Took an aikido class yesterday

[DelicateSound]

Its a made up art invented for animals, like Aikidog (C) and Karatecat. It's about as powerful as Flik-won-do, the art of fighting with fingers.

[diego]

his noteriety is parrallel to those who seek to destroy the alqaeda networks, he is the inherited reciever of a unmentionable former member"do to lit",he is most renown
even the feds wish to study him!!!...

[Kristoffer]

That post made u look extremly stupid. I guess u have never heard of it, well then i dont thik that u can say something stupid like that.
I found out that Ki-Aikido is really Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido.. wich is a modern style of aikido.


On the side note, i found a dojo that seems like a great one. The sensei says just about the thing with the pre war aikido stuff that has been said here.
" In 1992, after consultation with Saito Sensei, Tomita decided to
go his own way. After having lived in Sweden for more than twenty years,
Tomita had seen changes in European Aikido that diverged too much from the
original form.

Tomita sensei says:
"We should never forget the original purpose of budo, otherwise
what’s left are childish games that only imitate the adult’s
seriousness. Modern day development has unfortunately taken this
direction, maybe most extremely in Aikido. We have forgotten that
it is self-defence."

Takemusu Aiki Tomita Academy has been grounded to preserve budo’s origin. "


judge for yourself. What do u think of this dojo?
http://www.takemusuaiki.se/english/index.html

[Gigante]

I trained Aikido for a year. Incredibly beautiful MA.
My teacher looked like a soft middleaged man.
But when I tried any technique on him, he was like stone. Completely unmovable.
Only time I could successsfully do ANY technique on him was when he LET me do it... and it was not because the techniques were bad....
And I'm not a small man either.

[rogue]

Thread from bladeforums that also makes some good points.

Thread from bladeforums that also makes some good points about Aikido

[Kristoffer]

good thread Rogue

[dezhen2001]

i think this is a very interesting thread guys! I don't even train aikido anymore (i do wing chun now )but here is my (limited)thoughts and experiences.

To be honest, i think this 'watering down' has happened in all 'commonplace' martial arts. Look at something like Karate. If you look at the old Kumite videos from even 10 or more years ago you can see that it's a totally different ball-game to what it is now. ie. none of this flashy S H I T just getting stuck in! I don't know about the US but in the UK we have examples of such people as Terry O'Neill, Frank Brennan etc. Nowadays the whole thing is totally different. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but i hope you get what i'm saying...

I studied Aikido for 3 years and because of my Karate background i found that it felt really slow going. But then i realised that it is building up the foundation. Practising breakfalls all night, and basic changes in posture......so boring for newcomers - but once you see how important they are in EVERYTHING you do, it's worthwhile. But i guess it all depends on the instructor. I went with a friend because he wanted to do a 'martial art' and wasn't the fittest of blokes. Of course i told the Sensei that i was a Shodan in karate at the time. I proceeded to get thrown about all night - and that was me trying to punch him properly - using combinations and kicks as well! I didn't know what the hell was happening to me! It felt like hitting nothing.

Then i started going to the class. The footwork and movement that they taught was very useful - it was all missing from the traditional Kata training in my shotokan. drilling all these 'flowery' techniques all night didn't really make sense - but after a while we learnt 'variations' on them. Take 'tenchinage' for example (heaven and earth throw). At first you learn to move in and take the attackers balance, applying a curving motion down his shoulder to take him down. There's no doubt it works - but in real application you would just do the good ole palm to the chin - virtually the same movement but a heck of a lot more dangerous. Especially with a full power/commited attack. How many beginners would break jaws and hands doing that?
So the movements can be used for combat, but they need to be altered.

Also the Sensei at my University teaches Atemi all the time when doing a technique. Usually it is for a distraction, but after you've taken the opponents 'mind' - then you can easily add a few more in

The forearms are really thick, and the grip is strong. Why? - that's because they swing a bokken and jo up and down all night, and keep grabbing you to throw you.

