How effective is aikido in self defense?

as you know im new to aikido.

as a martial art im lookin for it not for competitions or to show of just purely self defense as the youths generation is gettin filled with killing and crime and im 16 and want to protect myself . how effective is aikido in self defense?

http://aikiweb.com/forums/showthread...044&post206044

http://aikiweb.com/forums/showthread...044&post206044

Pure self defence you're better off going for something else other than aikido. Unless you're willing to spend a good few years getting to grips with it. Even then, for pure self defence, you'll need another art to compliment it IMO.

Onegaishimasu. I think it was the late Morihiro Saito Shihan that said once: "To question effectiveness is to kill effectiveness." A person is always better off just going to the dojo and seeing what kind of experiences you have.

In gassho,

Mark

Think of self defense as a life long pursuit of collecting the necessary tools to keep yourself and loved ones safe and Aikido as one tool in a collection of tools to be used for self defense.

If you need protection immediately, I would get a gun and learn how and when to use it. Then let everyone know you got a gun and you know how to use it.

David

David Skaggs wrote: If you need protection immediately, I would get a gun and learn how and when to use it. Then let everyone know you got a gun and you know how to use it. David

I would recommend pepper spray.

Ricky Wood wrote: I would recommend pepper spray.

Lets see, telling people you have pepper spray and know how to use it and telling people you have a gun and know how to use it. Which one would make people more afraid of you?

David

David Skaggs wrote: Lets see, telling people you have pepper spray and know how to use it and telling people you have a gun and know how to use it. Which one would make people more afraid of you?

He is 16 and lives in the UK.
I don't think he can buy a gun just yet.
And even if he could get his hands on one, it would be illegal to wair/use it.
Although I might be wrong ofcourse.

Tom Hill wrote: as you know im new to aikido. as a martial art im lookin for it not for competitions or to show of just purely self defense as the youths generation is gettin filled with killing and crime and im 16 and want to protect myself . how effective is aikido in self defense?

the effectiveness would depend on your state of mind. i believe its the same with any other martial arts.

this is just my opinion

Dieter Haffner wrote: He is 16 and lives in the UK. I don't think he can buy a gun just yet. And even if he could get his hands on one, it would be illegal to wair/use it. Although I might be wrong ofcourse.

You are indeed correct. It is completely illegal to possess a gun unless you have a hunting lisence or a police trained lisence.

Aikido is useful against weapons to unarmed situations. In the UK most youths on the streets are drunk, drugged up or so angry they are disorientated. Aikido I feel is an art that protects yourself from being stabbed and also makes sure that the attacker won't land up in casulty. They have enough problems already.

David Skaggs wrote: Lets see, telling people you have pepper spray and know how to use it and telling people you have a gun and know how to use it. Which one would make people more afraid of you? David

Ill tell you what will make people afraid of you - rub habanero peppers on the palms of your hands and then rub it on someones face - they wont mess with you again.

p.s. -
I do not recommend trying this at home, as your likely to rub it on your own face - and a note, even the less spicy Hungarian peppers stay on your hands even after washing...

p.s.s. -
I can imagine it now: "Stay back - I have habanero hands!"

Peace

dAlen

Dieter Haffner wrote: He is 16 and lives in the UK. I don't think he can buy a gun just yet. And even if he could get his hands on one, it would be illegal to wair/use it. Although I might be wrong ofcourse.

I've always gotten the impression you are required by law to lay down and submit in the UK.

Tom,
To put things in perspective:
I was training back before you were born. I have also never been in a situation that required physical force. Just lucky? Maybe, but I believe it's more about alertness and awareness first.
Being "switched on" allows you to recognize and avoid a threat before it becomes a situation that you have to fight your way out of. Try this: next time when you're walking home, try "tracking" the people around you. Is there someone walking behind you? How many? How far away?
Budo is one way to develop this alertness. (Training in a crowded dojo keeps you aware of bodies being thrown in your general direction )
There are also no real short-cuts to self defence. I can't remember how many times I have "died" doing knife defence.
However, my budo training has given me some confidence, and people can read that confidence. I remember one time when I did think I was going to have to fight my way out of a situation. I resigned myself to the idea of taking the "bad guy" down, and for some reason my body relaxed. They aggressor sensed this and backed away.

Most importantly, the question "How effective is aikido in self defence?" is far less important than "How effective is the aikidoka at self defence?

My ￥2 worth, and for free!

I think I answered this question once:
http://aikiweb.com/forums/showpost.p...0&postcount=17

In short, M.A. learning is a tool which may prove usefull in S.D. situations. Particulalrly if you learn diligently with the right teacher. In this latter case, you may find the changes to self are of greater scope and affect things in more diractions then the simple fght element of S.D. you were asking about.

Amir

Tom Hill wrote: as you know im new to aikido. as a martial art im lookin for it not for competitions or to show of just purely self defense as the youths generation is gettin filled with killing and crime and im 16 and want to protect myself . how effective is aikido in self defense?

