Said about Aikido-L
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 15:40:02 +0100
From: Rob
Subject: Re: the one we don't mention
Damon Wrote >>>
Obviously those who have sat through previous discussions may argue that
they don't wish to endure another, however I have watched some of the
threads that go through over the last few weeks and I can tell you, I had
no wish to read the majority of it. Much of it had little to do with Aikido
but was more of a "chat line".<<<
Damon
I can't help you out with the nameless one stuff but I can say - hang in there with the chat stuff.
When I first joined the list it was a lot like walking into the wrong party, everybody knew all the jokes and they all seemed to know each other and to be honest it's a bit intimidating and none of it seemed to have anything to do with Aikido.
But after a while you realise that
Sometimes the meaningless chat tells you a lot about a person which helps you to understand them a hell of a lot more when they do say something about Aikido.
Some of it is actually quite educational I know more about Physics etc from this list than from years of skooolin. Although I know more about the American Justice System and Tort Reform than I ever wanted and I despair of ever understanding the 'he's gotta a gun so I want a gun' Lobby. (Please don't let this start that one up again or I'll stick my fingers in my ears)
Sometimes you get the chance to say things that you can never get the right moment to use in real life for instance recently I actually got to use the line - "Slapped in the face with the wet kipper of reality".
A hell of a lot of it is Damn funny !!!!! - Even some of the serious stuff is damn funny !!!
Anyway I hope that encourages you, it's cheered me up !
hwyl
Rob
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 10:35:00 -0500
From: Wendy Gunther
Subject: Aikido vs chat; was:
Damon complained about reading more chat than directly Aikido-related posts. It seemed to him the List should be about Aikido and not about chat. Rob said to him the list seems to be a party where one doesn't know anyone at first, and it becomes more welcoming as you learn to know the people and get the in-jokes. Kristina explained that the chat was due to the friendships that blossomed across ryu lines at the List seminar.
A while ago, to a similar criticism, someone scintillatingly pointed out that this is not a dojo. It cannot be, because we can only talk to eachother, we can't actually grab eachother's wrists. (Except at a List seminar, huzza!) This List is much more similar to a pub to which Aikidoka have retired after class. In the pub, they talk a lot about Aikido. They also talk about everything else that interests them. They are people with wide-ranging minds, and they are interested in an enormous number of things in this rich world. They get to know eachother, and they get to know about these other things, as well as their views on Aikido. The people on this list like it for those qualities.
If you joined to hear only on-topic posts, you are bound to be disappointed. If you are disappointed enough, start your own List, as Mike Bartman pointed out not long ago. There is infinite room on the Web. You can gather like minds and enjoy yourselves. I'll be back here in the virtual pub, but then, I like this List the way it is. Off-topic as often as on.
This is the point I wanted to make. Damon, there are two things going on in every post: 1) The information. 2) The sender. It may seem to you that the information is the most important part of what is sent. It seems to me that the sender is primary. I will pay a hell of a lot more attention to what Dennis and George say about Aikido because they are thirty-year sensei's who can really do Aikido. I won't pay as much attention to you or Mike Bartman on Aikido. I know if matt henderson gets in a fight, it's partly because he's a fightin' type who is working on his weakness in impulse control; I know if Cady gets in a fight, it's goddamn serious, because she has more impulse control than the Enterprise with its warp drives out. Would you listen equally to everyone who spoke to you about Aikido in your dojo, Damon? No, of course not; but at your dojo, you can tell whose opinion is powerful, because when you take their wrist, you end up on your ass. You can't tell that on the List (except at a seminar, huzza), so you have to get to know us as people to see what you want to pick and choose out of what we say. On-topic or off.
Wendy
P.S. A lot of on-topic topics get deleted from my machine right away anyway. Never have been able to follow or to stand those "If you take uke's right hand, and raising your right hand, you shift your weight, guard against a kick, and tenkan..." posts. I only learn Aikido on the mat; words don't teach me techniques.
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 14:15:57 EDT
From: Wiley Nelson
Subject: Re: Where's the Aikido list?
There is actually a lot of Aikido on the list, but it's not necessarily kind of Aikido that you practice in the dojo.
This list is like a big experiment in applied Aikido philosophy. The
practice Aikido is the common theme among most list members, and the
philosophy of Aikido is a primary
method of interacting and conflict resolution.
if you look hard enough, you can find a lot of tenkan, irimi, tsuki, atemi, etc..etc...and a whole lotta' really good social ukemi.
If Aikido is only about the handful of obsolete weapon techniques, and choreographed empty handed techniques that we spend most of our time in the dojopracticing.....then we are all wasting an awful lot of time.
the real treasures of Aikido are principles. The techniques are only simple physical manifestations of profound...and to many..life changing concepts.
There is plenty of Aikido on the list, but whether everyone can see it or not is another matter.
Wiley