View Single Post
Old 04-30-2005, 02:38 AM   #61
Mark Tennenhouse
Location: Florida
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 6
United_States
Offline
Re: Tohei throwing Judoka in Hawaii?

More importantly, what about the Aikidoka of today??? Legends and stories are exciting but what about the weakness and impracticality of the Aikido we see practiced today?

Today, you will not see an Aikidoka capable of fighting a single skilled judoka, much less 5 Judoka at once.

If Aikido is so effective, why not use it in Judo matches? Why not use it in boxing or wrestling matches? Why not use it against the mixed martial artists that have almost no rules in their matches?

I believe the reason it's not seen in ANY kind of contest is that Aikido is simply not understood by today's instructors.
All of the instructors I've seen (including the top names from Japan, USA and France) teach Aikido as a cooperative Kata or drill. It's simply not taught or understood as a combat sport or practical combat art.

What instructor can show how to defeat a skilled wrestling attack or a skilled boxing attack or a skilled groundfighting attack using Aikido??
Where are the real inheritors of Aikido skill? So far, I've seen only imitators that work against cooperative partners. I want to see Aikido that works against a fighting opponent.

Who knows how to work against REAL resistance??

I have tested out my fellow Aikido instructors and students against realistic attacks on several occasions and they inevitably fail.
A few tests I use are collar grabs, side headlocks, rear chokeholds and rear bearhugs. I don't do these tests gently. I grab and hold tightly and move them around a little. The aikidoka don't practice against these kinds of tight rough holds so they can't handle the power and movement. I've tested legitimate black belts in Aikido this way and it's the same result..

Without drilling against real punching, against real shoves and clinching, against real holds and grabs like we see in wrestling or the mixed martial arts matches, how can any Aikidoka ever develop practical skills???
So instead of talking about how some legendary fighter could whip 5 Judoka, isn't it more important to ask what Aikido can do today?

Aikido is not being taught PROPERLY, that is realistically. It means that Aikido training has gone off in the wrong direction. It has become a kata based drill. Instead, it should be a practical combative sport and art.

Thanks,
Mark Tennenhouse
  Reply With Quote