"Throwing Their Weight Around"

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Posted 2008-04-14 11:50:20 by Jun Akiyama
News URL: http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=190975

This story entitled "Throwing Their Weight Around" (http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=190975) describes Jack Simpson's aikido dojo in western Maryland. From the article:

[Aikido] is favored by law enforcement and people who can't fall back on strength or speed. It's more subtle than other martial arts, where the initial response is to kick or punch.

"The problem with that is that, while it's effective, you've always got to be faster or stronger than whoever you're in an encounter with," Simpson said. "With aikido, it doesn't matter if they're stronger, because you're using that strength against them."

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[Paul Sanderson-Cimino]

"With aikido, it doesn't matter if they're stronger, because you're using that strength against them."

Small quibble here. I realize this is being said to try to describe aikido in simple, familiar terms and slogans, but I still find it ... quibble-worthy.

I remember a top-notch aikido sensei being asked over dinner, "Do you think strength matters in aikido?" He looked back and said plainly that in any sort of match-up, the stronger person has an advantage. On other occassions, I've heard he remarked that the amount of skill it takes to make up for even a moderate strength difference is actually quite substantial.

Personally, I think he's right on. Less strength limits your options, and demands more of your technique. There's a reason for weight divisions.

While the statement that "because you use their strength against them, strength doesn't matter [if you have great technique]" is perhaps technically true, I think it's kind of misleading.

[Chris Parkerson]

Small quibble here. Less strength limits your options, and demands more of your technique. There's a reason for weight divisions.

While the statement that "because you use their strength against them, strength doesn't matter [if you have great technique]" is perhaps technically true, I think it's kind of misleading.

I think you are right on. That is why us old samurai who have desk jobs just do not like sharing our key strategies and secret techniques to the aggressive young, strong, fast up-and-comings. They may do us in and take our allottm,ent of rice.

[Paul Sanderson-Cimino]

I think you are right on. That is why us old samurai who have desk jobs just do not like sharing our key strategies and secret techniques to the aggressive young, strong, fast up-and-comings. They may do us in and take our allottm,ent of rice.

I knew it! ;)

[Michael Douglas]

In my opinion being very very strong gives more benefit to aikido than it does to boxing, groundwork, kicking techniques and such.
Ueshiba said himself that as a young man he could lift 1200lb. Maybe he wasn't kidding.