Competition in other Arts . . .

[Please visit our sponsor:]

[Clark314]

Hey all!
I’ve been lurking on this board for a while, but this is my first post. I’ve been doing Aikido for about a year and a half now, and was thinking about getting into another art as well, but am having a bit of trouble. What really drew me to Aikido in the first place was that there were no competitions (I am really not a competitive person at all) but now everything that I’m looking into has at least some focus on competition. Aikido is my only experience with martial arts, and since some of you seem to have quite a bit of experience with other arts, I was hoping that someone could suggest another art that has little or no competition focus. (I was hoping for a weapons art, like kendo.) Thanks a bunch.
Andrew Clark

[Ghost Fox]

By competition do you me tournament competition?

Tai chi chuan doesn't have a lot of tournamentcompetition. I mean some people in tai chi do push-hand competition, but I don't think it is stressed in the art. Some tai chi schools teach tai chi sword, which counts as a weapon.

I don't think Arnis/Escrima has a lot of competition. It is a very confrontational art. By that I mean the training is very face to face, and martial. They focus mainly on self-defense, so I don't think Arnis/Escrima is competition oriented.

I know a few aikidoka who took up Arnis. They say it flows really well with Aikido. The hand movements learned in Arnis helps with lock application. I think when I get my black belt I will look into Arnis/Escrima.


IMHO

[Arianah]

I don't know much about it, but I think Iaido fits that description. My martial arts experience is also limited to Aikido, so maybe someone else could confirm or refute this.

Arianah

[deepsoup]

Originally posted by Clark314
Aikido is my only experience with martial arts, and since some of you seem to have quite a bit of experience with other arts, I was hoping that someone could suggest another art that has little or no competition focus. (I was hoping for a weapons art, like kendo.)

If you're looking for something like Kendo, how about having a go at.... Kendo!

You dont have to be a 'competitive' kind of a person to train in an art that has a element of competition in it, and the existence of tournaments in an art doesn't by any means imply that you have to get involved in them.
(No more than you have to have a burning ambition to win the Tour de France before you can enjoy a ride around the block on a bicycle.)

With the possible exception of certain Judo dojos, even martial arts with a strong accent on 'sport-budo' place little emphasis on competition in their everyday training.

So if you're lucky enough to have a Kendo dojo in your vicinity, why not at least go and check it out? Like checking out any unfamiliar dojo, see if you like the atmosphere, the attitude of the teacher and the students, and try not to pre-judge in advance whether you'll like it or not.

Best of luck.
Sean
x