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Old 05-20-2012, 01:39 AM   #11
TheAikidoka
 
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Dojo: Tenshinkan Dojo UK - mid sussex martial arts school
Location: Brighton
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 127
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Re: Arm locks... really???????

Quote:
Alec Corper wrote: View Post
1. To get home safely and avoid jail
2. To subdue if help is at hand, as a lead into a throw or strike with more disabling power to give time to escape, re number1
My problem is with the use of the word fight. it implies two people squaring off to one another, preceded with verbal posturing, monkey dancing etc. Most of my actual experience in the "real world" are ambushes and sucker punches, or gang fights, catch as catch can, where recovery from shock and surprise are more important than techniques.
Well done here Alec, totally agreed, in a real situation, there is not much more you can do. My old teacher used to say train like crazy mad men (controlled you understand), then you can or should be able to fight fairly easily. However, he told us that is not the end of the matter, to remain calm afterwards is far more important (the shock), and keep your awareness, just in case his/her mates comes running up to join in! (zanshin).

He told us being a bar owner himself, he had witnessed people get into fight through no fault of there own, some won their fight, some did not, but always he said, always somebody would loose there mind afterwards. And normally he said it was the person who had won the altercation but did not ask for it, and they would lash out in total confusion. They would inevitably go back for the person who started it in the first place, and even more in a fit of rage and wanting to hurt them and do more damage, because the shock has taken over.

I stayed with my teacher for ten years. Yes arm locks do work or we would not be practicing them, but when and where to apply them is not down to the martial art, It is down to the individual who sees fit use such force as necessary in the first place. And then if it don't work we hear people cry ha that's Aikido for you, well the art does not pick the student, the student picks the Art, so at no point should the art be criticized, because there are also good and not so good Aikidoka.

The purpose of my initial Aikido training was training my awareness, my teacher said without this Aikido is useless. Be aware of a situation developing, then get the hell out of there, use Aikido as the very last resort, well that is what my teacher taught me, for what it`s worth.

Always In friendship,

Andy B
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