Eons ago, when I was considering taking up martial arts and doing research on the various disciplines, I came to the conclusion that this would be the one for me. IIRC, it was based mostly on defense and momentum-redirecting moves…my memory on all the details is a bit fuzzy. I never got around to committing to it, but I’d love to hear what folks with actual martial arts experience think of it.
Oh, and I learned later that Aikido is Steven Seagal’s m.o. –didn’t exactly raise my opinion of it.
Seagal is 9th dan, but sucks at Aikido by virtue of the fact that he is 6’12” and weighs 400lb. Aikido is quite obviously the coolest martial art, but. . . Most aikido practitioners could not throw strike that would harm anything larger than fly. Go to youtube and you can see bad Aikido all day. Aikido is criticized by a lot of the competitive folks, like the Jiujitsu folks, or the strikers, like the karate folks, but they merely fail to grasp the idea that Aikido is a martial art and not a fighting style. Aikido will not make… Read more »
All martial arts are bullshit for making you a good fighter. It’s exercise and being in shape will generally help your odds in a fighting situation. But all those strikes and throws aren’t going to be worth a damn when someone guy who’s drunk beyond feeling pain starts beating your ass with a bike chain.
I know this is generally true. Bar fights don’t go down like organized sparring matches. However, I know a couple of guys who can throw a bone-breaking kick in less time than it takes to blink.
@HoChunk Aikido at best is barely functional and at worst a pointless waste of time if you’re looking to learn how to defend yourself. It has too many problems fundamentally to be effective. In my hometown there was a place that taught a grab bag of Japanese martial arts. They taught Karate, Judo, Kyudo, Iaijustsu, Kendo, Naginata, and Aikido. It was non profit oriented. It was started by several Japanese immigrants so they could have a place to teach and learn. I lived in a military town, so there was a smallish community of Japanese who had married American military… Read more »
Where to start… Sparring is overrated. For one most of the time it’s sparring with too many rules. In my art, you slowly digress to sparing when you are ready. Which means when you are closer to being a black belt and have control. You look at sparring in most places and the students are halfassing the technique to get a hit. You go slow and you learn the technique. If you are sparring and you are using crazy arm locks and bars, chances are someone will get hurt. As far as cultness. All arts have it, especially MMA folks… Read more »
“Where to start… Sparring is overrated. For one most of the time it’s sparring with too many rules. In my art, you slowly digress to sparing when you are ready. Which means when you are closer to being a black belt and have control. You look at sparring in most places and the students are halfassing the technique to get a hit. You go slow and you learn the technique. If you are sparring and you are using crazy arm locks and bars, chances are someone will get hurt.” There are some things here I might nitpick, but I’d rather… Read more »
Lemme drop my 45 cents in the bucket and talk to both of you about sparring. Sparring is good/teaches good skills, but it does a lot of bad, too. If you are sparring to practice your timing, your deception, your flow, that is good. If you are just tagging each other for the sake of tagging each other, then you are wasting your time. I study shorin-ryu in conjunction with aikido, and for most of my time in the karate dojo, we do not spar. My friends and I spar before and after each session, but we spend most of… Read more »
It’s because Aikido brings about complete spiritual harmony and enlightenment.
But seriously, I enjoy talking about the martial arts. I don’t think there is anything wrong with the cuddly fluffy Aikido dojos, because it still develops centering and Tai-sabaki. I think what is worse are the instructors who teach suicidal “self-defense” garbage, martial arts dojos for children, and martial arts dojos that sell belts/weapons/trophies – some even require training contracts! The arts have a bad rep because of all the bullshit out there.
I got that even through the condescending tone thanks. I am so addicted to my martial art. This is the only legit dojo that I have ever found. My instructor makes no money and the dojo barely gets by money wise. We are all there to get better through dropping blood, sweat and pushing through all too common injuries from training so hard. The more I train, the more I find that the art is all about being water. In Bujinkan Ninjutsu we are taught to have no form at all. Instead to react to the enemy defensively and move… Read more »
Aikido always looks like the guy having his own weight used against him needs to be in on the move at least a bit. I really don’t see it ever going down in a real fight the way its portrayed.
Wow…I was seriously expecting either crickets or twenty back ‘n forth posts of “no YOU suck!!!” Thank you, everyone, for the informed & sober discussion on the subject and sambo78, especially, for such a comprehensive overview as well as some very trenchant insights. Much appreciated. 😀 One footnote on the suggestion to just carry around some sort of weapon instead. I live in New York City, where getting accosted & searched by cops on the streets & subways is rare but not unheard of. The Catch-22, of course, is that if they discover a weapon on you*, you’re spending at… Read more »
Eons ago, when I was considering taking up martial arts and doing research on the various disciplines, I came to the conclusion that this would be the one for me. IIRC, it was based mostly on defense and momentum-redirecting moves…my memory on all the details is a bit fuzzy. I never got around to committing to it, but I’d love to hear what folks with actual martial arts experience think of it.
Oh, and I learned later that Aikido is Steven Seagal’s m.o. –didn’t exactly raise my opinion of it.
