Aikido in football

i wonder if anyone has ever thought to teach d-linemen aikido, imagine a whole defensive line just blending through the offensive line and right into the QB....sorry its late and I was watching sports center....

I used to use certain aikido principles (what little I knew) playing football as a kid. It worked quite well.

I've been preaching this for about a year or two now, but it seems coaches are unbelievers. (aka infidels) Personally, I plan on teaching my son aikido from the word go. Then, if he ever goes out for sports, he can teach the coaches a thing or two.

I think Aikido is a great help to pretty much any sport. I'm a small guy and playing tackle football against a 6', 190lbs. guy wouldn't seem to be something I should be good at, but I was able to tackle pretty easily using aiki principles. I was also able to avoid being tackled, more or less, in the same way. Also, I was able to tackle someone by myself most of the time, but it always took two or three people to get me down. It was great fun!
I played soccer before I ever knew what AIkido was, but there were times where the smaller kid that was me would kick the ball at the same time, though in the opposite direction, as someone quite a bit bigger, but they'd fall over and I'd keep going right through them. The feeling was just like when I now extend my "ki" in a good Aikido technique.
Take care,
Matt

I have talked about this several times with some people in my dojo. Offensive linemen can use the principles as well. Plus, have you ever noticed the tons of opportunities that ukemi can be applied? Just watch all the hands being placed on the ground when they fall. Tons of broken, sprained, or just plain injured wrists. All unnecessary.

I had a student who was playing 6th grade football. He asked me to watch him play one Sat. I noticed that on the defensive line, that he would try to run through the offensive line to get to the QB. I asked him at school one day why he didn't just blend and pass off the offensive lineman trying to block him out. He said that his coach told him to run through the line.

I showed him how to blend with the attack and pass the attacker off one day during recess. The next Sat. he had 4 sacks in the first quarter of the game. Each time he made a sack, he would look at me and just smile because he was doing what I taught him.

Coaches are creatures of habit. They will teach a certain way until they start loosing then they will either learn a better way or they will be replaced by a better coach. I was always a Tom Landry fan. The reason Tom started loosing so many games towards the end of his coaching career was because every other coach either knew his tactics or they had coached under him. Most coaches will not try using aikido principles unless the have a need to even if it will make their teams better.

I think aikidoists should try out the skills of a d-lineman. Not only does aikido enhance sport performance, sports skills can enhance aikido practice.

Not sure what is meant by "aikido in football".

I don't think, for example, that there's too much value in teaching ikkyo, nykkyo, etc... to football players, as the increased performance for football would be minimal, if at all.

If the idea is to teach the principles of aikido (blending, moving off line, keeping one point, etc...) to football players, that may have some value. I would hesitate to say anything stronger than "may have value" because as I see it, the goal isn't to produce more effective aikidoists, but rather, more effective football players. (Or have I misunderstood?)

Which means that those aikido principles would have to be incorporated into traditional football training in a manner that would not only be understood by football players, but not resisted by the football players or conflict with other training either. And at this point I would have to bow out of the discussion. I'm not familar enough with technical training in football to comment if aikido principles aren't already taught, albeit with different terminology, drills and methods, in modern football or how/if they could be incorporated.

I think aikidoists should try out the skills of a d-lineman. Not only does aikido enhance sport performance, sports skills can enhance aikido practice.

I think I disagree with this. Having known collegiate football players, I've never met or seen an aikidoist who has the necessary athletic ability to be a d-lineman, at least not on a collegiate or pro level. There might be some aikidoists out there, but I bet they would be former football players. Even the guys that warmed the football bench were extremely formidable athletes.

In general, I'm inclined to disagree that aikido enhances sport performance or sport performance enhances aikido. In my mind, those are two different skill sets. I may agree that the general physical preparation (GPP) for sports helps aikido as it creates a better athlete, and I would also say the reverse can also be true. For example, a gymnast would be better than an average person at aikido because their gymnastics training has made them more flexible, given them better balance, better preproperception, etc... And that an aikidoist would be better than an average person at gymnastics for the same reason(s). That may seem like splitting hairs, though.

Regards,

Paul

Not sure if it was just a movie or it actually happened.

A Notre Damm football coach had his guys doing ballet.

The think is that with any cross-training you do spend quite a bit of time with the excess baggage so to speak. Perhaps some exercises in Aikido could be of benefit but a good chunk of it would be a waste of time to someone who is dead serious about his football. The opposite holds true.

I am all for cross-taining - my Judo helps my Aikido - but the further you go afield the more excess baggage you get. Now if you happen to like playing football then no problems.

"Remember The Titans" Has a scene where the "new boy" from California uses tai-chi to take out an offensive rusher....Looks like sudori to me.
Just an example, since the subject is up.
Lan

I have played college football, and I see your points, but remember the d line attacks the o line, aikido techniques are successful when getting attacked, this is a whole different movement.

Mark Miller of the Bay area has been doing this for years. Go to Google, type in 'Mark Miller Samurai Football' you will get number of hits, including some video footage. During my travels I have had the opportunity to trained with Mark in Aikido, DRAJJ and Systema but have never seen his football applications. Knowing Mark, I am betting his stuff is probably interesting and solid.

Take care,

Mark J.

Michael DiFronzo wrote: I have played college football, and I see your points, but remember the d line attacks the o line, aikido techniques are successful when getting attacked, this is a whole different movement.

Are you saying that Aikido techniques are successful when getting attacked but aikido techniques won't be successful when you're attacking??? If so, then I would most definitely disagree. Or at least the Aikido I study would work successfully either defensively or offensively.

Mark