Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
I did a forum search and as I didn't see anything recent that was similar (at least in its scope), I'm hoping that any Aikidoka out there who are currently cross training in other martial arts could be so kind as to take the time to answer a few questions for me - I'd really like to get a sense of what people are doing, how and why:
1) How long have you been practicing Aikido? 2) What is/are the name(s) of the other art(s) you are currently practicing? 3) How long have you been practicing the other art(s) concurrent with your training in Aikido? 4) What ratio of time do you devote to each art (ie. how many days a week are spent practicing Aikido, how many days in the other art(s)?) 5) Is the focus/goal of your cross training: a) to complement your practice of Aikido b) to broaden your knowledge/overall skill as a martial artist in general or c) other (if so, what?) 6) If you believe that the current art(s) you are cross training in is/are benefiting or complementing your practice of Aikido, could you please describe how? 7) Can you think of any ways that your current cross training may actually be detrimental to your practice of Aikido and if so, please describe how. Thanks in advance for your time! |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1. 12 Years give or take.
2. Silat and Arnis. 3. 2 and less than 1. 4. Formal practice. Silat:arnis:aikido 1:1:4 5. Learning something new opened my eyes. Silat was an opportunity for me given the teacher's reluctance to teach for years. I was his first student in the last 2 decades. At that point, I had deficient ability in Aikido to defend myself against a solid silat exponent. Practice in it showed me aspects of Aikido I never before realised. Its kind of like, you inherited something and overlook its meaning and function. Takes a fresh perspective to give you a better understanding. Arnis I just did to improve weapon knowledge against knives and fast strikers. We rarely do this in Aikido classes where one usually over commits on his strikes. In arnis, with multiple rapid strikes and weaves, it will help with reflex, pattern analysis and confidence. Kuzushi, maai and etc is already there in Aikido and helps tremendously with Arnis. 7. These arts have different intents behind them. In silat and arnis, there's no mercy. When you're training for Aiki, you have to open yourself. In silat and arnis, your focus is to come out on top. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum. |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1) Two years. Plus a stint when I was a youngster.
2) Iaido & Kyudo. 3) About six months Iaido, one month Kyudo. 4) Two - four days a week Aikido. One day a week Iaido. Kyudo once every other week. 5) All of the above. I find Iai to be complimentary to my Aikido, but I train in it mainly for itself. 6) The posture and cutting requirements of Iaido (along with moving with/from your centre) help most aspects of Aikido for me. I'm also working on getting some kind of zanshin down in Aikido (but failing!). 7) I've been told that I'm doing 'Iaido' cuts when using a bokken, instead of what is supposed to be done (too much intention to slice uke in two, I suppose...). Otherwise there's been very little detriment. I haven't done enough Kyudo to make any informed opinions regarding its effect. |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1) Eight years.
2) Currently Judo, formerly BJJ and some kickboxing. 3) Four months (in Judo), BJJ in and out since 2005. 4) I try to keep the same ratio in mat hours. 5) To have fun. 6) Putting the eyes back in the dragon. 7) Don't think so. |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1. About seven years in total (with an seven year break in between)
2. Gao Style Baguazhang 3. Three years 4. four days Bagua 2 days Aikido in a week 5. To train internal power and structure. Also being Chinese and living in HK, it won't do for me to purely train a Japanese martial art when there is so much on offer here. It's like going to Paris and only eating McDonalds. 6. Much broader range of attacks / kicks / throws. The footwork and movement is also much more complex 7. Most of the stuff carries over, although some of the qinna (grappling) may be more dangerous than the aikido. Perhaps there is less of an emphasis on "peace" and relaxation |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1) How long have you been practicing Aikido?
Three years 2) What is/are the name(s) of the other art(s) you are currently practicing? Carlson Gracie BBJ just started 3) How long have you been practicing the other art(s) concurrent with your training in Aikido? 1 week :0) 4) What ratio of time do you devote to each art (ie. how many days a week are spent practicing Aikido, how many days in the other art(s)?) 3 Aikido 1 BBJ 5) Is the focus/goal of your cross training: a) to complement your practice of Aikido b) to broaden your knowledge/overall skill as a martial artist in general or c) other (if so, what?) None of the above its to challenge myself 6) If you believe that the current art(s) you are cross training in is/are benefiting or complementing your practice of Aikido, could you please describe how? On the first class in BBJ I learned when to use kokunage..I did not do it to my uke..after all it was a BBJ class not an Aikido class. I also learned that Aikidoka are nearly impossible to clinch with :0) 7) Can you think of any ways that your current cross training may actually be detrimental to your practice of Aikido and if so, please describe how. Nope none at all..I also practiced karate for over 16 years..If I put it all together what have I learned?? Only that I need to learn allot more!! Cheers Peter |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1. 13 years aikido.
