of their own indignation?

Many of the indignant responses to some of my off color responses, or what I consider to be color blind responses, have resulted in the ignore feature, and although that is quite common with many people I have dealt with who have accepted being wrapped in cultures, cults,or have become somewhat brainwashed in the sense of not being able to apply common sense, or science to what they think is mystical and all encompassing knowledge, I am not offended at this type of narrow thought.

Over my lifetime I have been counseled by so many people who were 70 to 100 years old, describing better ways to learn, the practical means of understanding events, or just approaching those caught up in cult thinking without applying it to their actual life's experiences ... I wonder why human beings even try to communicate when we just don't listen to each other?

Our empathy to understand words is as much our undoing as it is our strength. It reveals our flaws, and it enlightens our minds. And yes ... it also creates many intolerant instances where the words absorb common sense which is hidden in the catalysation of emotions.

I am a student of history. A blue collar, dirty hands, spittin', cursing, somewhat well read simple man ... not as eloquent as Mark Twain/ Samuel Clemmens, but then again, who is?

Maybe it is time to move on, and subconsciously, I am letting the constant pain of my condition overcome common manners, but I doubt it. Humanity has a habit of creating difficult conditions for those who have new ideas,or merely combinations that explain old ideas, until the creators are long dead, forgotten in the passage of time. This may be the fullfillment of discouragement by the general populace, or our peers, to give proof to our words. Will they ring true years from the time they are uttered?

As a student of history, the proof is in the history of humanity that worships piously on Sunday, yet declares witches be burned at the stake on Monday. Well ... maybe not as much in todays world as yesterday, but still, humanity does group blindly together in the hopes that their philosophies will be true over the passage of time, aikido students and their studies being but another example of this type of social behavior.

Maybe the involvement of accepting behavior within the terms of practicing Aikido is a form of Brainwashing, and maybe it is not that at all?

The point is ... if you can ask yourself that question, make an independent evaluation of your behavior as not being the result of programing, or brainwashing, then you have, at least, considered the ulterior motive of your actions.

At least the term "troll" is gone from the aikiweb. That in itself is the consideration of looking into yourself to see that you project your disfavor upon the actions of others being the things you most dislike in your own behavior. One small victory for bringing to light a small group dominating the posts.

I guess what I am saying is ... go ahead and kill my account.

I have said most of what I have to say, postulated most of what there is to say, or lurking in my mind about my experiences in life that apply to getting a grip on learning Aikido.

Each person is the center of the universe, and within that center, each person will learn what they need to know to satisfy that center.

Obviously, my brand of interaction is offensive to many people, I consider that to be the result of people disliking in others the things they most dislike in themselves syndrome. I have been working on my own anger in that direction for over twentyfive years, since about 1977, and it still is a bitch to get a grasp upon.

So, although I leave the Aikiweb, and its club of memeber who will either put the pieces of the martial arts puzzle together, and begin to understand what O'Sensei was pointing to in his efforts, or not. It is my hope people will not continue to wander about as preachers quoting the holy text giving innumeralbe spins to the simple truths we live every day. In my heart, I knew it was just a matter of time before the final warning was to come.

The world is too fragile a place to speak the truth, at least the whole truth.

I guess I need to get back into the shadows, continue my own adventures, exploits, and education that may or may not find more definitive answers to some of the questions we pose in the journey of understanding the martial journey to use body, mind, spirit in overcoming the weakness of humanity.

I have seen too many cults come and go, too many people be mystified, then disillusioned to be totally caught up in any one martial art, even though my main practice is presently Aikido. How long will it be before someone else comes along with a synthesis of martial arts, doing what O'Sensei did, only better? It is inevitable, and although we may not see it in our lifetime, history proves it to be the truth of all truths.

I guess I have been a thorn long enough, time to get off the computer and get back into life ... vanishing like many of the silent supporters of O'Sensei who are minor footnotes in the passage of time, the recordings of history, seemingly forgotten by modern practitioners.

Thanks for the ride.

I leave it to your discretion to do as you see fit. Your playground, you gotta keep some kind of order here.

I return to the ranks of lurkers, once again.

Wow.

Well Bruce, even though I disagreed with you many times, it was good to have you.

The "truth" is very subjective. What is a truth to you may not be a truth to someone else.

Domo Arigato,

Hi Bruce,

Sorry to hear that you are leaving the site. I don't always agree with what you say but I am none-the-less grateful to have had the opportunity to gain from your opinion and insight. It is true that some people live in a bubble but we can at times at least try to accept that it is their bubble and they have a right to it, I guess in the long run there are times when it is easier to let things go than offend or attack the opinions of others after all "eat well, train hard, die anyway!"

All the best Bruce, I'll miss your contributions,

Peace.

Enjoy the lurking. I hope that someday in the future either you find a way to feel comfortable here or we find a way to feel comfortable with you or both.