Daito ryu aikijujutsu critics and skeptics

[No bull]

First, I want to thank the board for accepting my registration so quickly, and allowing me to post. The initiation of this post is the result of a volume of posts over the years here discussing Daito ryu aikijujutsu kodokai in the US (DRAJKK refers to the US Daito ryu aikijujutsu kodokai). The post will be speaking to the critics and skeptics as are results of posts related to DRAJKK. The purpose of the post is to provide an accurate gauge to better assess DRAJKK, and separate individual actors and their actions from the DRAJKK organization and other members.

For the sake of credibility, the content of the post is authored by a long term practitioner having decades of extensive experience with the art and the organization. The post will not divulge any technical information or specifics of the DRAJKK or its training. The post is not to be confused with any authorized official statements from the North American Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu Kodokai or its president and chief instructor, or the parent Kodokai body in Japan.

My name is John Pearson, I am the most qualified and experienced person on this board when it comes to DRAJKK in the US and the organization. I started DRAJKK directly under the tutelage of president and chief instructor (my sensei) at the hombu dojo in 1985 in San Luis Obispo, Ca. when the organization was founded. I initially trained directly under K. Yonezawa, who pioneered DRAKK outside of Japan for the first time back in the early 1970s during his visit to the US.

I as a result of my experience, I have in depth insight and knowledge of the organization and operations, including the culture and structure of the art few others have.

The offices I held in the organization and in the dojo, includes dojo secretary and interim secretary of the organization board member for more than a decade. As a board member I worked and for the president and chief instructor and other executive board members. I also volunteered my time working for my sensei in his landscaping business for over 16 years.

The North American Headquarters DRAKK (NADRAKK) is not a business and founded as a nonprofit. It doesn’t market itself. It doesn’t wish to have a public commercial presence. There are some members, ex-members and actors in the organization who break protocol and market themselves with incomplete knowledge and skill. Such individuals should not be confused with the organization or those DRAJKK practitioners like myself, who respect the art and organization and don't market themselves. The president and chief instructor (per Japanese budo, and koryu practices) is the face of the institution and organization. He is solely responsible for the art, the organization, its direction, representation, and PR to say the least.

It is important to see DRAJKK an art form that is a private institution and organization having no interest in business practices or promoting itself as a business. DRAJKK asks its members to respect and follow his philosophy to protect the intellectual property of the art and organization, rather than exploit it.

NADRAKK has traditional rules and practices in place that are Koryu in nature and Koryu based for the sake of cultural preservation, tradition, and to protect its intellectual property from the hacks, the plagiarizers, pillagers, and posers alike. Think of DRAJKK in terms of preserving and protecting an art, a culture with its traditions, and history. It is understandable due to the volumes of misinformation and inaccurate information surrounding DRAJKK the public places it in the wrong light. The art no longer is practiced as a martial combat. It is taught and practiced as an art form. DRAJKK doesn't promote itself as a means for training fighters, or an all comprehensive self defense. The art’s philosophy and techniques are framed and developed for a specific type of extinct combat that existed in Japan centuries ago. The practice of DRAJJKK today is taught through a traditional practice of customs, forms, in class demonstrative modeling, and activities. The first and most important technique is etiquette practiced both inside and outside the dojo. All public demonstrations have the purpose to showcase the art as an art form. They are not intended to be a marketing tool, or a means of public instruction.

DRAJKK in the way it protects its intellectual property unintentionally creates a window of opportunity for the dishonest and unethical. DRAJKK protocol is not to publicly talk technical aspects of the art, or it organizational operational activities. In this way, it is suppose to curb the dishonest and abusers. This method relies on traditional Japanese culture that doesn't translate well to the business culture of the US. Such people don't reflect upon their behavior or suffer shame in the same way the Japanese do. Over the years, there has been a fair share of such people taking advantage of the cultural loop hole. This has distorted and presented an inaccurate picture of the DRAJKK organization and it practitioners.

Most people who talk about DRAJJKK technically and or or unrightfully claim it in any way are either clueless, wrong, or both. It is uncomfortable to admit such misrepresentation comes from both inside and outside the art. Misinformation that has dominated the public domain has warped public perception and opinion of what DRAJJKK is and isn’t. Then only amplifying the voices of the DRAJJKK competitive haters. It is a challenge to protect intellectual property and prevent distortion of the organization and the art. The biggest culprits are the ambitious ones debasing themselves chasing fame or money at any cost. Those who lie and make false claims. It is a never ending game of “Whack A Mole” that can never be won. A game going on for decades.

The appeal of DRAJKK doesn’t have a hook. DRAJKK isn’t something that is or could be en vogue. It is about purely maintaining and preserving an art form and it’s tradition. Activity in clear DRAJKK is very clinical in comparison lacking other facets, such as emphasis on the spiritual or the interpersonal aspects beyond standard budo that make other martial arts popular. Neither does DRAKK promise to make students a bad ass fighters, invincible fighter, supernatural powers, or anything thing else. The only thing that makes it appealing is the higher level skill abilities, which are not supernatural in nature. DRAJKK is no frills, no fan fair, practical art form, I refer to it as the Amish of the Japanese martial arts.

