View Single Post
Old 03-20-2011, 04:03 PM   #25
senshincenter
 
senshincenter's Avatar
Dojo: Senshin Center
Location: Dojo Address: 193 Turnpike Rd. Santa Barbara, CA.
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,474
United_States
Offline
Re: Aikido and Weapons: The Connection

Chris wrote: "What I do believe, and what I mean when I say weapon based, or weapon context, is that weapons must be present for the Aikido set-ups to become useful. That weapons must be present (along with multiple attacker situations) in order to use the movement, distance and timing taught by the Aikido syllabus."

I agree wholeheartedly with the above statement, and so I would like to add this part as well:

What I do believe, and what I mean when I say weapon based, or weapon context, is that weapons must be present OR POTENTIALLY PRESENT for the Aikido set-ups to become useful. That weapons must be present (along with multiple attacker situations) OR POTENTIALLY PRESENT in order to use the movement, distance and timing taught by the Aikido syllabus.

Meaning, for example, in the field of law enforcement, wherein everyone, from the gang-banger that's running upon seeing you to drunk granny out taking her evening walk, is assumed to be armed - where there is no tactical difference allotted for whether or not folks are armed. Everyone is treated as they are armed and all tactics follow that suit.

In that setting, the commonly practiced Aikido syllabus transfers more readily to combat than the commonly practiced MMA syllabus. The reason, in my opinion, is that weapons and/or the potential for weapons being present generates a space/time more fertile for Aikido waza to function and remain viable.

d

David M. Valadez
Visit our web site for articles and videos. Senshin Center - A Place for Traditional Martial Arts in Santa Barbara.
  Reply With Quote