View Single Post
Old 01-26-2007, 08:24 PM   #13
Michael Varin
Dojo: Aikido of Fresno
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 567
United_States
Offline
Re: aikido vs muay thai sparring video

This was obviously very light contact, which is fine. You can learn a lot from that type of sparring, as long as you understand where it fits.
Quote:
Larry Camejo wrote:
Imho that vid cheapened both styles a bit.
At first I totally disagreed with this statement, but I thought about it, and you're probably correct. It doesn't show what either art is really good at. . . but learning how to NOT do something is quite beneficial.
Quote:
Thomas Harris wrote:
Aikidoka should stick with aikido tactics.
In general, based on my own experiences, Aikido doesn't lend itself well to sparring. We practice for solid, committed attacks with intent to KO, not the feinting and jabbing of a sparrer.
I think the Aikido guy was falling into that trap towards the end, with predictable results, definitely falling into the Muay Thai guy's game.
This is one of my pet issues. Aikido doesn't lend itself well to sparring, because the techniques have a low relevance in those situations. They are simply out of context. Give the aikido guy a bokken and watch how the two arts match up. Suddenly the muay thai guy would be compelled to play a different game.

If weapons aren't present the techniques of aikido can't shine. They come from a culture where weapons, particularly edged weapons, were always carried. If I have a sword, drawn or not, kickboxing techniques are silly. If you feint you will end up just as dead as you would if you commit to a one punch KO, so you might as well commit.

Physical conflict extends far beyond one-on-one emptyhand, and we should try to force a square peg into a round hole.
Quote:
Michael Fooks wrote:
Quote:
John Riggs wrote:
Not a lot of aiki-he did get off one kotegaeshi type move. Not a lot of blending, keeping a good ma-ai, or getting off line. He would have fared better if he watched the Fabio Brunno videos on YouTube for kick defenses. He definitely missed a lot of controlling opportunities. Interesting none the less.
Is it possible that alot of the stuff you've identifified is simply much much more difficult in a less controlled situation?
Definitely possible!

Michael
  Reply With Quote