Years ago I found a traditional Aikido school near me to train at. I already held rank in Isshinryu karate, and I was always fascinated with tales of the founder (at the time I had just finished "Invincible Warrior" by the prolific author John Stevens; more on that later). The dojo was run by a husband and wife team who were extremely knowledgeable. It was a positive atmosphere there, and I tried in earnest, but I just couldn't grasp the nuances and subtleties of Aikido. I soon left.
I had taken a number of workshops in a variety of martial arts through the years, but none of those experiences could've prepared me for this. Very disappointed, especially since it was entirely on me. I had done my research on Aikido, and I was enthralled by Ueshiba's philosophy, but... some of those stories in John Stevens' book -- the master dodging bullets, disappearing in a flash of light, only offsets the "peace and harmony" teachings of Aikido in my opinion.
My own 'adventures in Aikido' (see previous post) were full of contradictions. There are some good people out there, but also a lot of half-digested knowledge that leads to mediocrity, or worse. Ueshiba was right up there, but so far ahead that nobody was able to follow him. In more recent times Kuroda Tetsuzan was perhaps heading into that zone, but in a different system, but Kuroda Sensei has had a major health crisis which is typically very difficult to come back from.
Years ago I found a traditional Aikido school near me to train at. I already held rank in Isshinryu karate, and I was always fascinated with tales of the founder (at the time I had just finished "Invincible Warrior" by the prolific author John Stevens; more on that later). The dojo was run by a husband and wife team who were extremely knowledgeable. It was a positive atmosphere there, and I tried in earnest, but I just couldn't grasp the nuances and subtleties of Aikido. I soon left.
I had taken a number of workshops in a variety of martial arts through the years, but none of those experiences could've prepared me for this. Very disappointed, especially since it was entirely on me. I had done my research on Aikido, and I was enthralled by Ueshiba's philosophy, but... some of those stories in John Stevens' book -- the master dodging bullets, disappearing in a flash of light, only offsets the "peace and harmony" teachings of Aikido in my opinion.
My own 'adventures in Aikido' (see previous post) were full of contradictions. There are some good people out there, but also a lot of half-digested knowledge that leads to mediocrity, or worse. Ueshiba was right up there, but so far ahead that nobody was able to follow him. In more recent times Kuroda Tetsuzan was perhaps heading into that zone, but in a different system, but Kuroda Sensei has had a major health crisis which is typically very difficult to come back from.