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Old 02-09-2005, 01:16 PM   #1
Beau
Location: Tallahassee, Fl
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 16
United_States
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Training and Learning

There have been so many posts on the effectiveness of aikido in combat situations. People have written numerous times about how they are unhappy with their aikido "training" and believe that it is not a proper preparation for fighting.

Here I think it is important to distinguish between the concepts of learning and training. When you go to your dojo, chances are you spend most of your time learning. You will be showed intricate techniques and principles inherent to the art. The training part, I have always believed is almost completely up to the practitioner. There are many people practicing aikido for tons of different reasons. Some people want to practice for the exercise, some for the beauty of the art, some to get out of the house a few nights a week, and some to be great martial artists. I don't think that there is any question that the effectiveness of a martial art comes down to its practitioner, not the art. I see so often, people recommending going to different arts to people that want an effective method of self defense. I don't understand this reasoning. The "moves" in aikido are no different than in any other art. There are only so many ways that you can hit, bend, or break a person. The difference comes down to intent in training. I guarantee that nine times out of ten a person that has rigorously studied tai chi in the hopes of becoming a great fighter will defeat a krav maga practitioner that studies only for a diversion two nights a week.

Class time is exactly that, it is up to the instructor to decide what techniques that they want to teach that night. Allow them to show you, be patient and diligent. Slow and deliberate practice is what allows us to learn and refine our techniques. Then (with sensei's permission of course) arrange other "open" practices where as practitioners get more advanced they can open up more and more. One training method that I personally have dabbled with quite often is having uke use soft padded gloves (kinda like the ones they wear in UFC). Work up speed in power until uke can really come at you. (Note that this is not sparring. There is still a very definitive line between uke and nage) The development on both ends is great, nage gets to feel and see hard, speedy attacks that can really hurt when they connect, and uke gets to feel what it is like to throw real attacks. I know that a lot of people would say that this type of training is too dangerous, but that is the point for those that would like to practice a bit more rigorously.

It has been said many times that if someone wants to learn how to fight then aikido is not the art for them. I find this statement very rash. If someone wants to fight, then what better art and group of people to surround them with than aikidoka. Isn't that our job as aikidoka to lead by example, and to introduce love and compassion into the hearts of the aggressive? When I found my interest in martial arts, I wanted to learn how to fight…period. In no time at all by being immersed in the spiritual side of aikido, those urges faded. Yes, I still wanted to be strong enough to defend those I love as well as myself, but the need to just be able to beat people up was gone.

No, there is no competition with others in Ueshiba's aikido, but damned if there isn't a ton of it with yourself, and that opponent never goes away. If you go to sleep a better person that you were when you woke up, you won, if not, you have lost.

Just a little rant, Whew I feel better now
Beau-san
FSU Aikido
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