11-02-2006, 11:50 PM
Aikido is fine. However, what is important in choosing a martial art is that you try to find the one that is most suitable for you.
The books are not supposed to manuals of what to do and what not to do. They're not a blueprint of how we "should" live our lives. Yes, there are no detailed nutritional instructions in the Castaneda/Donner/Abelar books -- so what? There are no instructions concerning how to drive a car or how to wipe your ass after taking a shit, either. I am sure the importance of food is emphasized, however. But, how to eat in the way that is best for you is up to you to discover. I'm slowly working on it myself and I can say it's really challenging to eat smartly... it's much easier to theorize about it than it is to actually make yourself follow the set plans.
Martial arts are about warfare, survival, self-defence. Those aspects of life the modern man doesn't embody very well as the society has formed a net of false security that makes us soft and edgeless like caged pets. But, we are beings of fight in essence, so I think our bodies really need action like that. War spirit, well-channeled aggressive movement. And we may need the self-defence skills some day. What if some bastard suddenly decides to turn your head into mashed potatoes? Then, there's no time for pacifism and fancy philosophies. We need the action of a magical beast.
The books are not supposed to manuals of what to do and what not to do. They're not a blueprint of how we "should" live our lives. Yes, there are no detailed nutritional instructions in the Castaneda/Donner/Abelar books -- so what? There are no instructions concerning how to drive a car or how to wipe your ass after taking a shit, either. I am sure the importance of food is emphasized, however. But, how to eat in the way that is best for you is up to you to discover. I'm slowly working on it myself and I can say it's really challenging to eat smartly... it's much easier to theorize about it than it is to actually make yourself follow the set plans.
Martial arts are about warfare, survival, self-defence. Those aspects of life the modern man doesn't embody very well as the society has formed a net of false security that makes us soft and edgeless like caged pets. But, we are beings of fight in essence, so I think our bodies really need action like that. War spirit, well-channeled aggressive movement. And we may need the self-defence skills some day. What if some bastard suddenly decides to turn your head into mashed potatoes? Then, there's no time for pacifism and fancy philosophies. We need the action of a magical beast.