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Old 07-23-2005, 05:46 PM   #48
seank
Location: Victoria
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 132
Australia
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Re: ?? Exaggeration in Aikido ??

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote:
I wonder why the U.S. Army picked MMA and BJJ as the basis for our training versus aikido. We could have chosen any arts. ...our lives depend on the proper training.

Not saying you aren't any good at aikido, nor aikido is not a legitimate art, but as far as realistic, and effectiveness, and rapiditiy of training....well aikido does not measure up..
Hi Kevin,
Isn't that the point? Combat training (and I'm talking for soldiers and not the "combat" purported to be what happens on the street) is all about making the most effective kill in the shortest time with the minimal at hand. I would suggest that Aikido is not necessarily the easiest martial art to learn, and for this reason would be impractical to teach soldiers in the short time they have to learn/practice unarmed combat.

It's not a question of proper training or effectiveness as virtually any Aikido technique can easily maim or kill a person, but I do have to ask whether this is the reason we practice Aikido. I personally don't have much need to kill people in my daily life and I'm certain that I'm not likely to come into a situation where I must resort to unarmed combat because my rifle has run out of ammunition.

I would ask why most armies still teach close-quarters bayonet drills or perform small-arms training? This type of fighting is kill or be killed, where there are no courtesies, no niceties; you do what you are trained to do. As I mentioned in an earlier post, if nothing else, Aikido gives you the option of entering and to keep running away; do that in the Army and your CO is likely to shoot you themselves.

That said, I believe that Aikido offers a practical means of defence for the everyday person, and moreover an ongoing pursuit for life. I'm sure that were I a soldier, I would hope that my training included techniques to suit a battle-field situation, but as a civilian Aikido is more than enough.
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