Thread: No defence?
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Old 07-23-2012, 01:30 PM   #34
Sasha Mrkailo
Dojo: Aikido Sombor
Location: Sombor
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 14
Serbia
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Re: No defence?

For what its worth, I had a situation a couple of nights ago. A drunk person was kind of intimidating toward my group of friends. When I asked him to move away he did so, but some buddy of this guy was acting as his backup muscle and closed up to my face. I felt a wave of aggression coming from him, not from his words of or anything, yet his approach instantly fired a red alarm in my head. No way I could know if he had weapons or was preparing a sneak attack. Without any conscious thought about it I pushed him instantly away from me, at full power. He was a strong guy and didn't fall down, but he was pushed for a couple of meters away from me. He reconsidered his approach, and withdraw immediately.

The point of this story? If there is aggression in the air, and he is in your space he is already attacking you. It's a dangerous place to be in.

Honestly, I am glad I didn't hurt him. Yet I think, in retrospection, I've could managed to completely avoid this confrontation. I guess this would be the real aikido.

Aikido as a martial art did not fail me. In mu view, aikido is a martial art in the first place, and this is how I approach my training. Yes, it strives to transcend violence, but it's hard, if not impossible to learn inner meaning of aikido if the martial element of it is not understood or if it cant be applied in thorny situations. If it is just about mumbo jumbo, peace harmonizing bunnies, you loose both the martial element and the deeper meaning of aikido.

Chop wood, carry water before enlightenment. Chop wood carry water after the enlightenment.
Practice martial art before enlightenment, practice martial art after the enlightenment.
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