Street Effective?

Hi guys. I'm new here so take it easy on me. I am currently considering taking martial art classes. I am torn between aikido and kali. Has anybody actually used aikido in a street fight and what was the outcome. Thank you for posting.

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Bump on that, but here is what I have observed.

I asked several experienced Aikidoka several weeks ago what their thoughts on this very topic are and they all told me that with practice it COULD be extremely rough and useful, but the main purpose is to not use it in the long run and only as a last resort.

The usual comment in our circles along these lines is Aikido techniques work, even though *your* Aikido technique may not. I tend to believe in Aikido, as in most things, what you get out of a particular activity or event is a function of what you put into it.

A few weeks ago a nidan from my aikido club got mobed in the street. He was forced to get off the car by gun pioint.

He is one of the best in my class but he was not able to use physical aikido on them. Rather he used aikido on himself by staying calm and blending with the emotional and phicological attacks frrom the gangsters. At the end of the day he won. He got to keep his car and he and his girlfriend did not get harmed.

What I want you to understand here is if you are looking ofr a deadly martial art and win in a street fight, then aikido is not for you.

Everyone has the same basic tools, a Muay Thai guy has the same tools as a Judo guy or an Aikido guy or a street thug.

You can draw distinctions in the way they use their tools but everyone has the same tools. Aikido should be thought of as another way to use these tools, just because there are no roundhouse kicks in your Aikido training does not mean that you are suddenly not allowed to use roundhouse kicks.

Aikido has no "magic" there is no secret Aikido technique which is inbeatable, infact, there arent even Aikido techniques which "just work" everything must be practiced.

Aikido takes a long time to get to "effective", Karate takes significantly shorter. Everyone, no matter your fitness / flexibility can both punch and kick. No-one can do Aikido naturally.

"street effective" means the ability to deliver enough damage/control to a desperate, enraged, adrenaline fueled, PCP dulled assailant to make him stop hurting you.

"dojo effective" means the ability to perform a technique with the right timing, distancing, posture, breath control and attitude, it has nothing to do with inflicting damage or attempting to subdue anyone.

Training in a dojo only makes you dojo effective. Training in the street gets you killed/crippled/brain damaged. This applies for all martial arts, even ones with so-called "reality training scenarios" rarely does reality schedule itself so that you can prepare for it.

Does this mean that Aikido and all other martial arts are useless for self defence?

Certainly not. Let us examine the Karate guy. Karate makes you "effective" in about 6 months to a year. Before Karate you can punch and kick and block. After Karate you can do all of those a lot better and most importantly, you got over the discomfort of making physical contact with a stranger and you feel much more confident. You are still just punching / kicking and blocking but you are no longer holding yourself back or feeling intimidated by conflict.

So, in conclusion (and apologies for being long winded) technique do not make you "effective", strength and speed do not make you "effective". Confidence, not being intimidated by conflict and practice makes you "effective".