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Old 02-20-2001, 05:22 AM   #14
ian
 
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Dojo: University of Ulster, Coleriane
Location: Northern Ireland
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,654
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Cool

Ueshiba was also a jack of all trades, though he concentrated on what he thought was effective (though he still used very powerful strikes). Admittedly most of the poeple that attacked him were martial artists, but that doesn't mean aikido is not useful for street fights.

I do agree that training in a martial art doesn't necessarily make you better able to defend yourself - alot of it is about attitude and confidence.

However, the way that aikido techniques are designed is to cover 'attack types'. i.e. not many people strike you with a yokomen or shomen uchi, but they will attack you with a roundhouse punch or a overhead strike with a bottle. The attack types simulate all potential attack types (we often used to have a session where we would do more 'realistic' attacks, to show how they relate to the formal attacks).

Also, I think it makes it more difficult with less commited attacks. However these attacks tend to be weaker and of less consequence and don't stop you doing a technique.

However Dan, [in this new era on aikiweb of constructive responses] I think you do draw an important point to the foreground - training in a martial art will not make you into a superman.

Ian

P.S. aikido has helped me in very real situations; maybe I could of defended myself with another martial art or sport (e.g. boxing) or natural reactions; however I doubt if I would have had such a success with damage limitation.
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