Aikido?

[arcelt]

I have had four aikido instructors, and none of them matched up to my Aikido Teacher in Japan. The other three were lacking in showing me the pain of the art.

My instructor learned in Japan and I think he brought that attitude back with him. I have trained in some seminars with other American instructors and everything is very gentle; when I train at my dojo it HURTS....When I was studying Goju, I had my nose broken, suffered numerous black eyes and busted lips, etc., and nothing, I mean nothing compares with the pain of a well executed Nikyo or Sankyo..

[arcelt]

Sounds like this is a good Aikido class. From what little I've read and been told, the style softened as it aged and developed.

I've heard some people refer to the "Aikido Wars", with a West Coast Aikido (gentle, flowing, blend with your opponent, gently immobilize your opponent, hug your opponent afterwards) and East Cost Aikido (gentle, flowing, rip your opponents arms off). I think of the rap wars when I hear this...drive by wrist lockings and all that....Hyperbole, of course, but it does seem that Aikido has diverged into 2 separate styles, one of which is more internal like Tai Chi, and the other that seems closer to its Daito Ryu roots....

[ShoriKid]

Drive by wrist locks? Okay, I'm invisioning gang colored hakama and a guy bailing out of a lowered 65' Caddy to run up and koto gashi(I know, I can't spell them) someone to the pavement at random. Sometimes even wrist locking an inocent by stander.

Out of the blend of schools and training that has come together to far the training we are now doing, wrist locks and joint locks hurt. Matching and flowing with someone is important, stealing momentum etc. But, in the end,it's painful and you make god-awful faces when they are slapped on you. That works for me. If it doesn't hurt, it's not working most all the time.

[bushido_man96]

Sounds like this is a good Aikido class. From what little I've read and been told, the style softened as it aged and developed.

I've heard some people refer to the "Aikido Wars", with a West Coast Aikido (gentle, flowing, blend with your opponent, gently immobilize your opponent, hug your opponent afterwards) and East Cost Aikido (gentle, flowing, rip your opponents arms off). I think of the rap wars when I hear this...drive by wrist lockings and all that....Hyperbole, of course, but it does seem that Aikido has diverged into 2 separate styles, one of which is more internal like Tai Chi, and the other that seems closer to its Daito Ryu roots....

The approach we take in Combat Hapkido tends to be more along the rougher aspects than is taken in the Aikido club I attend. In our Aikido club, they don't really mess with striking too much during the techniques, and like to take the "peaceful" route. I find all too often that my TKD will to kick or punch comes into play during my Aikido class.

If it doesn't hurt, it's not working most all the time.

I agree! If I can't "feel" it, it likely isn't going to effect me much.

[ShoriKid]

The approach we take in Combat Hapkido tends to be more along the rougher aspects than is taken in the Aikido club I attend. In our Aikido club, they don't really mess with striking too much during the techniques, and like to take the "peaceful" route. I find all too often that my TKD will to kick or punch comes into play during my Aikido class.

There was an Aikido and TKD class, taught by the same man, here locally some years back. I attended for a very short period. When drilling there with another friend, we were admonished for "going too hard" on the punches we were throwing to practice countering and entering on. We threw harder and faster in body conditioning. I was asked to preform a kata for the school, which I did, to show the difference between what I had trained in and what they were doing. I did a Nanhanchi and startled some of the students with the kiai.

There was an Aikido class I took for college credit at EKU that was easy most of the time, but the instructor emphasized the pain in "pain compliance" techniques. The man also taught the restraint and self defense for the students and cadets in the state police law enforcement program. He was hands on, willing to answer questions and when someone asked "what if" he would be happy to demonstrate. One or two of his lower belts that attended the class to help had some odd ideas about what constituted a good kick or punch, but the black belts were great guys willing to help you out and had good heads on their shoulders.

[ryanryu]

This is good to hear arcelt. I've training extensively in Goju, and it's a style that I'll always love, but since there are no dojos around where I live now I decided to sign up for Aikido (as of yesterday). I've only taken a trial class, but I already know it's going to couple really well with my Goju while expanding my knowledge exponentially. It's nice to hear about the path from one who's already walked it.

[arcelt]

This is good to hear arcelt. I've training extensively in Goju, and it's a style that I'll always love, but since there are no dojos around where I live now I decided to sign up for Aikido (as of yesterday). I've only taken a trial class, but I already know it's going to couple really well with my Goju while expanding my knowledge exponentially. It's nice to hear about the path from one who's already walked it.

I hear you there, Ryan. Are you still taking Aikido? If so, how is it going?

[ryanryu]

I've actually been going to classes for about a month now. It's been fantastic, I'm picking up the actual techniques really fast. The instruction isnt as precise as in goju-ryu, but since I've trained in the MA before I can usually figure out that best way to do a technique. My training is still pretty polarized though, I can either do Aikido or Goju, not a synthesis of both, which is what I'm aiming for. Hopefully someday I'll get there though! This Aikido dojo has a lot of personality and a lot of skill so I'm definitely going to train there as long as I can. The only thing I'm worried about is that it's definintely going to take years to develop a true, deep and effective understanding of Aikido. Even with my training accelerated by what I already know, I think I'll only have scratched the surface of the art by the time I graduate from school and move on. It's a shame but it just makes me more determined to train hard and learn all I can

[bushido_man96]

I'm with you there. There is a lot to Aikido, and getting the movements to flow together is going to take me a lot of time. I find that breaking things down, step by step, really helps a lot.

[arcelt]

I agree with that. I'm almost one year in, training 3 or 4 nights per week, and I still only have a good feel for the most basic techniques. I can tell that it will take YEARS before I have anything more than a basic grasp of Aikido.

As I previously pointed out, there is no Goju in my area, but I am keeping my striking skills alive by training in TKD. It is quite far removed from Goju in both technique and focus, but it keeps me in shape and keeps my striking reflexes sharp.

Maybe as I progress in Aikido, I'll become more comfortable melding Aikido with the striking arts. As of now, they are still quite separate for me.