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Old 01-24-2005, 07:56 PM   #33
makuchg
 
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Dojo: FL Aikido Center
Location: Spring Hill, FL
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 84
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Re: Don’t waste your time practicing AIKIDO

Hello everyone. This is a very interesting post. I am in the Army and just returned from Iraq. I can tell you that pain compliance techniques, such as sankkyo and nikkyo are very effective in "real life." I can also tell you that kaeshinage and iriminage are also effective. Now I will tell you some Aikido techniques are less effective in high stress situations, not because they are ineffective, but because they require more instictive motor skills then most of us have in a fight. A well trained (tens of years) aikidoka may move instinctively, but most (myself included) don't.

For truely effective combat techniques, learn four or five that work from almost any attack. I recommend kotegaeshi, iriminage, nikkyo, ikkyo, shihonage. Practice these from any attack wearing what you normally wear and increase speed as proficiency increases. Vary location and space available to simulate different situations. If you truly doubt these techniques effectiveness, go watch a law enforcement submission class at FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center) or the FBI Academy (they are teaching these). These techniques are also fundamental in the new Marine Corps martial art program. Finally go vist a Krav Maga training center and you'll see these techniques are very similar to the ones being taught in their class. For those not familiar, Krav Maga is the combat system of the Israeli Defense Forces. Whether or not you think favorably about Israeli politics, their soldiers are well trained and this is what they teach.

Finally, I recommend reading Warrior Spirit by Richard Heckler-Stozzi (I think I spelled that right). It is about a recently declassified project the US Army did with the 10th Special Forces (it says 20th in the book, but it should be 10th) and it involved Aikido training. The government doesn't choose these arts on an impulse, there was definite research and thought behind their choice. If the Army elected to spend millions teaching Special Forces Aikido I tend to believe it's effectiveness.

Greg Makuch
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