I know you're not going to answer this question, because no one ever does...but just how often are you called upon to defend yourself? How many of your friends have been the victim of a violent crime?

In other words, before questioning the suitability of a tool for a particular job, first make sure that's a job that you need to do.

Mary Malmros wrote: I know you're not going to answer this question, because no one ever does...but just how often are you called upon to defend yourself? How many of your friends have been the victim of a violent crime? In other words, before questioning the suitability of a tool for a particular job, first make sure that's a job that you need to do.

Or as a corollary to Mary's excellent question... If you spend the next two decades training hard but never get into an altercation are you going to feel you wasted all those years? That's a lot of energy to devote to something you never use.

If so you might want to consider if there are other reasons why you might want to learn something like Aikido...

And don't get me wrong -- I think you *should* be able to defend yourself using Aikido. But I'd really suggest you should have many more reasons why you'd want to learn it in the first place...

And "yes", "just because" is also a valid reason... Which is my reason...

no martial arts affective against the self. I have studied a number of martial arts. None has worked. meself is an ugly and vicious bastard who just won't give up. aikido helped with keeping the distance.

It doesn't fare well against pit bulls.

Ricky Wood wrote: It doesn't fare well against pit bulls.

This has GOT to be the quote of the hour....

You crack me up!

Training Aikido is more effective than not training it.

thank you all. i have a few things to say in response to people questions and stufff. it is illigal to own a gun in the uk but i do have a air rifle , none of my freinds have been attacked but as you are aware if u live in britian some kid gets stabbed every other week. and i made a mistake by sayin pure self defense. i want a martial art that will teach me how to pass and over come potentiol situations without having to fight but at the same time i wud like to know aikido will help me in a fight if one should sadly ever arise

In my opinion, the martial art is only as effective as the martial artist is.

Aikido with give you conflict resolution skills, multi-attacker skills, movement skills, and joint locking skills. It will teach you how to move out of the way of a punch and to get out of holds and grabs.

Again, all these things are effective depending on the individual's skill and the situation. In a knife fight give me some kali sticks.

The training journey is long but what you learn will help.

David Skaggs wrote: Think of self defense as a life long pursuit of collecting the necessary tools to keep yourself and loved ones safe and Aikido as one tool in a collection of tools to be used for self defense. If you need protection immediately, I would get a gun and learn how and when to use it. Then let everyone know you got a gun and you know how to use it. David

With respect, its this kind of talk which puts some people off of aikido. "Aikido is a lifelong persuit", "some techniques will take 20years to learn", "what is the definition of effectiveness"

It's not a hard question to answer, and i would answer Toms question as NO. If you're looking for a martial art to use purely as self defence. Aikido personally is the last one you should go for. Due to the amount of time it takes to grasp as opposed to something like Boxing, Kickboxing etc.

However if you're after something with a bit more spirituality to it, and something that will craft you over many years to become more aware to situation as well as an extra little tool in your belt if you ever do need to defend yourself, then Aikido would be good for you mate.

But i wouldnt recommend Aikido for instant basic self defence, take up something nice and simple and easy. Like one of the arts mentioned above.

Daniel Ranger-Holt wrote: With respect, its this kind of talk which puts some people off of aikido. "Aikido is a lifelong persuit", "some techniques will take 20years to learn", "what is the definition of effectiveness" It's not a hard question to answer, and i would answer Toms question as NO. If you're looking for a martial art to use purely as self defence. Aikido personally is the last one you should go for. Due to the amount of time it takes to grasp as opposed to something like Boxing, Kickboxing etc. However if you're after something with a bit more spirituality to it, and something that will craft you over many years to become more aware to situation as well as an extra little tool in your belt if you ever do need to defend yourself, then Aikido would be good for you mate. But i wouldnt recommend Aikido for instant basic self defence, take up something nice and simple and easy. Like one of the arts mentioned above.

I have a problem with such a response.
While intellectually, I agree with you, actual experiance has shown more then one student of my teacher and my friends, came to the dojo and told us of an attack he faced and repelled using the things he learned in the dojo.
I have also heard of failures, mostly attributed, byu the person himself, to his not doing something we practice.

It might be a matter of culture (Israeli people are often pro-action, so the technique might be more missing compared to the initiative\agrresive aspect) or maybe of a great teacher who has vast experiance with other M.A. too, and so really understands what he is talking about, and successfuly transmits it to his student\teachers or maybe even of Korindo Aikido being less simbolic in its techniques and closer to reality from the start.
Or possibly, the same situation exists in many other Aikido Dojo's only they do not boter to write about it.

Amir

I like the way my teacher has done other MA stuff (Judo, sambo..etc) it blends really well in his aikido / presence.

sometimes off mat he's a usefull source of information regarding different attacks and their responses in other MA