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Old 10-09-2006, 03:08 PM   #25
Erick Mead
 
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Dojo: Big Green Drum (W. Florida Aikikai)
Location: West Florida
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Re: Why do some people hate Aikido?

Quote:
Ian Dodkins wrote:
Thus all training methods suffer. I think the struggle within martial arts is often to train in something safely which can be applied in reality.
What are you training for? What is real? Is a kick or punch delivered with sudden deceleration at impact "real"? Is training for full speed strikes with padding or head gear "real" ? Is training for hand arts in a gun culture "real"? Is UFC, where disabling moves are still impermissible, "real"? Is anything other than full out gladiatorial edged weapon combat "real"? [Hint: even gladiatorial combat was not "real" despite its often deadly brutality.]

[The sarcasm is directed at those who often raise the points you dutifully report.]

All training is artificial. That is the point of training in any art that deals intentionally in situations involving a strong possibility of death or injury. The question is where does one compromise and what are the costs versus benefit for the trade-off in the progress of trainign in the art.

Aikido choses to sacrifice competitive or acquisitive aggression. But disposing of that aspect of aggression we actually increase the development of a more powerful, and too often overlooked type -- protective aggression.

By doing so we experience full range of motion and dynamics of body motion in places and trajectories that done competitively would inevitably injure or wound one or the other. We gain sensitivity to our partner's movements that might be blinded by our own blaze of fearful anticipation.
Quote:
Ian Dodkins wrote:
Also, compared to other martial arts, Aikidoka are often physically unfit, suggesting that they don't really take the martial aspect seriously.
How dare the pathetic weaklings protect themselves? We are not training the Praetorian Guard or the Immortals here.
Quote:
Ian Dodkins wrote:
P.S. it struck me several years ago that there is some hypocracy within aikido in that often two incongruent positions are held, namely: 1. the techniques are too dangerous to apply in competition 2. aikido can be conducted without hurting the attacker.
1. Correct. 2. A teacher once told me that the mistakes in aikido can be more dangerous than the techniques. Having taken a few ukemi for a number of insensitive non-hulkish beginners, I can attest that this is very much correct, (and my ukemi very much improved as a result, thank you). Every training partner, good, bad or indiffernt of talent -- is thus equally my teacher in their respective range of movements and responses that human beings "really" engage in.
Quote:
Ian Dodkins wrote:
I think the prime advantage of what aikido offers is gentle ways to diffuse simple attacks (grabs etc), a framework of fighting which integrates different techniques well, a method of developing instantaneous reaction to a sudden attack, good timing and distance training without severe impact.
Sounds pretty good to me. Do we need more? Thermonuclear weapons? Uzi's? Pointed sticks? (Wait -- we have those ... )

Cordially,

Erick Mead
一隻狗可久里馬房但他也不是馬的.
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