tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492099963671609539.post1774274151428770874..comments2022-10-31T06:10:06.880-07:00Comments on Art of War: Ueshiba's influence on Peter Ralston and Cheng HsinCheng Hsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17104039360190652087noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492099963671609539.post-43888455872331877052013-12-16T07:34:09.876-08:002013-12-16T07:34:09.876-08:00Dear Maurice,
Ohisashiburi! I am so happy that I s...Dear Maurice,<br />Ohisashiburi! I am so happy that I stumbled upon your post here and.. gosh!, is that you for real? How about that!? Talking about serendipity! I was just thinking about you the other day..<br />I remember the last time we talked (right before I left Japan .. btw did you keep my car or did you sell it right the way?), how fervently you were speaking about Peter's school, describing to me how well he had structured the program and the training there. It almost made me do the trip to his dojo (then I went to China instead.. what do you know..). Well, I just didn't realize how serious you were about it back then. I surely do know. Well, I must here also thank you for the question you asked on the influence of Ueshiba's Aikido on his style. I always wanted to ask the same question and, as you may remember, I was quite intrigued myself when you told me that he (Peter) went through a background of study that touched quite extensively Aikido as well. Now I got my answer. I do too think that the Aikido 'ab origine', the genuine one, as inherited after the death of Ueshiba, soon to be forgotten or distorted, can inspire one's mind and positively compensate for the 'general lack of', as Peter put it, of many, if not all, of the styles and schools that exist today. The concept of 'awaze' which is stressed by so many but never understood and practiced by anyone (probably not even by Morihiro Saito himself), is something that I would love train on if I'll ever get to Peter's dojo.<br />I truly sympathize with Peter's feelings when, young and in constant need of more 'inputs' and new challenges, he felt let down, unsatisfied, unfulfilled by the limitations shown to him by what was considered to be the 'universe of martial arts' at the time. I empathize with his experience which reminds me of my own today. I do feel held back by what I had considered to be the top of Budo, yet, amazingly enough, even today, I still look for a way to go back to the dojo in Iwama to seek more, knowing that there isn't any 'more' to be found there. Am I in denial? Is this conflicting feeling of mine something that has to be expected at some point in life? Did Peter have to go through a similar experience too? <br />Would love to hear from you Maurice. <br />Keep in touch,<br />Best Wishes,<br />Alan (aka the dude from Italy)<br />Alanhttp://www.massethics.org/noreply@blogger.com