Thread: Aikido3D
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Old 11-18-2005, 05:16 AM   #51
RobertFortune
Dojo: Ronin
Location: Earth
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 36
United_States
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Thumbs down Re: Aikido3D - Has anyone used this?

Quote:
Steven Simister wrote:
Take a look at this website: www.aikido3d.com

It has a product on there much like an instructional DVD, but in 3D graphics. The website states that you can view the technique from any angle and zoom in etc.

My question is, is it any good? Things like finger placement for kotegaeshi etc could be an issue in my mind. I would like to know from someone who:

A. Owns the product
B. Does not work for the company/producres
---------------------------

I *do not* work for the company. (I'd like to have some stock in it though!)

November 18th, 2005. I now have in my little grubby hands a bonified copy I purchased online. The online ordering system www.AIKIDO3D.COM worked flawlessly. The shipping was *real* quick (2 or 3 days to arrive via US First Class Mail) although I forget if I chose any quick delivery option for an additional charge.

I have the Windows version. I'm using Windows XP Home Ed. with Service Pack 2 installed. I'm using a Pentium IV (3.33 ghz) with built-in Radeon 9000 IGP graphics capabilty on a Toshiba laptop.

Installation of Aikido3D was extremely quick (less than 30-40 seconds) and worked flawlessly as did the online activation process.

I do indeed like this product. As a newcomer to Aikido I appreciate being able to both see and hear (optional commentary mode) the techniques\movements and replay any of them at will easily and as many times as I like over and over until I see what it is I want to see.
That ability to *easily* replay any of the techniques as many times as I want is in my opinion a definite advantage over a standard instructional video.

I personally find the "follow" view to be as helpful or even more helpful to understanding the techniques\movements as the default straight on view. The "from the top" view I don't (yet) find as useful.

I like the (optional) commentary mode because it allows me to hear the commentator say the Japanese words\terms used in Aikido which helps me commit to memory the way they sound. When I'm reading a book on Aikido I find that being able to mentally pronounce the Japanese terms\words helps my reading comphehension of the Aikido books I'm reading.


I think this is definitely where the future of instructional martial arts and other instructional visual tools is headed especially where movements of the individual people is of vital interest and importance to one's understanding.

Right now 814Works is still selling AIkido3D for the special introductory price of $49.95 (plus shipping and handling) and I would get it now at that special price before they raise the price to its list price of $79.95.

As I've read in others' reviews of Aikido3D there is room for improvement in Aikido3D. It isn't (yet) the definitive resource of *all* of the Aikido techniques and as best as I am aware at this stage of my study generally covers pretty much all of the basics and some of the variations. Realisitically no Aikido training material could ever hope to cover all of the possible techniques and variations\combinations, but yes Aikido3D could benefit from additional coverage. Perhaps another plus would be *some* added true true-to-life video to enhance an already wonderful product.
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