View Single Post
Old 09-12-2005, 02:46 AM   #7
Yann Golanski
 
Yann Golanski's Avatar
Dojo: York Shodokan Aikido
Location: York, United Kingdom.
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 406
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: Poll: How important is "being martially effective" in your aikido training?

Quote:
Patrick Crane wrote:
The legendary general Hannibal was most famous for his strategy of offering only token resistance to an enemy's frontal attack, while launching devastating surprise flanking offensives.
I never understood why anyone thinks that Hannibal is such a legendary general. He was a good general with awesome tactical abilities for sure. He was maybe one of the greatest tactician of the time. However, he lost. He could not take Rome and Carthage felt.

One man did beat Hannibal every single time they met in battle. He's the one Roman general who defeated not only Hannibal but all of Carthage's armies. He was the first general to think strategically and was very good at it. Of course, he died a lonely death, unwanted and hated by the politician he saved. His name was Scipio Africanus.

B.H.Liddell Hart wrote a great book on the subject which you can get here . It is well worth reading... at least if you are interested in history.

Wow... this was _way_ off topic.

As for Aikido being a "martial art" question: If it does not work, I don't want to waste time learning it. That's why I think randori (as practiced by Shodokan IE with full resistance) is essential to Aikido training.

The people who understand, understand prefectly.
yann@york-aikido.org York Shodokan Aikido
  Reply With Quote