Kevin Leavitt

Some speak of aikido and MMA as if it is an us against them thing.

That is that the two cannot co-exsist.

Aikido is about blending, understanding, and should be all encompassing of all things that is life.

Aikido is also an individual pursuit...a methodology for training, not a set of techniques or stylistic movements.

As an individual pursuit, each of us must take aikido and make it our own.

This can include incorporating things that are considered by most to be MMA.

I think the best aikidoka are the ones in the future that will take aikido, make it their own and incorporate lessons learned in their lives, be it from interactions with others....or lessons from MMA, so to speak.

The best aikidoka will not sit by the sidelines in their dojos and thumb their superior noses at the world, but will go out into it and see how to apply aikido principles in many ways.

The best aikidoka will be able to demonstrate aikido in a MMA context, or demonstrate appropriate responses to the honest questions that many from a MMA paradigm will present.

If it is a concern, we should not sit on the side hoping the fad will pass or snearing at them in disdain, we should embrace them and seek to understand them and incorporate them into that which is aikido.

If your aikido cannot or will not reach outside of the dojo, then, yes, it will die on the vine and fade away!

That said, do not take this literally that aikido will die if it does not incorporate MMA, that is silly! However, we must stop the dualistic thinking within ourselves, and realize that all is aikido, and we must blend and embrace change to survivive!