Aikido's effectiveness

[Adonis]

I always found Aikido intersting, I trained in it very breifly only a few lessons, I loved watching the demos. I think there is something in every art people can learn. However I found this Article by Roy Dean (BJJ Black belt and Aikido black belt, as well as an Uchideshi under a Traditional Japenese Jujitsu instructor) I found this Article very intersting, it is really well writen and captivating, showing a diffrent perspective on Aikdio and the Martail Arts in General. I hope every one reads it, let me know what you think of it. I think its right on the money.

http://www.roydeanacademy.com/articles/an_uchideshi_experience_chapter_five

[bushido_man96]

I loved that article! He didn't do a lot of bashing. He just talked about his experiences and revelations. There is a lot that I agree with in that article, as far as philosophy, time-in-training, and the like.

Thanks for sharing that, Adonis.

[A_Train]

A good read, and accurate to how I view it as well.

[ps1]

amazing...it's like the guy is in my head.

[The BB of C]

That had to be the answer, because so far, things weren’t adding up. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling when your expected effectiveness is incongruous with your actual result. How are you to honestly assess and pinpoint exactly where the problem lies? Do you doubt yourself, doubt the techniques, or doubt the training method? It’s a tough one to figure out on your own, especially if the instruction you’re receiving doesn’t honestly address real-life resistance levels.

That's exactly how I feel about my Kuk Sool Won class.

If you’re a white belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and are tapping out blue belts, the instructor will note that and get the situation adjusted, instead of forcing you to wait for a mandatory six-month period, X’ing off the boxes next to your name, making sure your hours are counted. You really get a chance to display your skills, instead of having to bite your lip as people who couldn’t survive a bar brawl point out how your technique is incorrect.

Replace "Brazillian Jiu Jutsu" with "Kuk Sool Won" and again; welcome to my world.

It’s not fair to your students to misrepresent what your art is capable of. If your average aikido student rolled with a judo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player, or got in the ring with a boxer or kickboxer, he wouldn’t know what to do with that kind of intensity. He’d simply be overwhelmed.

This one I dissagree with. I do think that some students would be overwhelemed, but that's them and their issues. Some people would absorb the type of calm training as a lesson in keeping your mind clear when faced with a high-intensity confrontation. Which most people know and agree is a good idea.

To paraphrase Bruce Lee, you can’t learn to swim unless you get wet, so how can you learn how to fight without fighting?

This however I agree with.

Strong, simple, direct, practical. Seagal, Obata, Koga, and plenty of other instructors across the country keep these points in mind, and consequently, their aikido it very applicable to self-defense. But when the emphasis changes from martial to art, then those who are looking for the former and settle for the latter are really shortchanged, and a disservice has been rendered.

Interesting.

So who am I writing this chapter for? I’m writing it for the kid who goes straight to the martial arts section of a bookstore, who shows up early for training and loiters afterward, and is insatiably hungry for knowledge and experience in a way most adults can barely remember.

I feel loved

However, climbing out has made me grow tremendously, and now I’m able to nod, smile, and offer encouragement as the newly initiated proselytize about how karate, ninjitsu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or tae kwon do is the best.

And they’re 100 percent right. They are the best. The best art for them at that moment because they’re hot on it, enthusiastic, and hungrily determined to succeed. At that point, everybody wins.

I like this guy.

[bushido_man96]

It’s not fair to your students to misrepresent what your art is capable of. If your average aikido student rolled with a judo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player, or got in the ring with a boxer or kickboxer, he wouldn’t know what to do with that kind of intensity. He’d simply be overwhelmed.

This one I dissagree with. I do think that some students would be overwhelemed, but that's them and their issues. Some people would absorb the type of calm training as a lesson in keeping your mind clear when faced with a high-intensity confrontation. Which most people know and agree is a good idea.

Unfortunately, I would have to agree with this concept for the most part. If you never feel contact, or make contact, or experience a higher (not necessarily the same level of fighting) intensity, then it will be tough to know how to deal with it in a situation.

[cross]

It’s not fair to your students to misrepresent what your art is capable of. If your average aikido student rolled with a judo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player, or got in the ring with a boxer or kickboxer, he wouldn’t know what to do with that kind of intensity. He’d simply be overwhelmed.

This one I dissagree with. I do think that some students would be overwhelemed, but that's them and their issues. Some people would absorb the type of calm training as a lesson in keeping your mind clear when faced with a high-intensity confrontation. Which most people know and agree is a good idea.

Unfortunately, I would have to agree with this concept for the most part. If you never feel contact, or make contact, or experience a higher (not necessarily the same level of fighting) intensity, then it will be tough to know how to deal with it in a situation.

I agree with bushido_man96 on this one.

Its one thing to say "we train to stay calm in high-intensity situations". But until you actually are putting yourself in high-intensity situations like contact sparring, you are only theorizing about how to deal with the emotions experienced.

[bushido_man96]

But until you actually are putting yourself in high-intensity situations like contact sparring, you are only theorizing about how to deal with the emotions experienced.

Agreed. That is one thing I like about the resistance in the brief grappling sessions that my friend and I have. The high emotion is not there, but the resistance is. We also try to work some of that stuff into our Defensive Tactics and Combat Hapkido workouts. I am going to suggest to my partners that we start to work on more of it, too.

[cross]

But until you actually are putting yourself in high-intensity situations like contact sparring, you are only theorizing about how to deal with the emotions experienced.

Agreed. That is one thing I like about the resistance in the brief grappling sessions that my friend and I have. The high emotion is not there, but the resistance is. We also try to work some of that stuff into our Defensive Tactics and Combat Hapkido workouts. I am going to suggest to my partners that we start to work on more of it, too.

Definitely. If you are aiming at self defense its important to work in the emotional aspects also. This is where role playing works great. Because you can have all the techniques in the world, but if you freeze the moment someone goes agro at you or you start feeling fear and intimidation your going to be in trouble.

[bushido_man96]

I thought it was interesting in the article that the author pointed out the differences between Aikido and Aiki-jujitsu.