British Aikido Pioneers meet the Doshu Moriterue Ueshiba

There may be many ways to ascend a mountain Joe BUT all ways must take effort and honesty.

I watched a demonstration of aikido wherein the teacher sat on a chair and received the simultaneous attacks of FOUR swordsmen and simply swung his arms about and they were leaping into the air.

It is extremes like this that I cannot and will not accept as aikido.

 

Koyo comments

I do understand your views here.If indeed you watched this demo with the results you mention I think you and I [since we share a common lineage ] would be inclined to agree with each other.The fact that there are various ryu/methods of training related to aikido should not make us devoid of common sense.This demo suggests to me that the participants were deluded.

 

Future Aikido leaders

Let us not be too pessimistic.There are a number of highly skilled younger men training diligently in the U.K.Their ages are mid 30/40s.
Hopefully they will carry the torch forward with honesty ,dignity and in keeping with true Budo principles.

 

Personally I think criticism is fine. In fact it's essential if people are to remain honest with each other and help each other improve. It's when people start to get derogatory there's a problem. That sort of criticism only goes in one direction and it never ends well.

 

To be fair and to put it into context there are two sides to that coin.

Imagine training hard and sincere for decades only to be told your art is RUBBISH.

You wish to reply but the "evidence" is against you there are so many training in their version of aikido that is indeed totally ineffective and simply a monetary or ego trip for them.

They care not at all that others are tarred by the same brush little surprise that I have no time for them (the teachers) as the students tend to follow blindly and are certainly not encouraged to train outside of their own system.

 

Why do we always assume the old ways are better or that there was long ago a golden age of Aikido or anything else?

Aikido is a living evolving martial art and so has changed - hopefully people like myself have been part of that process over the past 40 odd years.

However unfortunately in any and all associations some people are unwilling or unable to change for a multitude of reasons.

IMHO we should trust those following us to develop the art otherwise what are we trying to achieve by teaching? If it is just to show we are right then it is self-defeating.

Remember our teachers made that leap of faith and trusted us to keep things going.

Just transmit the basics guys (the message of Cardiff) and set people free.

I'll finish by paraphrasing Okamura Sensei " Up to 3rd Dan be technically correct, 4th to 6th Dan develop your personality, after 6th Dan do what you like" - in other words transmit basics but make sure YOU change.

 

WOW!!!

A blast of fresh air'

Where did that come from.

Thank you.

koyo

 

Well said!