Quote:
Philip Burgess wrote:
Kudos to Randy. He is not the norm though. How old is Lindell approaching 40, 41? Even he is part of the elite.
I caused a bit of misinformation, BJJ/MMA is a young man's sport. That is most pro fighters in their careers are peaking in their mid thirties if they stick with it that long. With some of the exceptions like Couture and Lindell. Which are really icons for how we think about age.
Aikido you can get better with age. And I think the major weakness in Aikido is the lack of attention to physical condition, i.e. being in shape. There are a lot of overweight Aikidoka's out there, I watch allot of Youtube. In fact, I seen a couple of such guys in real life! It was last night at a local pub, they were visiting from out of town. who was out of town . One guy was wearing his dojo T-shirt. And his beer belly dwarfted mine. But I had the other guys beat.  I have yet to see a serious MMA/BJJ with that size of a beer belly.  But then again they don't understand the demands there are on the kind of training that it takes to "keep your center." |
Again, be careful in your logic and conclusions based on limited observation. I can see how you might draw this conclusion.
I agree, young guys will always be faster, stronger etc, and will on a whole do better at competition. Of course.
The real issue I have is your division of things along the lines of "Aikido" "BJJ/MMA" as if some how two methodogies, (yes methodologies) some how are distinctive enough to give different advantages and skills to deal with the same basic conditions...that is physical violence. It simply is not so.
What you observe is older guys being better at Aikido as aikido as an art is all about the methodology to acheive aiki (which we all debate what that really means) (I tend to agree with Dan Harden, Mike Sigman, and the "2 Robs" these days).
What you are dismissing, whether you do it or not, is the "old guys" in BJJ that are actually "getting better with age" along the same critteria that you are using to judge aikido.
Helio, Rorian, my instructor, the Machados, Carlos, Carlson (deceased) all got/or are getting better as they gain the wisdom of age. Get with Jacare Cavlacanti in Atlanta, a 6th Dan in his 50s and a majority of the "20 somethings" that are studs can't touch him.
In a "competition" like UFC, sure none can compete with the young guys in that venue. Nor could any Aikidoka...young or old.
Make sure you are applying the same criteria and conditions and keep them consistent as you make your arguments.
You can't have it both ways. You assume that there is nothing else to BJJ/MMA than fighting in the ring. You are wrong in that respect.