Keith R Lee

Well, I definitely think it brings something. A few things actually. First and foremost, I've already got years of training under my belt, even if it's of a completely different variety. It just translates into me being comfortable and confident in basic body mechanics, movement, etc. that new guys have to learn, just like any martial art.

I'd also say my Aikido/budo training has given me more discipline and patience then both new and regular students. In budo you are told, right from the get go, that it is a long path and one that does not end. There is a much greater awareness that it is a pursuit of a lifetime, whereas I wonder how many of the guys I'm training with at the SBG will be there in a year. Which is funny because the coach very much has a life-long mindset. He'll talk about wanting to still be able to box when he's 55, playing it smart, careful, and conservative. However, that mindset is never really explained/transferred to the students.

On a purely technical level I will say that one thing I feel I have over everyone there, except for the top 3-4 guys who have been training BJJ for years, is ukemi. But not in the traditional sense. When I was uchi deshi, I remember one of the biggest things that developed/changed for me was my ukemi. Sure, I grew sharper and more technical in my application of techniques, but where I feel that I grew/developed the most was in my ukemi skills. Not just in the pure rote, mechanical sense, but in terms of a sensitivity and openness to my partner. Particularly because I was uke fro my sensei every class and he had the habit of changing technique in mid-movement, just to see if I was on my toes. Really good ukemi, IMO, is marked by a sort of hyper-awareness and intuitive-anticipation of what your partner is about to do. It's a high level of sensitivity that can't just be explained, it has to be learned over a long time. Now it's not the type where someone touches you and then you just auto-uke, but a real connection between shite and uke.

This helps me a TON in grappling/MMA. By having this type of sensitivity towards my partner, I'm able to react to their movements very quickly, or even anticipate their movements and try to move ahead of them. It's a skill that is eventually developed in grappling I think, but one that just sort of happens on its own. In my experience (admittedly limited) grappling people don't talk about it, yet all high level practitioners have it. It's the sort of thing that is just expected to develop over time, if the person is good enough and dedicated enough. Honestly, I wonder if a lot of them even know what it is they are doing. They might see it as a natural offshoot of their development in grappling, whereas I see it as a different, specific skill set all together. I think it is a big advantage that Aikido in particular, and Judo to some extent, have over other martial arts. I don't think someone coming to BJJ/MMA/grappling from something like Karate is going to have this same ukemi-based skill set.

The longer I stay with competitive, sport based martial arts, the more I look at them and my Aikido/budo training and feel as though both are incomplete, for me at least. I need the competition, aggressiveness, and ability to test my techniques in a "live" environment that the sports provide. Yet, I also desire the cultivation of self, focus, and mindset that budo provides. It's a dissonance that I am unable to reconcile at this point. I'll just keep training and hope it works itself out someday.