xuzen

Hey guys,

The last two posts got exciting (Larry's and Stefan's) and tempted me to post a reply.

As for me; at this moment, my aikido training only allows me to 'not lose' an altercation if I maintain my surprise element. My training does not gear me for a slug-it-out type of confrontation. It teaches me to be mentally be prepared, to maintain a certain decorum which keeps all my openings closed to the would be attacker. Maybe it has to be my posture, my demeanour... something non-physical that says... "Keep out, vicious dog inside".

Funny enough, after years of of being an aikido student, I never actually have to use it physically. But using aikido verbally and psychologically I've got plenty of exercise as I work in the service industry. Calming irate customers is my specialty and lessons learned in aikido helped me greatly.

The closest physical altercation I have the opportunity to encounter was once when I had to confront a suspected shop-lifter. He tried to be funny, trying to distract me, using verbal abuses and threats to throw me off course. All I remember was ignoring his verbal threats and abuse and just focused on his body movement... quite akin the aiki-ken exercise we do in the normal dojo environment, i.e., ignore opponent's bokken and focused on body movement.

At last, after creating quite a scene, the would be shop-lifter backed down and walked off. Looking back... I think it must be my very alert demeanour and not offering any opening that forced him to back off.

I would like to believe that the above serves to illustrate what Larry C. said with regards to aikido being used to end confrontation or maybe to maintain harmony even in confrontation as oppose to "starting a fight".

Boon.