shizentai

Many Aikido dojos have a major problem with teaching training context, which can create an unsafe environment. When uke blocks nage's path through prescribed kata, nage can get frustrated and power through the kata, injuring either uke, or himself, or both. There's a ton of potential mistaken beliefs in such interactions, such as:

* uke thinking that making nage's life difficult is going to help nage improve technique
* uke thinking that making nage's life difficult is a sign of uke being skilled
* nage thinking that if he can't complete the technique as prescribed, due to uke resisting, then he won't be able to complete it in reality
* both thinking that the technique represents some sort of reality-based interaction the outcome of which matters, therefore one thinks static/stiff resistance is relevant, and the other thinks that powering through resistance is relevant
* both thinking that the movement prescribed for nage, is the only one that should be done from that specific situation/angle/attack
* both thinking that "hard training" in Aikido is of some kind of benefit - either in skill, or in toughness

I've had A LOT of such broken interactions in various dojos, with me being either bad nage or bad uke. That's because I was an idiot.

Aikido practitioners with zero experience in sparring systems, have a warped understanding of what they're doing and with what spirit it is meant to be done.

Although I am now a fan of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and grappling in general, when it comes to Aikido I am really interested in what people like Corky Quackenbush and Dan Harden are doing (even though the two may individually get angry at me for putting them in the same sentence).

Aikido is a study of beneficent intention. There's a strong spiritual element there, teaching one to respond to an abstract idea of an attack with their -whole being-, and without hostile intent, without "conscious processing delay" which impedes perfect blending and creates a spike of resistance. All the martial dressing on the practice is a distraction. Aikido is perfectionist pursuit of certain idealized conflict mechanics in a lab, which, while not directly applicable to self-defense, insidiously improves our ability to deal with everyday conflict and life in general, reprogramming our kneejerk fear response to non-physical attacks into something more evolved and, well... aligned with the Universe.

You running into broken interactions and witnessing injuries is not your fault. It is the fault of the system and how it is being interpreted. Many of these people could use training in a full-contact system so they would understand the difference between Aikido (a Budo) and actual combat systems, which Aikido is not part of. Many of them have a desire to do combat systems but they try to fulfill their needs in Aikido instead, which just screws up training for everybody else.

If there's an Aikido-shaped hole in your heart after all, consider visiting that other dojo. It may offer something different, you may like the atmosphere.

Alternatively, consider Wing Chun near you.