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Old 02-25-2012, 06:43 AM   #6
Dave de Vos
 
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Dojo: Shoryukai, Breda (aikikai) & Aiki-Budocentrum Breda (yoseikan)
Location: Baarle-Nassau
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 348
Netherlands
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Re: My thoughts on competition vs Non-competioin

I think it would be really difficult to construct a good rule system for aikido competition.

If such a rule system dispenses with strict safety measures, I expect aikido competition to result in injuries all the time, like dislocated shoulders, sprained wrists, elbows, broken noses, fingers, ribs. But if we do implement strict safety measures in competition, it could result in many aikido techniques to be banned in competition.

Another thing, to give competitors an incentive to attack their opponent, one would have to award points for succesful attacks (strikes and kicks? grabs too?), not only for succesful defense (throws and pins? evasions too?). But that would probably result in many competitors training for attack rather than defense (because it suits them better), becoming more like MMA fighters than aikidoka.

Would competitive aikido still be recognizable as aikido, or would it be more like MMA competition? What would be the difference between MMA and aikido competiton rules?

Last edited by Dave de Vos : 02-25-2012 at 06:57 AM.
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