What do you think of Aikido?

[LeaF]

Thank you for your analysis Andrew I agree with you completely

[Kensai]

oh ok bon, must have been a poor dojo, I fully resist in my class with the high grades. Works a treat

[Punchdrunk]

OK, Kensai, we have discussed this before but it is fun to talk about and you always have cool answers, so what the heck?

 

The aikidoka I have personally run into fall into two camps:

 

1. Intellectuals who could not punch their way out of a paper bag and seem to be stimulated by the idea of being in a martial art that won't violate any of their lofty notions about pacifism, world peace, etc. They are rarely people who have ever been in a physical confrontation and do not live their lives in a way that would ever cause them to be.

 

Some of these folks stay with aikido for a while because there is so much interesting theory, and the stories of O Sensei are charming, and they get to experience just enough physical discomfort to feel that they really are involved in a legitimate martial art. All of the objections to the style's comparatively "heady" approach have logical and extensive rebuttals that keep this sort of aikidoka from ever questioning the validity of their training or their fitness to defend themselves.

 

This sort of practitioner is really caught up in the mystical qualities of ki or chi or qui or however you spell it. They are sproutsy or new agey and in case you can't tell already - I find their smug self satisfaction mildly annoying. A lot of actors get in to aikido briefly and the dilettantism is really offputting. This first type of aikidoka usually loses interest about the time they find the next bright shiny object that captures their attention or when they discover how much time, exertion, and sacrifice it takes to develope those magical powers.

 

2. This type are composed of policemen, bouncers, and accomplished martial artists from other disciplines. They are atrracted by the highly effective "come alongs" and other joint locks that allow them to incapacitate an aggressor wihtout striking or acting in a manner that is perceived as aggressive. This group is much like O Sensei. They have been invloved in many conflicts on the street, in the ring or on the mat, and they want to learn the power of aikido's prinicples & gentler but effective options. Enshin karate uses aikido's principles to heighten the effectiveness of a more aggressive style.

 

Guess which group I respect more. Few dispute aikido's power, but many of it's novice acolytes put off outsiders when they prosthelitize about the power of their style yet none of their training looks anything like a fight to those of us who train in striking or more "rough and tumble grappling arts." Ok it sounds negative again. However, I hope you see I have a great deal of respect for the style. I have looked into it more since the last time we talked. It is just some of your junior aikidoka I could do wihtout.

[Kensai]

I would not consider myself a "junior" aikidoka, I would hope aswell that I am not of the tree hugging varity of Aikidoka. lol. You make some interesting points.

 

You see, sometimes I look through the other side of the glass, I look at BJJ practioners, Mauy Thai fighter and even the mighty Wing Chun boxers go on about how their art is better than your art, like the arguement that my dad is better than your dad. I see them as rude and arrogant, and anything that does not conform with there principles (sorry but BJJ people you are the worst for this) tell you that it is crap. (disclaimer there are some REALLY nice BJJ peeps to most of which I have met on this site)

 

Aikido does have a very non violence feel to it, and we dont really try to break each others arms off, mainly because O Sensei, wanted Aikido for all, Japanese, African, English, Old, Young and even the ill. So you practice to the abilities of your Uke or Nage, if I am practicing with a 50 year old white belt then I am gentle I want them to enjoy it, not get scared away thinking that this is a young and fit persons art. If however I am training with a 23 year old green belt, or black belt then you let fly. You have to be able to be flexable, this you can take into the street.

 

Then you get to the serious Aikidoka, these are the ones with the Hakama and lots of red lines on their black belts, they have this certain look about them. Usually the policemen that train in your club, the ones with such strong Ki, that they can send you though the floor.

 

You then see a 73 year old man, and you think, can he reall hurt me. This would be my Sensei. Then he take's hold of your arm, BANG, your out and you dont even know where he hit, grabbed or pulled you. You know that you are facing the floor in an unpleasant lock, you cant even breath let alone move. This is Aikido. A 73 year old man that can hold you down with one finger, that could kill me in the blink of an eye, but he does not. This is Aikido.

 

The purpse of my little speach is not to say that Aikido is the best MA in the world, because it is not. Nor will it win you UFC (mainly because most of the moves are banned, also Frank Shamrock does a little Aikido). This is not Aikido. Aikido does not teach you to kill, it teachs you to live.