High skill doesn’t come overnight, more like decades if you are lucky. It is one of those things where the real deal can be easily counterfeited, or lower skill pawned off as high skill. That is because the high level skill is subtle nature and difficult to see the mechanics. If a karateka throws a punch you can comprehend it, you see the mechanics, you recognize it as a punch. That is far more difficult with DRAJKK high skill. Only a few people really have the top skill. It isn’t because they withhold the goodies from you, it is just the opposite. The secret of high skill is like any art or craft in life, it isn’t something given, it is something you work hard at for years to master. Narciso Yepes didn’t because a flawless technical guitarist in 3 weeks. And not every person who picks up a guitar becomes a Yepes, regardless. Nor can anyone can be a Stradivarius. The nature of DRAJKK high skill is deceptive to the untrained eye, so the public has a hard time comprehending it, and making sense of what they see. Very much the same thing that happen with Niccolo Paganini association to the devil deemed by his audience.


Because there so much misinformation and misrepresentation in connection with DRAJKK, and so much misunderstanding, I am very uncomfortable to say. When I do, I often spend allot of time correcting misperceptions resulting from individuals spreading wrong information. But eventually, and if I am lucky, I tell people DRAJKK is a budo that is about discipline very much with the same reason why marathon runners, run. It is the challenge to push both mind and body past their limits. The more you work at it, the more you devote yourself the stronger you become at it. The more you are able to improve and refine your skills. It is like anything else, it takes putting your nose to the grindstone, lots of patience and hard work to achieve skill. The art is one of the most challenging and difficult things to do, much less getting it right. Training isn’t about anything else other than refining skills, and it is up to each individual personally to make the commitment and sacrifices something not everyone can do. Training isn’t about chasing rank, building an empire, or being in the big man on campus, and it sure isn’t about marketing a person’s skills. And if a person is motivated by such things they are free to jump ship and start their own style and independant school. Thereby, being fully responsible for their own information and actions on whatever they dole out to the public.

Those judging DRAJKK negatively, based on misrepresentation and misinformation, I understand. I too would have the same conclusion. I get it. But, I ask a consideration is made by keeping this post in mind. I also ask when you see public information that you judge the individual and not the art. Hold the individual responsible for what they show or say, or both publically. Know they only independently represent themselves and not DRAJKK or those of us who properly study the art.



In closing, over the years DRAJKK has been abused and taken advantage of by many people inside and outside the organization. The DRAJKK organization is small with less than a handful of official dojos. Among us unwavering long term students, we have developed a respect for the art where will do no harm. We have a sense of sanctity for the art not to abuse it, but rather desire to protect it. The organization and the art has been at war for decades with fraud, misrepresentation, intellectual property infringement, imitators, hijackers and alike. A war where the enemy is like a virus and seems to multiply distorting the truth. The public has no reliable criteria or knowledge of DRAJKK to make an accurate determination on the authenticity and validity of any presented material or information. My post, I wish will provide to the justifiable critics and skeptics some guidelines where they are able to use to more accurately understand and assess DRAJKK.

Thank you for your time, and opportunity to post.

[mrtoes]

Don't you already have an account under the name "Ah Louis"?

Anyway, I scanned your post and didn't really understand what your point is... Can we get a TL;DR?

Matthew

[yeniseri]

1. Aikido is one activity that goes against the spirit of where we are now so it can never be for everybody. I am not saying you said....we have American football, baseball, hockey but aikido just isn't part of that equation
2. Since aikido isn't for everyone, skill acquisition would be "easy" for those under the Bell Curve template i.e. 10% would pick it up in no time, (left of the curve) while the right side of curve, those 10% will discount it outright. The rest, through discipline, depending on time, luck, ability to find the right teacher, etc to hold and keep said art or despite that benefit will drop it after x years to find a "mo better" way of life devoid of cultural and other influences.
Comments for #2 were based on the following

High skill doesn’t come overnight, more like decades if you are lucky. It is one of those things where the real deal can be easily counterfeited, or lower skill pawned off as high skill.

Ueshiba never spent a long time with the art of Sokaku Takeda but his past martial conditioning provided a strong base for skill and it definitely was reality based My meaning is that the time for skill acquisition may be overexaggerated

[wiesiek]

don`t wont to double mtroes post,
but
`cause I lost to much time for reading this long, long post... :
A. I`m losing meaning of it during the reading
B. I`m losing meaning of it during the reading
C. I`m losing meaning of it during the reading
so,
I`m ending here my post
simply don`t like be a rude
but
even my close to 0, english language knowledge is telling me , that meaning of your post, dear no bull, can be close in no more than few words...
where is THE ART
again

[everything]

Also don't mean to be rude but agree with mrtoes and wiesiek.

What did you want to tell us, if anything?

"I would have written a shorter letter, but I didn't have time."

[origami_itto]

Are you, they, or John Pearson disavowing someone who claims to represent daito ryu aikijujutsu?

