How practical is Aikido?

[iolair]

I'm thinking of giving Aikido a try ... to what extent is it a practical art? (I'll still be practicing kickboxing ... so could combine it with that in a "real" situation if necessary)

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I'm thinking of giving Aikido a try ... to what extent is it a practical art? (I'll still be practicing kickboxing ... so could combine it with that in a "real" situation if necessary)

 

There is a very good and experienced aikido sensei here locally and I used to watch his classes quite often. He and I have talked many times about our arts.

 

Basically, from what I've seen and talked to this sensei about, is that aikido is an effective art, but it takes a VERY long time to master it where you can use it effectively in a real sitution.

[jedimc]

I like this article lots of info in it

 

http://www.aikidoonline.com/Archives/2002/sep/clmn_0902_bcorner.html

[Nick_UKWC]

Everything I've read says the same - that it takes a very long time to get good at.

[WC-Strayder]

that it takes a very long time to get good at.

 

That goes for all styles I think, even MMA styles, but some styles, like aikido, takes even longer to make practical.....

[aefibird]

Yes, Aikido is street practical but it is a system where one has to study for many years to get even average competence in it, unlike other MA's (kickboxing, for example) where someone can pick up the basics within a few weeks and be proficient within a few years.

 

However, don't let the timescale put you off. Aikido is a great MA and I wish I could still train in it!

 

Good luck if you decide to go for it.

[Gumbi]

Aikido feeds most of its attacks off the big haymaker punch which you see most often in street fights. Unlike in training though, your opponents wont go flying through the air like Steven Seagal movies- you'll simply break their wrist, which is rather painfull.

 

Takes a while to learn, and can work should someone punch you in that manner (which is rather common) but I've yet to see the wristlock and punch catching techniques work against a trained striker.

[fangshi]

Personally I have trained in aikido for 13 yrs. Aikido can be very effective as a combative style . This is where the BUT comes in . But in order for the techniques of aikido to be effective Against trained figthers The Aikidoka must be VERY proficient. Basically to the point of perfection.

 

While training with my sensei's sensei I had the honour to meet a great guy (a liitle strange but thats why he is so great) No matter what technique the sensei would instruct us in this guy would only do one particular technique. All direction throw (advanced) . After many many push ups the sensei finally just let this guy do his one techniqe over and over again . It go to the point where he was so proficient at the one technique that many including my sensei felt that he had perfected it.

 

Well one night after recieving the results from senior level promotions a large group of us went out to celebrate.

 

Sure enough some chuckle head with a group of friends all wearing the local boxing gym jackets over heard our conversations and chalenged any member of our group . After listening to a great deal of ego and insult my friend accepted the challenge . The boxer threw two punches , the first was a jab that landed to the nose and mouth area . The second was a cross. Well guess what? My friend applied the one technique he had practiced for year after year and sure enough the boxer was thrown and slamed to the ground in a pin. The moved resulted in the boxers arm being dislocated which ended the discussion quickly.

 

Aikido in the begining and intermediate stages is probably not a overly useful tool in street self defense but a mastery of it is very viable. You just have to decide if the commitment is something you are in to. Applied with other arts knowledge of aikido at any level is useful. There are several applications that take very little time to learn that are very effective .

 

Well thats my two cents . It may not be worth two cents but there it is none the less.

 

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[kzshin]

Akido is a really effective art. It has great influence in Shindo Jinen Ryu Karate that I study.

[ThorLoser]

A great deal of emphasis is often given to the techniques present in the system rather than to the techniques that can effectively be employed by one individual when confronted with another individual. Styles can't compete with one another, but practitioners can (and do).

 

Someone may learn to employ effective techniques to attack and defend against techniques that are employed and used by individuals in their own school and system rather early in the course of their martial arts career when compared to using effective techniques against untrained individuals or compared to well trained individuals from completely foriegn systems with completely foriegn techniques.

 

When faced with an opponent who can employ effective techniques from a wide variety of systems, it becomes increasingly difficult to effectively employ techniques against that individual especially if they are also trained to use the same system and style of techniques you have been taught to use. Your opponent can now trick you into seeing flaws in his attack or defense which are not really there. If you take the bait, you may very well be walking into a technique designed specifically to defeat those who have a more limited retinue of effective techniques.

 

For an individual to use a technique effectively in the widest set of possible scenarios, that technique should be practiced when faced with a wide variety of scenarios so that the practitioner can gain insight as to when, where and against whom a given technique should or shouldn't be employed.

 

Add to the practical application of these techniques the elements of situation, awareness, ability to improvise, environment and luck then it can rarely be truthfully stated that one practitioner is superior to another in every situation, much less that one system is. The prevailing individual is generally the one who can maximize his strengths and options while minimizing the strengths and options of his opponent. For this reason, knowing your opponent is of very great importance. Similarly, ensuring that your opponent knows little about you is also very valuable.

 

In short, it's not your 'art' that is effective or not, it is 'your' art that is effective or not.