 

Katsu Hayai!

 

Instant Victory, to win quickly, with minimum effort, pain, or destruction.

 

This is the essence of Aikido.

 

Take Care

 

Ps, I am flattered that you think my answers are cool. lol

[Punchdrunk]

Anyone who thinks their one style is the only way has been living under a rock or does get out of their home dojo much.

 

It sounds like both of our pet peeves stem from lack of respect. Whether it is a lack of respect for another style or the lack of respect of a senior student for the education, developement, and safety of a student who is either junior or at a physical disadvantge to them.

 

Braggarts and Bullies.

 

They are a huge reason many of us first got into the martial arts.

 

Every school has them for varying lengths of time. In Aikido's favor, there seem to be fewer from this style than most. As I said the negative of Aikidoka's I've run into seems to be a lot of untested true believers.

 

Clearly, I am not directing this at you Kensai.

 

As to older practitioners. There was one 70 + year old Aikidoka originally from Japan but teaching in Milwaukee. I wish I could remeber his name. I saw him give a demonstration. He seemed to be made out of bamboo. When he threw the uke sailed light but landed very hard.

 

Hmmm, maybe I'm just not old enough for aikido yet.lol.

[Kensai]

lol.

 

I dont really consider myself mature enough for Aikido's core beliefs. I am far to aggresive and overbareing, but Aikido is Yang to my Yin, it calms me. With every passing lesson it seems to enrich me that little bit more.

 

The Aikido techniques work better when you don't think they are techniques, more just a natural extension of Ki. That is when you get that Light flying and hard landing effect.

 

What is your style punch?

[Punchdrunk]

Shidokan Karate

 

It was founded by Kancho Soeno(a student of Mas Oyama) about 25-30 years ago. It is a constantly evolving mix of techniques but it is founded on Bareknuckle Karate, Thai Kickboxing, and Grappling. I also study BJJ with a Carlson Gracie sr. student every week.

 

I got into this only a little over a year ago. I had my first PKA style(no leg kicks or knees) kickboxing match last month.

 

In training we spar a lot in the bareknuckle style (no punches to the face, leg kicks, knees and kicks to the head allowed), kickboxing, boxing, grappling gi and no gi, we work judo style throws and wrestling takedowns, and yes we do kata as well because it is anything but useless.

 

As a kid I boxed from age 10 - 22 and wrestled for a couple of years in high school.

 

More than you wanted to know I'm sure.

[Kensai]

Sounds like a really good mixture, I am sure very effective in self defence. I did bareknuckle kumite when I studied Shotokan karate with the KUGB. Good fun, as long as you dont get hit.lol

 

So do you go more for blocks or evasions?

 

Do you do a lot of High kicks?

[Punchdrunk]

Knew you did something before Aikido. Just a little too balanced yet pugnacious not to.

 

We study classical kihon but most of the classes are a little more fight technique oriented. We parry and slip punches. We work a lot on shin and knee blocks for kicks. Execute those properly and the kicker will truly wish they hadn't. We work on counters combinations.

 

As to high kicking - sure we work on kicks to the head but usually only after we have set them up with leg and body shots. Low, low, high or low left / high right. The majority of damage is done by taking out the legs.

 

We also work off the one handed grab and striking or sweeping from the blind spot.

 

The name Shidokan means "those who live and train together in the way of the samurai".

[Kensai]

Interesting, many of the great budo masters, considered Aikido to be the closest path to the way of the warrior, even Kano (Grand Master of Judo) sent his students to O Sensei, also they questioned Judo's budo when compared to that of Aikido.

 

Do you do any sword work? katana, bokken? Bo, Jo or tanto?

 

In Aikido there are NO blocks, we always move out of the way, I have not trained against kicks in the dojo, but I have when sparing with friends, and I seem to use the basic principles of whirlwind movement to pretty much get out of most nasty kicks.

 

We do alot of grabs, firstly from Basic, which is standing infront of your oppenent, they grab then you do something, then "on the move", when your Uke runs at you to grab you, I find these more fun.

 

Also Aikido does not have ONE kick, O Sensei considered kicking to place you off balance. Sometimes I really dont agree with this, but every Style has its weakness I would say that Aikido's is kicking.