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Old 03-01-2011, 08:40 AM   #4
Tony Wagstaffe
Location: Winchester
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,211
United Kingdom
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Re: Aikido, Martial Arts & Sparring

Quote:
Michael Varin wrote: View Post
There have been several interesting and important threads going recently.

I'm starting this thread in order to have a more comprehensive discussion. Hopefully, it doesn't prove to be unmanageable due to the size of the topic.

A few questions to get us started:

1. Is aikido a martial art?

2. If aikido is a martial art, why would it lack a sparring practice?
Can/should any of these reasons be overcome?

3. Assuming you will not be entering combat, can you realistically expect to reach the upper echelons of a martial art without sparring?
If possible, what does this process entail?

4. What does sparring look like in aikido?
How is it different from jiyuwaza?
What would be the ideal aikido sparring practice?

5. Is the presence of/reliance on weapons a factor in any of the above questions?
Shodokan?
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