Aikido?

[samwisekoi]

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....

After training in Kenpo, a couple of motorcycle racing injuries made it very hard for me to pursue such a hard style. Once I turned 50, I wanted to resume MA training, and Aikido seemed to be less stressful on the joints.

Living in California, I am concerned with a style ending in hugging. (My Kenpo dojo was tossed out of a tournament or two for excessive use of elbow strikes. Hmmph!)

Anyhow, are there ways to detect Martial-style Aikido vs Hugging-style? There are three Aikido dojos close to where I work; one is very Zen, the other two are not. Wierdly, they are all non-profits, which seems as anti-McDojo as can be. (I like that.)

Anyhow, I can tell serious Karate dojos from wimpy ones. How can I tell a serious Aikido dojo from a snuggle-bunny one?

Thanks in advance,

- Sam

[ShoriKid]

samwisekoi

Anyhow, I can tell serious Karate dojos from wimpy ones. How can I tell a serious Aikido dojo from a snuggle-bunny one?

Best guess? Same way you can tell karate schools apart. Watch the partner work. If every thing is real easy, the attacker seems to be coming in soft and doing very stiff, wrote attacks, I'd say whimpy. If the attackers are coming in quick and hard at the upper belts. They are getting twisted up and making faces a dog might make if you hit him with a buick? Good school. That's just opinion. Others may be able to give more specifics.

[RichardZ]

I think Aiki Jutsu had more to offer than Aikido.

[bushido_man96]

I think Aiki Jutsu had more to offer than Aikido.

Well, it depends on what you want out of your training, too.

[RichardZ]

I think Aiki Jutsu had more to offer than Aikido.

Well, it depends on what you want out of your training, too.

Well said, but I had tried both, and it maybe the instructors as well, but I think one had better combat applications than the other. Not that I am putting one down. I am stating a preference from my observations.

[bushido_man96]

I think Aiki Jutsu had more to offer than Aikido.

Well, it depends on what you want out of your training, too.

Well said, but I had tried both, and it maybe the instructors as well, but I think one had better combat applications than the other. Not that I am putting one down. I am stating a preference from my observations.

I agree with your observations, too. I prefer my Combat Hapkido applications to my Aikido ones, but still enjoy the Aikido training.

[RichardZ]

Oh, I am not knocking it. Like samwiskoi stated, after having the body banged up and/or aging, Aikido can have some benefits.

[samwisekoi]

Oh, I am not knocking it. Like samwiskoi stated, after having the body banged up and/or aging, Aikido can have some benefits.

Thank you all for the input. Nearby are generic McDojos, MMA/TKD dojos, Shotokan dojos and three Aikido dojos.

I'll take my "banged up and/or aging" body around to see the latter three and hope one will work for me.

Thanks again!

- Sam

[RichardZ]

Return and tell us how it went.