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Old 01-03-2008, 03:52 PM   #72
mathewjgano
 
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Dojo: Tsubaki Kannagara Jinja Aikidojo; Himeji Shodokan Dojo
Location: Renton
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,276
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Re: I'm Leaving Aikido

Quote:
Daniel Ranger-Holt wrote: View Post
If you think you can throw any kind of lock or hold on someone throwing a real punch at real speed you're kidding yourself like i was. Just you tube boxing or punching if you haven't had real life altercations. And you will see what i mean. Punches come as hard snaps, not someone in a line, running toward you fist extended. Aikido is fooling a lot of people i feel.
I've looked for real time Aikido examples on YouTube and haven't found much either. I've also seen some pretty good sucker punches in my day to get a basic idea of how quick a strike can come. The punches you're describing aren't practiced at either of the dojos I've spent any time in and while a person knows it's coming, I've seen some pretty full speed stuff being applied pretty well, so far as I can tell. I'm far from being a prize fighter, but I've known enough scrappers to have a sense of the "average" person's ability to strike and be countered...at least, in my neck of the woods. Interestingly enough, it's usually when I've been surprised that I've been the most successfull applying a technique. When I think about what to do, I've almost always failed.
Speaking so broadly just seems a bit excessive to me. I don't think Aikido has been fooling people so much as it seems to often be very subtle and difficult to learn. Personally, I was skeptical when I first saw it. It's only over time of interacting with it that I've come to have any trust in it.

Gambarimashyo!
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