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Johan Ullén wrote:
people without evidence claiming that aikido doesn't work in "real life" self defence; then some dude will tell a segal-like story of how he whipped someone's ass with flawless aikido techniques, and saved his friends life, and so forth.
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I think that part of the original post sums it up; Some people claim Aikido doesn't work either A) because it didn't work for them for whatever reason or B) because they don't believe it will work but don't know for sure.
Others claim it did work either A) because they believe it will based on their training or B) it really did work in some fashion.
I've never had to use Aikido, or any martials arts training for self-defense since the early 1990's but here is my take on the situation. Aikido is a means to an end and as I believe Edwin said, Aikido can't fail or succeed, it is what it is.
That's like saying if I was in a shootout and I missed the person I was aiming at and I go "the gun failed". No, the gun put the bullet where I was aiming. Perhaps my aim was off, but the failure was with me, and not the gun.
There are people I know and train with who have told me stories of situations where they used Aikido effectively. Could I at this point in my training though? Not a chance! That isn't a flaw in Aikido, or even a flaw in my training. It is simply that I haven't reached a point where I am comfortable in technique and fluid and relaxed enough yet.
I have every confidence that I will never need to test the theory of Aikido working as a martial art; I'm equally confident that if that time does for whaver reason force itself upon me in the future that I, as an aikidoka, will be able to defend myself successfully.
*drops my .02 in the bucket*