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Old 02-23-2006, 03:56 AM   #62
Michael Varin
Dojo: Aikido of Fresno
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 567
United_States
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Re: Why these techniques?

The reason that I asked the initial questions is that I see an increasing number of people adding or adapting techniques from other arts to make aikido "effective." If your view of aikido is that it is only the way of aiki, that it has no distinctive appearance, then there is nothing wrong with this approach. After all, aiki can be applied to any situation. All you would be doing then is explicitly stating what any high level practitioner of most arts is seeking to attain. Anyone who saw Roy Jones Jr. in his prime would have to say he had true mastery of aiki.

My original questions were about the techniques of aikido. Why do they exist? What was their intended use? Why spend so much time training them only to eschew them for kickboxing and grappling methods?

Speaking of jujutsu as an empty-hand system, if you watch recent UFC programs you will notice that that stand-up striking and ground-and-pound are the most efficient and effective methods. While a particular style of jujutsu educated people about the realities of one-on-one empty-hand fighting, it no longer dominates; not even close. What is the purpose of the techniques if they are merely an annoyance that the savvy fighter has to learn to defend against?

If a possibility existed that one of the fighters could pull out a knife do you think the savvy fighter would continue to view ground-and-pound as a wise strategy?

How does the presence of a weapon shape a system? Attacking with it, defending against one, taking one away, trying to keep yours, struggling over one. If a system considers the presence of a weapon, is it a weapon based system?

I used to practice kickboxing. It does not consider weapons. You learn blocks and covers that would lead to serious injury against a knife or club and certainly be fatal against a sword. Aikido has no blocks. Why use aikido's sword stance if the 45 degree stance is proven to generate more power and provide greater access to your weapons (hands/feet)?

By the way, there is nothing wrong with learning kickboxing and grappling. They are valuable skills to have.

Dirk,

Thanks for the post. I'd like to point out that the techniques of judo don't have to harm your opponent, and are probably safer (for them) than aikido's techniques.

Michael
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