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Old 10-18-2011, 06:10 PM   #1486
Gerardo Torres
Location: SF Bay Area
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 197
United_States
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Re: Aikido does not work at all in a fight.

Hi Alberto,

I was only half-joking of course, as I think that once one gets or is exposed to aiki, most of these discussions about whether aikido works or not become moot. I'm not familiar with some of the terms you mention (I'll have to Google/Bing them). For me aiki is a skill, not unique to aikido as you say, that is very real (not mythical or spiritual) and can be demonstrated and trained and it's utterly convincing when encountered. It's also very rare in aikido, despite the art's name. It has to do with the Asian model of ying-yang (in-yo) and the "marriage of opposites". Among its benefits are superior balance, kuzushi upon contact, and sophisticated handling of forces. It has nothing to do with techniques, although you still need techniques to perform in whatever venue you choose (aikido, mma, etc.).

Like I said I have very little aiki and cannot even manifest it yet in regular aikido training, let alone in more live training, and even less in "fighting" if I were to do that. (My shortcomings are my own and not due to the potential of aiki or any training method. There are people who can totally kick ass with it.) So in my opinion if one were to submit some absolutist view on the subject of "aikido works" and/or "fighting", one should at least be well versed in aiki, aikido, and fighting. I personally cannot make any absolute claims on the topic as I lack the breath of experience and knowledge on some of these subjects (that's why I said in my previous post "I dunno... I'll let you know when I get enough aiki [and learn how to fight I might add]). Being in some street situations -- everybody's been there and has stories -- or even doing some combat sports does not make one an authority on fighting. Having trained in aikido dojo or having rank or whatever does not guarantee one knows aiki or how it works. So in other words some of the people submitting their judgment about aikido from all corners of the Internet don't have enough information or experience to make such claims. The main reason there are so many threads like this all over is because aikido is widely misunderstood both inside and especially outside the art.

The only strong advise I'll offer is this: have fun. If you are really interested in aiki/do, go find it, train it and have fun doing it or fighting with it if you wish. If that didn't do it for you, research and find another place or move to a different art. Some people seem to be stuck on the fence for years, or obsessed with putting down or trying to "save" some art they don't fully understand. $0.02

Last edited by Gerardo Torres : 10-18-2011 at 06:13 PM.
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