I mean no disrespect but I believe that you are wrong Ellis Amdur when you say, "Technically, it(aikido) is quite limited - deliberately - which forces people into a template of movement. This, by definition, makes it an art, as the skill is created within a frame".
I believe the very oppisite in fact. I think that what makes an art an art is that there are no boundries. Aikido is everything. Pure Karate is everything. Kempo is everythign... and so on. A martial art is growth. And since there is no end to growth (except death... although death leads to new life, and than growth takes place again) there can be no end or frame for an art. True Aikido is the way of blending. Yes it's true that most of aikido uses blending to defeat an attacker. But what about blending with natures natural laws. I think that is what Aikido is really about. So if Aikido is about blending with the natuaral world.. than there can be no limits. Because there are no limits to the natural world. There are only three things constant in the natural world (and by natural world I mean the real reality, and not what people precieve that reality to be because of their own prejudices and thoughts). Paradox, humor, and change.

Thank you,
Tom Berkery