Aikido

Hi there,

I've recently decided to pratice Aikido (it was a long time since I check which MA I will prefer). I've seen different courses and it seems that Aikido is a good MA only when :

1. The fighters are running to attaxh you 2. The fighters don't use their legs against you (I didn't see one Aiki movement against a low kick for example or even high kick)

Is that right ?

Aikido is purely defensive in that it *does* require someone to attack though they don't have to be charging at you. In fact, one of the problems in demonstrating techniques on beginners is that they often stop attacking as soon as they feel a technique being applied, thereby making it difficult if not impossible to execute it properly. This just needs to be explained carefully and the hesitation gets less as confidence in breakfalling improves. (Of course, once the attacker's balance has been taken and the technique is being applied, aikido becomes aggressive).

Anyone daft enough to throw a high kick in a fight deserves what they get - avoid and move in to take their balance, or, if possible grab the foot and treat it as you would a hand - not nice!

Low kicking (knee height, perhaps groin) is tricky. Done properly you won't see it coming. Be aware of the risk and keep your distance. Keep moving, make sure your attacker comes to you, and don't get into a boxing distance stand-off.

Hope this helps.

Enjoy your training.

Best wishes,

Roger Taylor

just try it and see. My style and sensei teach differently. He teaches ways to effectivly use aikido against more steady and mindful attackers and also how to use it very effectively against kicks. This is not the case with all styles/sensei so you have to try it and ask those questions. Maybe not the first class, but go for a few classes then ask. If the sensei takes offense to the questions or is unable to answer them, then you might want to move on to a different school or style. It will work against those situations though.

You can also force an attack/block with something as simple as an atemi to the face.

This is NOT the case in aikido you can attack someone with an atemi in order to elicit a response, for example if you are facing down an opponent you can atemi to the face causing a block, the block is then used as point of contact to enter into a throw or other maneuver, as long as you are trying to minimise damage to both participants it is still aikido.

This is why I say aikido is not a reactive but a pro-active art.

As has been said before, this is not really true. If there is no attack, there can be no aikido, the operative word being 'attack', but an attack does not have to be physical, just capturing one's intent to attack and diffusing it is also using aikido. Kicking at an aikidoist will probably land you on your head, and if they are foolish enough to come in to where you will low kick them, well...

Aikido, as in any martial art is as effective as you make it, and make sure your sensei is teaching a street effective aikido. Aikido may appear to be a purely defensive art, and that may or may not be true according to your perspective, but what aikido does is 'return things to a state of harmony' and if harmony is restored by moving in and taking the opponent down, so be it.