matty_mojo911

This is one of the few threads I've really read for a long time.

As for the original discussions, as it has diverged in the last few comments, realism etc is much under debate. I have a big issue with any teacher who talks about "on the street...." and discusses "realism" unless they have some real knowledge of it, harsh maybe. So many martial arts for so many years have been taught by people, who've been taught by people who just don't know what they are talking about.

However, this can be overcome, to a certain extent, if techniques are tested to the best of your ability in the dojo. BJJ is a classic for this, you don't fight each other, but you constantly test techniques against a resisitng opponent (within certain boundaries). This very, very quickly leads to both a refinement, and understanding of what "works" and variations, upon variations, to make techniques work on a resisitng opponent.

The problem with many Aikido instructors is that in the dojo they do not test a technique on a resisitng opponent constantly, so the refinement of the art is ultimately (despite what many think) less a refinement of a martial art, but more a refinement of an actual art.

In itself there is nothing wrong with this just that many teachers can't distinguish between the two. All martial arts are "self indulgent" as long as we are aware of it and when we teach we can say "hey, this technique isn't something I'd recommend on the street, but it is a nice variation." Nothing wrong with this at all, an art should be challenging, changing, and developing.

As for the recent discussions around how Aikido came about etc...people constantly forget that O'Sensei was much, much more religious orientated than martial orientated. He was deeply religious/spiritual, it is my opinion that this was the major factor in the creation of Aikido. People seem to forget this and just seem to assume it was a conglomerate of his prior arts, which of course it was, but it was driven primarily by his spirituality. This means many things as to why, how the art came about, but it should always be forefront in your mind when asking questions about Aikidos origins.