says:
Ok, I'm really new - what was (is) this seminar I keep reading about?
Once upon a time there was an aikido list on the internet. And it was
good. Aikido people from all over the world joined it, and chatted, and
flamed (helpfully) each other, and swapped stories, and had fun, and made
friends and learned things.
There was just one problem: they couldn't touch each other or see each
other.
This meant that when there was a really really neat technique that one
listka knew, they could only describe it in words, and while words may be
very good for some things, they aren't so good for others...at least not in
everyone's hands. This led to much confusion and scratching of heads as
people tried to picture, or, in rare and seldom discussed cases, *do* what
they thought was being described. There was much gnashing of teeth,
sputtering of ASCII and taping of injuries.
Then someone said, "If I could just get you on a mat I could show you in 5
minutes!"
This phrase was repeated many times when such situations arrose again and
again. Then one day someone suggested that we have a list seminar and get
on a mat somewhere and *show* each other all these things!
A stunned silence fell upon the list...though few noticed it, since the
list doesn't support sound anyway...and then there was much chattering and
posting and stepping back as volunteers were sought to make this thing
happen, but it was going nowhere.
Then *HE* stood up. The God of the Seminar. The being who fearlessly sat
at his keyboard and entered the fateful words: "I'll do it." Jun Akiyama.
And he *DID*! He became the central particle around which a list seminar
formed, like a hail stone in a thunderstorm it was tossed around and
around...and eventually fell, appropriately enough, in Texas. San Antonio
to be exact. There, two local aikidoka from the list, Lee and Maria
Escobar, became the lightning rods that attracted the energy of the
incipient list seminar and made it actually strike! Listka came from all
over the planet to a small dojo in Texas for a weekend of Aikido taught by
six highly skilled and very learned senseis, and for partying that
attracted the presense of the local police.
And it was good.
Very, very good.
It was so good in fact, that the listka wanted more! So a second seminar
was planned, with Jun as chairman again of course, but in Merrifield,
Virginia this time. And it was good too...as you can read in the various
reports being posted about it. Very, very good.
Will there be a third list seminar? If so, when? Where? Who will be
there? What will happen?
-- Mike "stay tuned!" Bartman --