the value of this forum

[RickB]

I found the colloquy on the relationship between tenkan and irimi (contained under the topic "tenkan or irimi?" heading of this forum) very interesting.  After re-reading it several times, I am struck by how difficult it can be to describe aikido.  In my view, this leads to a new topic . . . and a new question:  what is the benefit (is there one?) of verbal discussions regarding aikido?  They clearly make one think, and I suppose that can be seen as a benefit all by itself.  But beyond intellectual exercise, do you believe verbal discussions can serve to improve training?  Another way of stating the question would be:  What is the proper role of verbal communication (as set forth in forums like this, newsletters, magazine articles, etc.) relating to aikido? :-/  And is there any difference -- in value -- between reading the views of others and writing your own?  I realize how philosophical these questions can be (though they can be answered quite concretely); but it seems to me that the forum is an appropriate place to question the value of the forum.

[J. Nachtrab]

Will every discussion on here have value, either for the original author or the readers?  No.  Will some of them?  Sure, for both sides.  I think there are plenty of benefits to be had from engaging in more drawn-out conversations such as are possible on a forum like this, but there are two that come immediately to mind.

1.  Exposure to different opinions, ideas, and interpretations of aikido, in everything from nuts-and-bolts technique to broader philosophical issues.  I don't think dojo time is the time to engage in this sort of discourse, dojo time is for the training, the visceral immersion in the movement and focus of aikido.  Forums like this give people the chance to step back and think about issues more intellectually.  It could be anything from the minutiae of nikyo technique to the ages-old debate on the nature of ki.  Anything that causes you to objectively critique or analyze these facets of the art is valuable.

Which leads to...

2.  Engaging in debates, discussions, or explanations in a more thoughtful setting is invaluable in helping you to work through your own understanding of aikido.  Too many students show up to the dojo every night, go through the motions, do what they're told, try their best to emulate the instructors, but they often don't actually think about what it is they're doing.  My understanding of aikido reached new levels once I started trying to teach others - it forced me to really think about and try to understand what was going on.  If I didn't truly understand it, I couldn't teach it, and there were a lot of things I didn't truly understand until I tried to teach them to others.  There were times when I was explaining some concept or technique, and a flash of insight would hit me, often right in mid-sentence.  The same can happen in written discussions, and is often more valuable to the one doing the posting than the ones reading it later.  

Are you going to improve your technique by engaging in forum discussions?  Not much.  It is, however, a wonderful way to explore broader issues.  

Plus, it's nice to get to know people a little better.

[Saint Louis Ki Society]

I am probably one of the most skeptical people about the value of discussing Aikido. The first time I trained in a class with Tohei Sensei, I think it was 1982, I remember him giving a lecture about coordinating mind and body. Will Reed was sitting right up front, nodding his head in affirmation of what Sensei was saying. Tohei Sensi then stepped over to him and lightly pushed him over. He then looked at the class and said, "I understand means I can do."  In my first few years of practice, I attended many classes at Aikikai schools. There was a tendancy in that style of training to practice hard and to talk about the philosophy after class. But the two seemed to be rarely integrated. In fact, those who spoke the least off the mat where the one who seemed to embody the spirit of Aikido most on the mat. In Ki Society, it is much more mixed.

Still, I think it can be positive to think about and discuss Aikido. If there is a sense of wonder and discovery, and a sense that no one answer is the whole answer, if the focus is positive, and especially if it leads to these same qualities in training, then a forum discussion is good.

In reading the discussion about Irimi and Tenkan, I have reflected upon it while training and moving. I have been able to wonder about what I am doing, how I am moving, and what effect it has on the uke. I have not come to any ultimate conclusions, but I have discovered a few things.

So, thanks for the forum discussion. It is impossible to completely describe Aikido. Aikido is an art. One of the great Russian ballet stars who defected to the US in the late sixties was interviewed on television by Dick Cavatt (he practiced Aikido, I've heard). He asked about the meaning and interpretation of his dance. The dancer replied, "If I could explain it, I wouldn't have to dance it."