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Old 02-17-2006, 04:06 PM   #42
Michael O'Brien
Dojo: Nashville Aikikai
Location: Nashville, Tn
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 288
United_States
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Re: Did Aikido fail you in "real life"?

Quote:
Stanley Archacki wrote:
Fortunately I have not been in a situation where I had to physically defend myself or someone else. Chances are, at some point I will have to.

I object to the phrase "use Aikido", or use any martial art for that matter. A utilitarian ethic should not be applied to Aikido. I train in two martial arts, and I started Aikido more recently. The other art, Modern Arnis, has some similarities in technique that present a challenge for me when training, lest I should conflate the two arts. When I'm on the mat, at this stage in my training, I'm trying to learn the technique exactly as my Sensei or Guro is showing me. However, principles of motion and anatomy I have learned over the years do come out on the mat when I'm not thinking about them.

What I mean is that if I had to defend myself, I wouldn't be "doing Aikido" or "doing Arnis". I would be moving to keep myself safe and eliminate the threat. I might be successful and I might not.

If I was attacked and I ended up just pummeling the attacker with hook punches, would Aikido have failed me? What if I landed a hook punch and the attacker slipped the second. I moved in and performed Irimi Nage Omote, and then pinned him? Did I "half-use Aikido"? Did Aikido "half-work"?

Unlike some others, I primarily practice Aikido for the physical self-defense aspects. I still find my training very valuable all the time, both on and off the mat. If I practice Aikido my whole life and never have to defend myself, I will not feel that I have been wasting my time. There are so many factors in a fight that no amount of training can eliminate chance, or the "fog of war". I hope I never lose in combat, but to me whether I do is not the test of success or failure for my Aikido.
Stanley,
Very interesting concept and something I'll have to consider further and elaborate on more as this conversation develops.

Like you, I have a mixed martial arts background. I have found that Aikido has definitely helped me in my other martial arts with the concepts of moving and closing, avoiding the initial attack as opposed to meeting it with a forceful block, etc.

I also am intrigued by the concept of "half using Aikido" as you put it. In my Tae Kwon Do training our concept of "self-defense" on the street was using whatever was necessary to win. If that meant picking up a garbage can and bashing someone with it then that was fine. LOL However, that seems very un-Aikido-like to say the least.

I'll definitely come back and see what others have to say and post more on this later.

Harmony does not mean that there are no conflicts,
for the dynamic spiral of existence embraces both extremes.
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