Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 19:45:55 -0500
From: Chuck Gordon
Subject: Seminar mini-review
This is a short version. Once again, the seminar ruked.
I was in heaven all weekend and it had little to do with single-malt. Lovely
people, wonderful budo, good food, great locale, beautiful weather. Sigh.
Then I heard a voice calling to me from the tunnel of light, "Come back,
Chuck, it's not your time ..."
But I have seen heaven and it is an aikido-l seminar.
Others have and will eloquently speak of class sessions and parties. I want
to address things spiritual.
Years ago, I played a little aikido. No clue what kind. Folks back then
didn't talk much about styles, shihans, federations. You went to the dojo
and trained. Sometimes the guy teaching was real funny about putting your
feet just like this and your hand right here at this angle. Sometimes the
teacher said, things like center and extend and flow. Sometimes we did ikkyo
till I wanted to puke.
But is was just aikido. And that's what the aikido-l seminar is. Oh yeah, we
BSed about federation polyticks and what shihan is doing which with
another's students. But it didn't matter on the mat.
Sadly, for several reasons, I couldn't train like I'd really want to, but I
watched a lot and studied closely. George, Phillip, Alan, James ... all
taught aikido. Just aikido. Lovely, fun, challenging, enlightening aikido.
Somebody quipped about 'rebuilding' aikido from its latter-day fracturations
and branches. If it can be done, it can be done at an aikido-l seminar.
Love ya'll, really.
______________________________________________
Chuck Gordon
chuck.gordon@mindspring.com
http://www.mindspring.com/~chuck.gordon/
______________________________________________
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