The art of Atemi...
My dojo very rarely practices any kind of Atemi. With the exception of drawing out an opponent, strikes of any kind just are not taught. Because of this, for a long time I thought Aikido was a completely non-striking martial art.
Whenever I do sneak in an Atemi to unbalance my partner (without actually touching them, of course), it always feels forced, against the flow of ki, even when I do it exactly as my sensei asks. Is this normal?
I would also like to know if my ignorance of Atemi is affecting my training in any way. When I travel to Japan and train there, will this be a problem?
Also I'd like to know the effects of Atemi on practical usage of Aikido. In other words, if I'm attacked on the street, is it very necessary to utilize striking techniques, or would the throws and pins be sufficient? I'm speaking on average, of course, no answer would be correct in ALL situations.
Arigato Gozaimasu
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