Sparring between two very different styles

[Tzu-Logic]

I understand what you are saying justice.

I fight with elbows A LOT! To this day I still do not know of a way to throw a "friendly elbow" lol.

I also do a lot of low kicks for the sides of the knees, once again not safe for friendly sparring.

So sparring ends up being more of boxing match with some mid level kicks thrown in. It doesn't ever feel like a real fight to me.

I have no desire to harm a sparring partner. I have experienced a lot of frustration from this.

Anyone wanna start a fight club with me??

[bushido_man96]

Anyone wanna start a fight club with me??

Well we can't, now. You already broke the first rule....

[lit-arate]

I'm only a sankyu in Aikido, but I have eighteen years of experience in American Kenpo, so I can offer a specifically wonky perspective.

A few other people in our Aikido dojo also have backgrounds in striking martial arts (Goju Ryu and Shotokan), and they wanted to get together and spar. They have significantly less sparring experience than I (they're both still kyu-rank in their styles), so as an experiment, I decided to use primarily Aikido. Of course, I don't really count as an Aikidoka when it comes to sparring, since I was fighting out of my Kenpo stance, and have experience as a striker that most Aikidoka do not have.

The moral of the story is: it was rather effective. If one is doing the point-sparring tag-you're-it kind of thing, Aikido doesn't work well, because while the throw is being set up, the other person can sometimes get in a tap (at least, if the nage is an intermediate/beginner Aikidoka like me). But when it came to more serious fighting, I was generally able to execute basic locks and throws without worrying about breaking my partners or getting punched in the face.

As for compliance, in fact, the techniques cause more pain if you try to hit the person throwing you, because it tightens up your body. I would hesitate to try some of the more advanced throws--not because they're "too deadly" or any kind of mumbo-jumbo like that, but because it's generally safer if uke knows how to take the fall, and does so without resistance. Trying to throw someone with both arms whilst they hold onto your arms will probably work, but you'll likely both fall down, and someone is going to get unnecessarily bruised. A striker can always pull a strike; it's hard for an Aikidoka to "pull" a throw.

On a slightly different note, when I did decide to use striking, I found that Aikido footwork often sets one up for wonderful combinations. Since Aikido generally responds by entering into a strike and then moving behind the opponent, it puts one in position to do much more than harmonize with one's partner. Not that I advocate violence.

TLDR: Yes, Aikido works when sparring, but just like you wouldn't actually break your partner's knee, there are some techniques an Aikidoka wouldn't actually follow through to completion.

[evergrey]

OSU, thank you for your input, lit-arate, that's very interesting! :}

Perhaps someday we'll get an aikidoka over here to spar. :}

It has been used on me a bit during regular sparring, by a godan in Kyokushin who knows a bit of aikido. Flying lessons, wheee!

[darksoul]

Thanks lit-arate! I'm a shodan in Shaolin Kempo and will be starting up Aikido with my wife in the new year. It will be my wife's first martial art, but I'm hoping to use this as a cross-training thing.

[bushido_man96]

Thanks lit-arate! I'm a shodan in Shaolin Kempo and will be starting up Aikido with my wife in the new year. It will be my wife's first martial art, but I'm hoping to use this as a cross-training thing.

That's what I do when I get the chance to train Aikido. I see little places here and there in between the spinning and misdirection where I could toss in a kick, or a strike, or just make the whole application a bit bloodier.

It also gives me different movement options that I don't get in TKD or Combat Hapkido, which helps when I look back on those styles, too. Those styles have also helped me to see little hints to applications here and there in my TKD training, especially in the forms.

[JusticeZero]

One of these days we'll have to get together somewhere somehow for a few hours and work footwork and floor. Still, so many people want to mix in a little social spar it seems like.

[bushido_man96]

Social spar is always a good time!