kocakb

I was yesterday at the bank to pay the monthly training fee, the conversation between me and the official was exactly like that;
- "Hi, would like to pay xxx Turkish Lira to this account number. Could you please write -Aikido June Fee- to the explaination part"
- "June fee" to the explaination, OK anything else
- "Aikido June fee", and nothing else thanks...

yes, as you guess, she did not write aikido, only "June Fee"...It seems, she never heard about it...

as Peter said, it is what it is but sometimes we are in situations and need to explain when they ask what it is. You can not always walk away...The common conversation is like (P=public, A=aikidoka)

P is aikido like judo
A at one part yes
P do you have kicks,
A not so much
P I saw on the TV, guys are grabing on hand, but the other one falls down. This can't be so easy,
A but it is true
P I don't think it works, no kicks..who would grab your hand at a street fight...it is a little "light"!!!
P OK imagine a guy is attacking you like that what do would you do,
P show me some techniques
P when I start to train, what will I learn first ?
A 1-2 weeks only falling correctly
P falling!!! when I fall down, I stand up!!!
P How long do I have to train to learn it
A a life time
P puhhh, I would prefer Boxing, in 6 months I would learn everything and it is effective also on the street
P do you have competition
A no, none of them would attack first, they would just wait to move their opponent first...and the competition would end with serious injures, therefore we have only demonstration
P ahhh, at Kung Fu (he trained Kung Fu before) It is the same, the kicks would be deathly but we have competition. Have you ever trained at a dark room!!! just listening the voices and defending yourself without seeing...
P I watched Steven Seagal, He kicks and punches and the guys fly away...
A helllppppppppp