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Old 04-13-2006, 01:51 PM   #657
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Dojo: Team Combat USA
Location: Olympia, Washington
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Re: Aikido does not work at all in a fight.

Sweet! we are back to the Aikido, UFC, and the Gracies debate again! Man I love it!

I am an aikidoka and a MMA/BJJ guy. Here are a few comments from my perspective.

1. Aikido is a methodology generally designed to teach the princples of aiki, while it is based on aikijitjisu and traditional fighting arts of the japanese in pre colonial era...it's focus is really not designed will to adapt to fighting the gracies are anyone else for that matter. While you may be able to glean some useful techniques to defend yourself or to protect yourself in a mutually agreed to bar fight (yes all bar fights are require two or more parties that have agreed to fight), or a mugging these things are not aikido, even if you might call it that...it is using your faculties to fight or defend.

2. BJJ is also a system or methodology for training. It has a different focus and therefore has adapted a different strategies based on the same basic platform as aikido, but because of their perspective...they focus on more close in ground fighting for the most part. Same statements about fighting apply to this art as well.

3. Gracies created UFC to promote their system. So no wonder why they were so effective in the ring. If an aikidoka developed a system, it would look alot different. Probably the reason why you don't see it, is that it would look very stupid, or be very dangerous with weapons in the ring. Try and get insurance for that event!

That said, it doesn't mean aikido is "too lethal" and "better" than BJJ...simply a different perspective and dynamic...one that does not adapt to sport fighting.

4. Rules. Okay, you really think aikido has "no rules"? It has more rules than BJJ I think! I'd love to walk into an aikido class and be able to set the tempo and do whatever I want!

All forms of combat and fighting has rules. Ever hear of the Geneva convention? All militaries and fighters train to exploit the rules to the maximum advantage. You do what works!

5. Challenging the gracies. I haven't fought the Gracies, but I have fought and trained with a few closely related students from Brazil. Come on...think about it! Back to the rules...whose are we going to use? Can I have a knife? Gun? can I jump him when he doesn't expect it one afternoon? how about when he is sleeping, or in a restaurant on a date?

Any fight we tend to think of as a "mutually agreeable" "no rules" fight will have some rules...even if they are limited. The thing with BJJ and submission fighting is that these guys have removed as many rules as possible without risking death or going to jail...They have very, very efficiently devised systems of training which allow one to train to be very good at this type of fighting. Aikido simply does not play this game.

So go ahead master aikidoka...jump into the ring with a gracie purple belt and I will watch you get smoked playing by those rules.

BJJ has many, many advantages, as does aikido, but you have to really, really understand what each of those methodologies are conditoning and training you to do.

I train soldiers in BJJ and MMA concepts...the army has invested lots of time and bucks in this area...why? because we have found in combat that these systems best exploit and develop soldiers for the type of situations they will face in unarmed combat.

If they have distance and time...well we are going to use another means of force to gain the upper hand.

Why not aikido...nothing against the art...it simply does not present a methodology that is efficient in training for those particular scenarios we have deemed to be or high probability.

I do however, use aikido concepts and principles daily when we train...especially when we get into striking weapons. Although we have found kali, and escrima to be better models for this.

I know most of us have limited time to train, and we come into the arts for various reasons, most of the time we are attracted to the MA for reasons we really don't understand or for irrational reasons, that seem rational at the time (i.e. self defense).

Because of this limited time you have you want to make the most of it. We also want to study something we think will benefit us immensly. We tend to compare ourselves to others and to other arts...that is were we go wrong! We all need that validiation that what we are studying will make us the best!

However, the best at what???? there is no one martial art that will make you the best at everything martial. plus, we all don't have the luxury of time to focus on the whole big enchalada!

Study aikido for what aikido was meant to be studied for! (good luck figuring out what it is! ) Study BJJ for what it was meant to be studied for! Get to know yourself, and ask yourself why you are studying MA...then spend many, many years discovering the answer!


Good luck on your journey!
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