[xxxxx]

No bull a.k.a. Ah Louis a.k.a. John Pearson violated forum policy for registering two different active accounts and will no longer be posting on this or other threads.

[WVMark]

I think people reading this thread need to see the discrepancies by John Pearson.

For the sake of credibility, the content of the post is authored by a long term practitioner having decades of extensive experience with the art and the organization. The post will not divulge any technical information or specifics of the DRAJKK or its training. The post is not to be confused with any authorized official statements from the North American Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu Kodokai or its president and chief instructor, or the parent Kodokai body in Japan.

My name is John Pearson, I am the most qualified and experienced person on this board when it comes to DRAJKK in the US and the organization.

First:
You negated your last sentence above with "The post is not to be confused with any authorized official statements from the North American Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu Kodokai or its president and chief instructor, or the parent Kodokai body in Japan." Your post is NOT coming from any authorized position regarding DRAJJK, so you actually are most definitely NOT the most qualified and experienced person. You aren't even an authorized spokesman for the organization.

Second:
THE most qualified and experienced person in North America for DRAJJK is ... not you. I would imagine that your senior, the official representative, would have some choice words regarding your post.

I as a result of my experience, I have in depth insight and knowledge of the organization and operations, including the culture and structure of the art few others have.

Do you have more depth, insight, and experience than the highest ranking senior in the art in North America? Why are you posting against your senior in the art?

The offices I held in the organization and in the dojo, includes dojo secretary and interim secretary of the organization board member for more than a decade. As a board member I worked and for the president and chief instructor and other executive board members. I also volunteered my time working for my sensei in his landscaping business for over 16 years.

A secretary. A board member. A landscaper. Nowhere have you talked about shugyo. Everyone talks ... but few shugyo. You should ask the senior representative in North America what shugyo means. He knows the meaning of that word extremely well as he exemplifies it in his body.

The North American Headquarters DRAKK (NADRAKK) is not a business and founded as a nonprofit. It doesn’t market itself. It doesn’t wish to have a public commercial presence. There are some members, ex-members and actors in the organization who break protocol and market themselves with incomplete knowledge and skill.

Let's revisit your first paragraph, "The post is not to be confused with any authorized official statements from the North American Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu Kodokai or its president and chief instructor, or the parent Kodokai body in Japan." You've just invalidated your above sentence. You already stated that your post is NOT officially from the NADRAKK, so you really have no clue as to what constitutes the organizations official stance. Does your organization know that you're spreading misinformation about it? Do your seniors know? Do you think they'll appreciate you dragging the Kodokai's name through the mud, slinging insults at one if its most senior people?

Such individuals should not be confused with the organization or those DRAJKK practitioners like myself, who respect the art and organization and don't market themselves. The president and chief instructor (per Japanese budo, and koryu practices) is the face of the institution and organization. He is solely responsible for the art, the organization, its direction, representation, and PR to say the least.

And yet, here you are, doing PR for the organization. I wonder what your chief instructor would say? Your seniors?

Most people who talk about DRAJJKK technically and or or unrightfully claim it in any way are either clueless, wrong, or both. It is uncomfortable to admit such misrepresentation comes from both inside and outside the art.

Again, you are, doing exactly that. Misrepresenting the Kodokai. You are not an official representative, nor the most senior in your organization.

Because there so much misinformation and misrepresentation in connection with DRAJKK, and so much misunderstanding, I am very uncomfortable to say. When I do, I often spend allot of time correcting misperceptions resulting from individuals spreading wrong information.

Those judging DRAJKK negatively, based on misrepresentation and misinformation, I understand. I too would have the same conclusion. I get it. But, I ask a consideration is made by keeping this post in mind. I also ask when you see public information that you judge the individual and not the art. Hold the individual responsible for what they show or say, or both publically. Know they only independently represent themselves and not DRAJKK or those of us who properly study the art.

You are first and foremost among those kinds of people. In the very beginning you even state that what you post isn't to be taken as an official statement. Yet, here you are, going against your seniors and telling people about what the Kodokai is or isn't, who has "the skill", who should be talking, etc. I think we can easily see that you are an individual, independently representing yourself, spreading misinformation about the Kodokai.

IF anyone has any questions, I think they would be better served by going to an OFFICIAL representative of the Kodokai. Please don't listen to unofficial, low level secretaries who should never be talking about their organization in public.

[WVMark]

Ueshiba never spent a long time with the art of Sokaku Takeda but his past martial conditioning provided a strong base for skill and it definitely was reality based

That's actually all wrong.

1. Ueshiba's main, and by that I mean about 99%, influence on his "aikido" was Sokaku Takeda.
2. Ueshiba spent enough time that at one point in time, Takeda considered Ueshiba his heir in the art.
3. Ueshiba's past martial conditioning provided him zero experience against Takeda. Ueshiba was tossed like a rag doll by Takeda.
4. Ueshiba's past martial experience is very limited. Most of his training time came from Takeda's teachings.
5. Takeda taught Ueshiba Daito ryu aiki and Ueshiba never wavered from that. Ever. Not during Pre-war, the war, or post-war.

Mark