Empty your Cup...

[tallgeese]

I do highly agree with bushi on a point made above. An art, purpotedly designed to be effective in sd situations, should increase your ability to take care of yourself drastically in six months to a year. No, it won't make you an expert or a "master" or some such nonsense, but you should see a dramatic increse in skill set or range in which that art specalizes.

It should be able to do this agaist ar least simulated real attacks. Now, for a joint manip. heavy art, maybe thats the equivalet of being able to effectily apply a manuver from a realistic grab attack. In aikido, maybe it's a signifigant enough understanding of body movement to be able to flow away from an attack without actual joint manipulation.

Anything longer could likley be more efficient in it's methodology.

[Wa-No-Michi]

I do highly agree with bushi on a point made above. An art, purpotedly designed to be effective in sd situations, should increase your ability to take care of yourself drastically in six months to a year. No, it won't make you an expert or a "master" or some such nonsense, but you should see a dramatic increse in skill set or range in which that art specalizes.

It should be able to do this agaist ar least simulated real attacks. Now, for a joint manip. heavy art, maybe thats the equivalet of being able to effectily apply a manuver from a realistic grab attack. In aikido, maybe it's a signifigant enough understanding of body movement to be able to flow away from an attack without actual joint manipulation.

Anything longer could likley be more efficient in it's methodology.

Hi tallgeese,

I will poke my newbie nose in here, but does Aikido "purport" to be effective as a self defense system?

I think that like a lot of arts, the sd thing comes, but I don't think you can put a timespan on it. I am not sure its the goal of such arts.

Just my view.

PS I have done no Aikido lessons at all so I could be talking rubbish.

[joesteph]

[D]oes Aikido "purport" to be effective as a self defense system? . . .

PS I have done no Aikido lessons at all . . .

A friend in the past had a brother who started martial arts in Aikido. I don't know how far he progressed, but when he decided to become a police officer, he took up Isshinryu. The crew he was with was a tough one, doing a lot of bare-knuckle sparring with supposed control, and he felt that his Aikido experience gave him an edge in the dojo. He did moves like redirects that surprised his opponents.

I'd have expected someone to have started with Isshinryu and later decided to investigate Aikido, but he did the opposite and it worked out well for him. The Aikido video lessons I've seen on Expert Village are really very interesting.

[tallgeese]

I've seen it taught both as a sd art and as a philisophical exercise. I guess it depends on the school, as with most things

[bushido_man96]

I feel that most Aikido would offer that their art is a form of self-defense, along with their philosophical viewpoints. The student handbook of the Association I will be joining says this. I think that if a style is going to tout itself as a Martial Art, then it should be focusing on aspects of self-defense. If not, then it should be called something else.

[Wa-No-Michi]

if a style is going to tout itself as a Martial Art, then it should be focusing on aspects of self-defense. If not, then it should be called something else.

I guess so, but the phrase "Martial Art" covers a huge spectrum IMO from the "soft"internal arts like "Tai Chi" (predominantly practiced as I understand it, by people for the qualities of self improvement it offers) to the "hard" external arts like Kyokushin.

They are all equally valid "martial arts" and will bring different benefits to different people.

Just because however something has a label on it that says "Martial Art" doesn't have to equate to self defence. Self improvement yes but not necessarily self defence per se.

[bushido_man96]

I think it should, though. After all, the Martial Arts were originally meant for combat, be it military of civilian. I think that the philosophical side can be a valid bonus of Martial Arts training, but if the style you study isn't helping your Martial training and abilities (physically, for the most part), then I don't think it is deserving of the Martial tag.

[joesteph]

Discussions like these, the "primary" focus considered, reminds me of a conversation I had with a DARE officer who had been assigned to my school for a couple of years.

He had been in the Coast Guard prior to joining the police force, and though the Coast Guard is under the Department of the Navy, that its ships are armed, and that it protects our shores, he discovered that the main emphasis of the work he was assigned to was really rescue operations. It's like asking if the Coast Guard is "really" a military entitity because it's so heavily involved in what might be described as humanitarian work. We can say "both," but then the question would be raised as to which of the two has the greater emphasis.

_ _ _ _ _ _

As beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so the martial aspect of a martial art may be in the mind's eye rather than in its application.

[bushido_man96]

Well, I don't know for sure. I still think Martial means Martial. That's just me, though. When so many people complain about what McDojos do to the MAs, it leads me to believe that the physical Martial aspect has more to do with it than not.

[Wa-No-Michi]

Well, I don't know for sure. I still think Martial means Martial. That's just me, though. When so many people complain about what McDojos do to the MAs, it leads me to believe that the physical Martial aspect has more to do with it than not.

I think thats it really bushido_man96, martial arts mean different things to different people. That's the beauty of it is suppose.

If you take the older folk that practice their Tai Chi in the park, its a bit like Yoga to them with the health benefits that it brings. Of course it has Martial origins and I know that there are versions of Tai Chi are more combat focused.

The phrase martial art mean to some; the study of technique for martial advancement. To others though it is the study of on art that has martial origins with all the trappings that brings.

I guess in an ideal world a good martial art should have a good balance of both.

Just out of interest Bushido-man, do you consider Tai Chi to be a Martial Art?