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Old 04-09-2008, 06:52 PM   #69
rob_liberti
Dojo: Shobu Aikido of Connecticut
Location: East Haven, CT
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,402
United_States
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Re: The Topic I never Wanted To Post

Dan,

I get the impression that you you feel the OP wanted to learn self-defense and got sold a bill of goods. I re-read that original post and that is just not the case. I seemed to me that this person loved aikido, wanted to be an aikido teacher some day, and wanted to be more martially effective in his aikido against MMA. That describes me too. I don't think I wasted a moment. Thank you very much. I just kept finding other people to help me with my goals. I think that person should do the same.

This high percentage argument is never quite balanced with the high percentage of that sort of training actually being useful.

First, let me say I strongly encouraged an aikido student/friend to GJJ because he spent most of his work life in prison cages evaluating bad guys alone. Seemed like the best fit for him. I don't see myself in that situation too often. I might be in a bar when a fight breaks out. I'll want to use my ability to get out of there fast and be home watching TV about the idiots who stayed and fought getting carted off to jail on the latenight news. But to each his own.

Frankly I'm a bit tired of MMA folks talking down to me like high percentage is a new concept. I'm not all that bad at math myself. Maybe I just see a different - dare I say - bigger picture about the hig percentages.

Regardless, I do want the ability to fight MMA folks, have the ability to destroy them, and then not hurt them. So I study that with a MMA teacher who understands a lot of aikido and what looks a lot like DR. I don't think aikido practice has hurt me in my goals at all. I never would have been able to just start from zero and go deal with my current MMA training. That just wouldn't have worked for me.

If the OP wants to be more effective there are better teachers and training methodologies. There are also better ways of being a student. I encourage everyone to find these things themselves.

Rob
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