what else do you do?

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[shadow]

just wondering what everyone else out there trains in? Any other weapons? Other styles/arts?

Anyone train anything really strange, like one of those crazy kung-fu weapons?

I only train aikido, but i am interested in kyudo, and of course iaido, kendo, and various other sword styles (anyone know what they are? Im very interested in training another sword style....in due time, what is there besides what i mentioned?), jodo, I would also love to learn the yari or naginata (good exersizes in ma'ai i think?) plus anything i can find really.......when the time comes.

[JJF]

Aiki-toho (aikido-related iaido style created by Shoji Nishio Shihan). We're not required , but very much incouraged to practice this in our dojo.
Used to do: karate, kendo and 'standard' iaido.

[Sid]

In addition to my aikido, I do Western fencing(i suppose it is a sword art - very VERY irimi-ish), Shaa-lin sword and the Tai Chi Sword forms.

Sid

[Brian Vickery]

Originally posted by shadow
just wondering what everyone else out there trains in? Any other weapons? Other styles/arts?.

...Besides aikido, I also train in Shinkendo. It's a style of Japanese swordsmanship developed by Toshishiro Obata. It incorporates 5 different areas of sword training: Suburi (sword swining drills); Tanrengata (solo forms); Battoho (combative drawing &cutting methods); Tachiuchi (sparring); Tameshigiri (cutting straw & bamboo targets with a live blade).

For more info you can go to: www.shinkendo.com

Shinkendo is an incredible art! It really drives home the need for proper ma-ai, timing, body mechanics, tai sabaki!

Regards,

[Anne]

As JJF, I too train in Aiki-Toho Iai. And I do some boxing. Especially after a really bad day, I like to turn the music really loud, put on my gloves and start to punch.... It helps a lot ... :D

Occasionally we have TajiDao/Push Hands seminars which are also very interesting because obviously two different systems can come up with similar techniques because ofhaving the same philosophical approach to MA.

Anne

[Chuck Clark]

Many of the students in our dojo (the Jiyushinkan) train in Shinto Muso Ryu Jo. I think this is one of the best companion arts to aikido practice.

For more info on Shinto Muso Ryu Jo look on our web site.

Regards,

[L. Camejo]

Originally posted by shadow
just wondering what everyone else out there trains in? Any other weapons? Other styles/arts?

Anyone train anything really strange, like one of those crazy kung-fu weapons?

I only train aikido, but i am interested in kyudo, and of course iaido, kendo, and various other sword styles (anyone know what they are? Im very interested in training another sword style....in due time, what is there besides what i mentioned?), jodo, I would also love to learn the yari or naginata (good exersizes in ma'ai i think?) plus anything i can find really.......when the time comes.

Just to add to the list - I practice primarily Shodokan Aikido, which has a historical and technical link to Judo via Tomiki Shihan, so I also do some Judo. Many of my students are teachers of other styles so I've also done some limited training in Karate, Tae Kwon Do and Tai Chi.

I also have this insane love affair with my sword and jo - always doing suburi and kumijo :D

[AskanisoN]

Originally posted by shadow
just wondering what everyone else out there trains in? Any other weapons? Other styles/arts?

Hi,

I've been training in Aikido for about seven months now and its turned me on to the possibility of practicing other Japanese martial arts. I have been interested in trying Kyudo for some time now. Kyudo seems like something I'd realy like to do, as I enjoy archery in general. Unfortunately time, money, and the lack of a place to train anywhere near where I live hasn't helped me out any.

If anyone does know of a place that teaches Kyudo near Birmingham, AL or a good website to get more info about Kyudo please let me know.

Thanks,

Scott

[Mares]

I play golf as well, does that count??

But seriously I don't do any other martial arts, Aikido keeps me thinking. I don't really feel I need to do anything just yet, if I'm not careful I'll just get confused and end up with a mish mash of techniques. I think when I master just one technique I might consider doing another martial art, just give me another 50 years or so.

[JJF]

I play golf as well, does that count??Actually I have found myself engaged in a very deep discussion of the similarities between tennis and Judo (without ever doing any of these) so why not golf. (okay - I admit - we were not exactly sober at the time.....)
I think when I master just one technique I might consider doing another martial art, just give me another 50 years or so. Oh brother.... another optimist ;)

[petra]

Well... I used to do aiki-jutsu/selfdefense before I got into aikido. I trained in both for about 2 years but at a certain point I noticed that I got some of the techniques confussed, so I had to choose.
Since Aikido was more of a challenge both mentally (don't think, just feel) and physically (can anybody please explain to me why I can do right handed ukemi on kotegeashi and not left handed? ;)) I focussed on aikido and I haven't regretted it.
I am contemplating some tai chi and if I can find a place where I can learn it I would like to take up shiatsu but so far geographics are not on my side :(.