I don't even train in Aikido now, but i do sometimes go and watch the class - because it's pure science at work and there is a beauty about that

Often i find that most people these days want a 'quick-fix' - they want to be able to defend themselves after 10 lessons - it takes years of understanding and training. Or should i say to defend is easy - but to understand the skill takes a lifetime.

But also don't be quick to judge...look at wing chun for example. When i first saw Chi Sau (from my Karate experience perspective) - i thought what the heck is all that touching arms? patty-cake or something? I really couldn't see the uses of it. You have to understand that systems point of view to understand why they train a certain way...not by discussing on a forum - but by actually training that art for a length of time.

But saying as this is a Kung Fu forum and all - i doubt many Aikido people will be here. Or at least people who have had a reasonable time in that art (more than a few years).

thanks,
david

[straight blast]

The best man at my wedding was an Aikidoka and I've known him for about eight years. In all that time I have seen him fall over dozens of times (usually drunk), slip over, get thrown, and even crash his bike once or twice. But I have never seen him land on his a** once. He always rolls out of it onto his feet and just laughs. Nobody I know dares to grab him (though I'm certainly going to give it a go after a few months of Wing Chun!) 'cos he just launches you or locks you up effortlessly. It is undoubtedly effective, though I can still beat him senseless when I spar him Muay Thai. But as he said to me once, the learning curve is quite a bit different between the two styles.

He also said that when I hit him I hit him with a fist. He said that when he throws me he hits me with the Earth.

Interesting concept, eh?

[don bohrer]

Well for all the good or bad I plan on taking Aikido in about 6 months. The school I am looking at also teaches Kendo. I have watched as they drill the same techniques over and over. Mat work is a priority. The senior students moved like wheels when rolling and the breakfalls were excellent. Most of the joint manipulation/ takedown is like my experiences in kenpo. Except when we put you down it doesn't look so graceful. I sure hope my Kenpo doesnt get in the way of learning. Just think in 10 years I might be qualified to speak on Aikido

[dezhen2001]

Interesting concept straightblast! The earth does hit pretty hard

I think there is just a difference in learning curve between styles like Taijiquan, Wing Chun, Aikido and things like Muay Thai and Kickboxing. Some you can learn to use (rudimentarily) within a much shorter time than others. Other styles take a much longer time to grasp but once you have done, they are very powerful...

I guess it also depends a lot on finding a good teacher who knows the whole skill as well...if someone hasn't learned properly, then how can they teach it???

Seasons Greeting to everyone btw! I just had a huuuge Christmas dinner and guess i'd better train to work it off

david

[Shadowboxer]

I trained in Aikido for 2.5 years. I train in WC now. The old harder stlye is battlefield effective. The Japanese police learn this style. Yoshinkan dojo preserves this style. O'Sensei changed his martial art after the Atomic bombs to remove the violence from it in attempt to teach people to be in harmony with one another. He had amazing Ki I'm sure and his evasive footwork as someone pointed out is very impressive. I have old footage of him. The modern style is unrealistic as far as ukes attacking but the principles of evasion and circles are valid. It will teach you to tumble out of any kind of loss of balance right back up to your feet-breakfalls too. The wrist arts are worth learning as well to apply against numerous grabs as are the hip throws from Judo. You can also learn some neat swordplay at the higher levels because empty hand techniques share the same principles as the armed ones. It takes longer to learn the subtleties of the art. Too many styles don't practice the Atemi with their techniques and it makes them unrealistic against trained fighters. Someone mentioned Segal. He also has at least a 1st dan in some type of Karate and Kenjutsu to add to his 6th dan in Aikido, plus he's a movie star-that's why he kicks so much ass compared to other Aikidoka. If you want to learn Aikido, go to Japan and find a dojo that practices the "old style" from the "Hell dojo" days.

[kungfuyou]

For all those who keep refering to Steven Segal, his form of Aikido is Tenshin. Most Aikido does not incorporate striking and kicking. Tenshin does incorporate this into their style.

Not a bad site that I found!

http://www.martialway.com/celebritie...al/seagal.html

Hope all had a safe holiday!