Seagal is 9th dan, but sucks at Aikido by virtue of the fact that he is 6’12” and weighs 400lb. Aikido is quite obviously the coolest martial art, but. . . Most aikido practitioners could not throw strike that would harm anything larger than fly. Go to youtube and you can see bad Aikido all day. Aikido is criticized by a lot of the competitive folks, like the Jiujitsu folks, or the strikers, like the karate folks, but they merely fail to grasp the idea that Aikido is a martial art and not a fighting style. Aikido will not make… Read more »
All martial arts are bullshit for making you a good fighter. It’s exercise and being in shape will generally help your odds in a fighting situation. But all those strikes and throws aren’t going to be worth a damn when someone guy who’s drunk beyond feeling pain starts beating your ass with a bike chain.
I know this is generally true. Bar fights don’t go down like organized sparring matches. However, I know a couple of guys who can throw a bone-breaking kick in less time than it takes to blink.
Shime Waza is the answer.
Their is always a way.
That’s right, which is why I’m gonna make it a point to never be in that situation.
Belbo, you seem like one of the Aikidoka with a clue.
@HoChunk Aikido at best is barely functional and at worst a pointless waste of time if you’re looking to learn how to defend yourself. It has too many problems fundamentally to be effective. In my hometown there was a place that taught a grab bag of Japanese martial arts. They taught Karate, Judo, Kyudo, Iaijustsu, Kendo, Naginata, and Aikido. It was non profit oriented. It was started by several Japanese immigrants so they could have a place to teach and learn. I lived in a military town, so there was a smallish community of Japanese who had married American military… Read more »
Where to start… Sparring is overrated. For one most of the time it’s sparring with too many rules. In my art, you slowly digress to sparing when you are ready. Which means when you are closer to being a black belt and have control. You look at sparring in most places and the students are halfassing the technique to get a hit. You go slow and you learn the technique. If you are sparring and you are using crazy arm locks and bars, chances are someone will get hurt. As far as cultness. All arts have it, especially MMA folks… Read more »
“Where to start… Sparring is overrated. For one most of the time it’s sparring with too many rules. In my art, you slowly digress to sparing when you are ready. Which means when you are closer to being a black belt and have control. You look at sparring in most places and the students are halfassing the technique to get a hit. You go slow and you learn the technique. If you are sparring and you are using crazy arm locks and bars, chances are someone will get hurt.” There are some things here I might nitpick, but I’d rather… Read more »
Lemme drop my 45 cents in the bucket and talk to both of you about sparring. Sparring is good/teaches good skills, but it does a lot of bad, too. If you are sparring to practice your timing, your deception, your flow, that is good. If you are just tagging each other for the sake of tagging each other, then you are wasting your time. I study shorin-ryu in conjunction with aikido, and for most of my time in the karate dojo, we do not spar. My friends and I spar before and after each session, but we spend most of… Read more »
@Belbo
First, I appreciate how you responded, considering how harsh I was with Aikido. Others would have taken it more personally.
Second, my whole point was that sparring helps refine and develop techniques . As you said, it’s a tool, not a goal.
I’ve seen too many idiots beat each other in the head pointlessly.
Puulaahi, after re-reading most post, it sounds a little more condescending than I meant it to be.
I’m not trying to talk to you like you don’t know shit.
@sambo
It’s because Aikido brings about complete spiritual harmony and enlightenment.
But seriously, I enjoy talking about the martial arts. I don’t think there is anything wrong with the cuddly fluffy Aikido dojos, because it still develops centering and Tai-sabaki. I think what is worse are the instructors who teach suicidal “self-defense” garbage, martial arts dojos for children, and martial arts dojos that sell belts/weapons/trophies – some even require training contracts! The arts have a bad rep because of all the bullshit out there.
Very true. All the crappy black belt factories and dollar chasing instructors are a shame.
I got that even through the condescending tone thanks. I am so addicted to my martial art. This is the only legit dojo that I have ever found. My instructor makes no money and the dojo barely gets by money wise. We are all there to get better through dropping blood, sweat and pushing through all too common injuries from training so hard. The more I train, the more I find that the art is all about being water. In Bujinkan Ninjutsu we are taught to have no form at all. Instead to react to the enemy defensively and move… Read more »
That’s a nice dress he’s wearing
That’s pretty much the first joke everyone makes about Aikido.
While were on the subject of the obvious jokes people make about Martial Arts, here are the most common ones I hear:
Karate/Judo: “lol they’re wearing Pajamas!”
Kung Fu: “Lol they’re wearing silk Pajamas!”
Aikido: “Lol dresses!!’
Grappling of any sort: ” GAY JOKE GAY JOKE GAY JOKE GAY JOKE!!”
Nobody makes jokes about Silat guys. Silat guys are always armed and have that crazy look in their eyes. Maybe that has something to do with it.
Sumo. “Lol thongs!!’
Aikido always looks like the guy having his own weight used against him needs to be in on the move at least a bit. I really don’t see it ever going down in a real fight the way its portrayed.
there’s a lot more hitting the guy in the face/balls/throat.
Wow…I was seriously expecting either crickets or twenty back ‘n forth posts of “no YOU suck!!!” Thank you, everyone, for the informed & sober discussion on the subject and sambo78, especially, for such a comprehensive overview as well as some very trenchant insights. Much appreciated. 😀 One footnote on the suggestion to just carry around some sort of weapon instead. I live in New York City, where getting accosted & searched by cops on the streets & subways is rare but not unheard of. The Catch-22, of course, is that if they discover a weapon on you*, you’re spending at… Read more »