2. Hsing-I Chuan 3. Couple of months (previous intermittent dabbles in other arts) 4. Aikido once a week, twice if I'm lucky. Hsing-I once a week. Plus solo practice, which is currently Hsing-I dominated . 5. Primarily to compliment my aikido. Specifically, to give teeth to my aikido so that the potential choice of whether to use more or less destructive techniques is just that - a genuine choice. Of course, I could also fall in love with Hsing-I in its own right - early days. 6. Hsing-I strikes seem, to me, to be more compatible with aikido movement than those of other styles I've looked at. As a Chinese internal art, there's lots of standing practice, which I'm a fan of. 7. Having dipped in and out of tai chi, where I felt there were some stylistic contradictions with aikido, I'm delighted to discover that Hsing-I (so far) seems very compatible indeed. Still gotta learn more grappling, though. Jon. |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
Jon, is it because of the 'irimi' striking aspects and center powered strikes?
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b) Yes c) Because it's fun I love MMA both watching and practicing. I am hoping to find a Systema School near me. Quote:
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William Hazen |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
Hi Ahmad,
Short answer, 'Yes'. Like I say, it's early days (more theory and enthusiasm than proven application), but the 'gaps' in aikido technique where an atemi could fit seem to lend themselves to the 5 basic hsing-i fists without compromising ones flow or posture. You don't so much throw a punch, but move through your opponent with your whole body, fist first. So if your partner/opponent doesn't play ball and respect the ma-ai you're seeking to establish, he can have one of these instead. The 'root', so valued in Chinese internal arts, is more mobile than in tai chi (though, ultimately, perhaps less powerful) which makes it more aikido-friendly. As with your arnis/silat experience, the arts are 'at opposite ends of the spectrum', which is nice. If you give it a try, let me know how you get on. Jon. |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1) How long have you been practicing Aikido?
Almost 4 years now. Or it would be almost 4 years except that I haven't been training lately due to one major change in my life (hint: he's really cute and he can stand up now) 2) What is/are the name(s) of the other art(s) you are currently practicing? Arnis 3) How long have you been practicing the other art(s) concurrent with your training in Aikido? I only started last year 4) What ratio of time do you devote to each art (ie. how many days a week are spent practicing Aikido, how many days in the other art(s)?) See my answer to number 1. 5) Is the focus/goal of your cross training: a) to complement your practice of Aikido b) to broaden your knowledge/overall skill as a martial artist in general or c) other (if so, what?) When I decided to take up Arnis, it was with both a and b in mind. 6) If you believe that the current art(s) you are cross training in is/are benefiting or complementing your practice of Aikido, could you please describe how? A. Because Arnis is a weapons art, it helps as a sort of "reality check" when dealing with weapons. B. Some of the concepts actually overlap. Like the idea of getting out of the line of attack. We also do that in Arnis. 7) Can you think of any ways that your current cross training may actually be detrimental to your practice of Aikido and if so, please describe how. Only that sometimes I get impatient in Aikido practice. Especially when I see my fellow students being too lax because they're no longer afraid of getting hit (because we're all such gentle Aikidoka :rolleyes: ). |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1) 3 years on and off - last six months serious
2) Goju Ryu - 18 years (last 5 training alone) 3) 3 plus in Aikido and Goju 4) 5 days Goju 2 days Aikido 5) I do both arts to broaden my knowledge/overall skill as a martial artist 6) It is benefiting both my Aikido and Goju Ryu. Helps me interpret bankai of Goju. Helps me incorporate Atemi in Aikido. Amazing how things - If I may use a favorite IT Term "seamlessly" fuse. 7) Doubt I have come across anything detrimental. Wonderful thing is how naturally, the mind is able to flow from one art to the other. Ahhmazing. Nice mini survey. |
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Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1) About four months.
2) Taekwondo. 3) About three months. 4) I am taking two or three full-length (1.5-2 hours) aikido classes a week. I get brief taekwondo sessions with my sixth graders (see below) two or three times a week and take one full-length adult class a week. 5) I work at a small charter school for students with learning disabilities and behavioral issues, and taekwondo is what our students get for physical education. I started taekwondo mostly for the purpose of building up relationships with my students, whereas aikido is more of an end unto itself for me. 6) I find that both arts focus heavily on developing flexibility and balance in their practitioners, so they compliment each other quite well in terms of physical conditioning. 7) The only real problem I've discovered so far is that taekwondo cuts into the time I could be spending practicing aikido. If not for taekwondo, I could be getting in another aikido class every week. |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1) How long have you been practicing Aikido?