[Estproph]

I also practice Western saber fencing, and have been doing so for a couple of years all told. I originally took up aikido because I wanted something entirely different as a way of broadening horizons. It was either aikido or kendo, and kendo (from what I saw) in practice is very similar to saber. Along these lines I'd love to try shinkendo but there's no dojo in the DC area to my knowledge.

[MikeE]

I have many years of training in Ryukyu Kempo (now Ryu-Te). I also train in Rickson Gracie IJJA Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. (I find it a great compliment to Aikido--it's alot like Aikido on the ground :) At the Warrior's Cove we also train in a crosstraining style called Shinbudo. Very fun, and uses aspects of many fighting styles, with an emphasis on Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
This unique atmosphere gives me many opportunities to test the effectiveness of my Aikido techniques.

[Jon C Strauss]

Howdy,

I did Kung Fu and Ba Gua Cheng for a year or two.

I currently do Sindo Muso Ryu (jodo).

I also cross train in different styles of Aikido as often as possible.

Peace,
JCS
RMKS at CSU

[Aikilove]

I have studied ju jutsu for some years befor Aikido and kenjutsu - katori shinto ryu and kashima ryu. Great fun during a fight (kind of free sparring with bokken and gloves (optional) to suddenly switch and go in close, pull off a kokkyu nage with the back end of the bokken or with one of my hands. They allways get totaly off guard and it works like a sharm! :D

[gadsmf@aol.com]

Our dojo started runing a taekwondo programme,
as one of our ushi deshi was also a 3rd degree
in TKD. I'm lousy at it but it's great fun and he's a great teacher. Besides, just like everyone should have a mountain bike as well as a road bike, everyone should have a second martial art.

[Kenn]

Originally posted by gadsmf@aol.com
Besides, just like everyone should have a mountain bike as well as a road bike, everyone should have a second martial art.

OK, not going to get into the pros and cons of practicing two martial arts at once. It's been done to death.

I studied Shaolin Kung Fu and Yang Style Tai Chi Chu'an for 3-4 years before I discovered Aikido. I have found that the Tai Chi training really helped my me graps Aikido better than if I had come in with no training whatsoever. From what I know of these and other martial arts...(I love to get online and read alot about the martial arts) Tai Chi and Aikido have very similar philosophies and compliment each other very well.

I believe that these two arts, although perhaps the hardest of all to master, also end up being the "best" in the sense that when, and if, big if, mastered, they can be the most effective of all.

I think this tells a bit why there are many questions on this forum as to the effectiveness of Aikido. I think both Aikido and Tai Chi are arts that take many many many years to master. Therefore, very few have. Thus very few people see the effectiveness of a Tai Chi, or Aikido Master.

damn, I addressed way too many things in this post. Guess I should reply more often instead of ranting once in a while like this.

Peace all,

Kenn

[wdjunai]

I totally agree with Kenn. Art like Tai Chi and Aikido is not a simple thing to master. And these day where people has short attention span and looking for instant gratification, they don't have the patience to master the subtlety of these arts.

A lot of people questions the effectiveness because they just see it from outside. And when they see other harder art with strong movement and breaking boards, it gave them direct feedback to be judged upon. I'm not saying those arts are bad, I had done kyokushin kai and some tkd and enjoyed them all.

Like the saying "beauty are in the eyes of the beholder".

Talking about externel perception, recently I read an article in old aikido journal issue about "chado" or "the way of tea (ceremony)". The article talked about how people don't understand about the significant of it and it said when the chado master is right in the midlle of it and "ki" will be flowing in his body too, you are going to have a hard time to bulge him from his place.

Peace

[BC]

Originally posted by Jon C Strauss

I currently do Sindo Muso Ryu (jodo).

I also cross train in different styles of Aikido as often as possible.

Peace,
JCS
RMKS at CSU

Wow, is there now a SMR dojo in Ft. Collins (I used to live there)? If so, can you tell me where it is? I might not ever have left there or CO years ago if I knew it was there! :D

I practiced Chen style taijiquan for a number of years before starting aikido, and continued both for a while, until I married, moved and started a family and had to give up the taijiquan. I think the two arts can be somewhat complimentary, and plan on practicing taijiquan again sometime in the future when I can manage it.

[Jim ashby]

Hi guys
I used to fence at school and I've dabbled in other MA's but Aikido is too deep to let myself get sidetracked. Anyway it's kept me fascinated for the last eleven years. At our dojo we have attempted to develop a new martial art called Alkido. It's practised in pubs but when we've worked out the techniques nobody can remember them the next day!
Have fun.