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Old 01-03-2009, 06:04 AM   #51
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Dojo: Team Combat USA
Location: Olympia, Washington
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Re: Effectiveness of Aikido in a combat situation

Quote:
Clarence Couch wrote: View Post
An argument is when two folks try to impose their opinion on each other. I don't believe that's happening here. So exactly how effective is Aikido in combat? Anybody here use Aikido in combat with enough regularity to make a definitive conclusion?
Gene,

What is your point or agenda here? Is it to learn aikido, expand your knowledge? Or is it to confirm what you believe you already know or suspect about aikido?

You will definitely find the answer you are looking for, everyone always does.

As Aiki "DO" is the "WAY" of Ai Ki. it really makes it a philosophical methodology.

A Methodology. I think that is worth repeating.

Ellis eloguently already addressed this in another thread that I am pretty sure you already read as you were participating in it.

You don't fight or typically apply a martial methodology directly....you use your "SELF", as a DO the lessons become ingrained into you and hopefully they provide you some sort of framework or structure which helps you in some way.

Use aikido in combat? Well I think that would depend on your definition on what the spectrum of combat includes, anything from a non-violent de-escalation, situational awareness, to full on violent attack.

We have plently of Police Officers on this board, I have a number in my Dojo as well as military, and FBI agents that have been in "situations" and still study aikido and will tell you that the training is good for what the training is designed to do.

I can tell you I have used many of the "awareness" lessons obtained through the study of budo to avoid a few very dangerous situations. Mainly through the keen understanding of Ma ai, and learning to read body language.

It must not be so common, as I have spent countless hours with other soldiers showing them why they need to change their position realitive to how they are standing when interviewing or talking to suspects. How to de-escalate situations, and how to shutdown risk.

Use it actual combat? Well if you are talking "Physical" skills, well no I have not actually been in a real "combat" encounter. There are plently of folks that have been there.

They will tell you they kicked, punched, grappled, and struggled in the fight and prevailed.

Did they use "aikido" well I think that is a matter of personal perspective and what they consider to be the boundaries of their training. Most warriors don't really try and confine themselves or define themselves to one particular label or methodology. That is dangerous and will get you killed.

Only folks with a limited understanding of what Martial Methodologies are about and no real fighting experience at all are concerned with such labels, parameters, and definittions in my experiences.