1 year 2) What is/are the name(s) of the other art(s) you are currently practicing? Bjj, Muay Thai 3) How long have you been practicing the other art(s) concurrent with your training in Aikido? Muay Thai 1 year, BJJ 6 months 4) What ratio of time do you devote to each art (ie. how many days a week are spent practicing Aikido, how many days in the other art(s)?) Aikido-3 days per week, BJJ 5 days per week, Muay Thai 1-2 days per week 5) Is the focus/goal of your cross training: A and B 6) If you believe that the current art(s) you are cross training in is/are benefiting or complementing your practice of Aikido, could you please describe how? My aikido sensei also teaches us Muay thai so he really shows us how Muay thai strikes serve as Atemi for Aikido techniques. Also, Aikido techniques flow very well into bjj and vice-versa 7) Can you think of any ways that your current cross training may actually be detrimental to your practice of Aikido and if so, please describe how. I can't really think of anything. |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1) How long have you been practicing Aikido?
approx 15 years 2) What is/are the name(s) of the other art(s) you are currently practicing? JKD 3) How long have you been practicing the other art(s) concurrent with your training in Aikido? approx 13 years 4) What ratio of time do you devote to each art (ie. how many days a week are spent practicing Aikido, how many days in the other art(s)?) even split 5) Is the focus/goal of your cross training: a) to complement your practice of Aikido no b) to broaden your knowledge/overall skill as a martial artist in general yes c) other (if so, what?) I think it's due to my bi-polar tendencies. Aikido (to me) is the ultimate in defense; JKD is the ultimate in offense 6) If you believe that the current art(s) you are cross training in is/are benefiting or complementing your practice of Aikido, could you please describe how? I think Aikido compliments JKD with some of the footwork and getting comfortable in close range; JKD compliments Aikido with a broader reptoire of atemi. 7) Can you think of any ways that your current cross training may actually be detrimental to your practice of Aikido and if so, please describe how. There is a definite conflict with mindset. However, both seem to agree on the mushin principle. Just my 10 cents (inflation!) |
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Nothing builds a more competent Aikido practice than getting smacked/kicked in the fa
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cross-training in Aikido. Lat year, I was training only a few hours a week, but while surfing I had realized the the importance in be earnest about holistic training. "Where the mind is at" is key to catching a wave that can hurt and the the way to the mind is through the physical (here I'll refer to Bodhidharma's experience when training monks). I hear the cops in Japan cross-train in Judo and Kendo. One observation I have is that a beginner budo-ka will really benefit from focusing on one art and building a physical fitness base. Now, if you do BJJ often you will gain fitness just from class. |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
Say, didn't the Founder of Aikido crosstrain?
Didn't most of his top disciples do so also? Weren't we all admonished to not overlook every opportunity to improve ourselves and our art? That the "aikido" we seek is ours to create? True training is 24/7. What are we wasting our time doing? Nuff said. |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1) 5 yrs
2) Shotokan Karate 3) 4 yrs 4) 3x/week, 2x/week 5) a, b, c (= its interesting, period) 6) They complement each other. Where there is overlap, is it interesting to see the similarities. 7) No. |
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Any additional martial arts that the police school applicants bring with them are highly encouraged. And then, of course, there is the famous 1-year "angry white pajamas" Aikido course at Yoshinkan, which the riot cops have to take. A great business deal for Yoshinkan, may I add. |
Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1) 16 years
2) Arnis (Filipino Martial Arts) 3) Actually started Arnis before Aikido, continued training in it once I started practicing Aikido 4) Aikido 3 days a week, Arnis, 1 day a week 5) a) b) c) To preserve and keep in touch with my Filipino heritage 6) I see more similarities than differences now.. 7) No fundamental incompatibilities.. |
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Re: Crosstraining Aikidoka: A Survey
1) How long have you been practicing Aikido?
7 years 2) What is/are the name(s) of the other art(s) you are currently practicing? Goju Ryu Karate 3) How long have you been practicing the other art(s) concurrent with your training in Aikido? about 6 months 4) What ratio of time do you devote to each art (ie. how many days a week are spent practicing Aikido, how many days in the other art(s)?) Aikido 3-4 times, Karate 1-2 times 5) Is the focus/goal of your cross training: a) to complement your practice of Aikido b) to broaden your knowledge/overall skill as a martial artist in general or c) other (if so, what?) Probably all - I'd like to get my attacks (kicks and punches) a little sharper, I'd like to see some more of what's "out there", but most of all, it's just fun!:) My aikido teacher has been in competitive karate for quite a few years prior to starting aikido and I think you do see it in her attacks... I find them quite impressive. So I think it might help there... 6) If you believe that the current art(s) you are cross training in is/are benefiting or complementing your practice of Aikido, could you please describe how? See above. Especially when we do kicking techniques. I always hated those earlier. Punches, too... They're still a long way from perfect, but training kicking and pnuching for an hour once a week should help!:) 7) Can you think of any ways that your current cross training may actually be detrimental to your practice of Aikido and if so, please describe how. Might be, because they do have different "movement schemes" - in karate, you normally stay quite straight and block (though goju ryu does have some of the circular-moving-out-of-the-way-techniques). But I haven't felt that I brought that into my aikido, I guess I've been training long enough to be able to seperate. I do occasionally have problems in karate because of my "aikido reflexes", but nothing too serious! |
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