Originally Posted by
Dan Harden
Oison and Cliff
The points I made have not been addressed and largely seem to escape you. I will try repeating it for you.
People around the world, from many different arts, train and discuss aiki. A few fellas here on ebudo claim it isn't aiki and/or that it most certainly isn't DR aiki, and or that DR owns the term.
Most people, myself included, don't agree on what you think aiki is or was or that you own it. If you want to beat the drum that DR aiki is different from anything in the world go right ahead. I think you will find most don't care. Your behavior surrounding the topic has certainly been worthy of note.
What you continue to avoid is this
1. You guys...let me repeat that since you decided to throw it back on me that I was discussing rank and skill to slam people.
2. YOU GUYS.... are the ones that set a standard surrounding rank (deep initiation repeated here for years)
3. Your standard nullifies all opinions-including your own to discuss your very own art or the art of others.
I have always found that argument incredibly short sighted and unsupportable. But, to be clear, it has always been YOUR ARGUMENT, and no one else's.
Since you chose to hang your hats on the that fact that only seniors in Daito ryu can discuss it, Chris Li, Peter G. Mark M. and myself have brought to your attention that Tokimune, Kondo, Haku Mori, Okomoto, Kiyama, Goldberg, Popkin among others (all your seniors in DR) have disagreed with you few, low to mid-level students here. All stating that aiki is all over the place and that DR doesn't own it.
That's on you.
Again though, by the standards you set of requiring deep initiation into an art? You cannot discuss your aiki, or anyone else's aiki and compare. I was trying to get that point across to Peter as to why there will never be a discussion here of aiki.
So, there you go. It is obvious to many that you are trying to have it both ways and apparently are unwilling, or unable to discuss this in any meaningful way. This leaves you the only option left. Don't address the topic, attack the people disagreeing with you.
So?
Anyone Care to discuss aiki in DR?
Aiki in your Koryu?
Of course not.
And no one ever will.
Point made, case closed.
I return you to talking about the topic, attacking the people, around the topic, and never the topic itself.
5...4...3...2...1...attack!