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Old 05-27-2012, 05:52 AM   #1
Steve Pilling
Dojo: Aikido Iaido Club
Location: Overseas
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 21
United Kingdom
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switch to yoshinkan or stay with aikikai??

Hi

I have been practising aikido basically in an "aikikai" form for the past year and a half (now at 4th Kyu- "unofficial"-no affiliation).

My dojo in Munich will sadly be closing soon as we donīt have enough members.

So I have an opportunity now to decide how to go forward with my aikido.

It is important to me that the aikido that I am practicing is reasonably effective. No I have no intention of getting into bar fights but aikido just seems to make less sense to me if it is done in less effective form. I donīt see why we cant get other benefits of aikido, e.g. stress reduction, without sacrificing martiality. Donīt get me wrong I donīt think you have to be smashing your uke on the ground all the time at all but my goal (after enough practice) is to have a realistic defence against realistic attacks.

So I am considering whether to try training at a yoshinkan dojo. What will the differences in training be? big difference or not much? What will be likely advantages/disadvantages of going this route. There are also other dojos including aikikai affiliated ones that I am looking at.

Any tips from the more experienced aikidokas?
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