aikido & teh deadlies

[K-man]

Remember what I said about intention? The same root movement, even the same technique can be used in many different ways. Any particular throw or hold can range from redirection to thumping falls to locking out the skeleton and breaking things on the abrupt drop. Most Aikido teachers stress a non-confrontational philosophy from Ueshiba's later years that seeks to control without harm or at most use pain compliance to provide a "teachable moment". Some schools such as the ones that teach police are a lot more rough and tumble. Same technique, different emphasis and application.


Personal opinion: Aikido shines brightest as a post-graduate course for the advanced martial artist.

In the application of all the aikido techniques there is the opportunity to add the atemi. The Aikido class I attend is composed mainly of high level karateka which is exactly the point you were making at the end of your post. I am learning the aikido to fill in the gaps not taught in the traditional karate schools.

The other point you made:

I don't want to cause unnecessary crap, but I do have to be honest with you. Most of the Aikido practitioners I've met, even ones at the instructor level, don't have that elevated level of skill. And the sort of training at a lot of dojos doesn't prepare them for it. That's a common failing in martial arts schools. It's a bit more of a problem for the Aikidoka. A lot of them - not all, but a big fraction - choose the Art in order to avoid the uglier realities of physical violence. Some are excellent, especially those who came to Aikido after a firm grounding in some other martial art as did Ueshiba and all of his original students.

Most aikido practitioners work with compliant partners. Their techniques are unlikely to work in the real world unless they use an atemi to distract the attacker. As you quite rightly say, this is not trained in most schools.
:asian:

 

[SFC JeffJ]

I was told by the Sensei I cross trained with that O Sensei said that Atemi was the heart of Aikido. After adding many techniques from it, I can believe it.

 

[Korppi76]

I noticed that when I started karate and jujutsu I had very bad habits from aikido, example strikes to throat which comes form atemis and irimi and tenchinage. So I think those might be deadly. Also in jujutsu I did have bad habit to throw people that way that they had problems to come down (but I think reason was that they didnt train so much throws, in other dojos I didnt have same problem)

And about techniques. I just was last weekend Endo Shihans seminar and he teaches that techniques as done in kata is always just beginning and when you do aikido you just keep "calm mind" that you are ready to move or do anything.
He teaches that most important is ... (hard to say in english) to be aware where everyone is and move naturally and easily, breath, be relaxed and to be in right position to ukes. Techniques which you use to end uke is not so important.

But as said earlier most dont know how to use techniques that way that they do harm. When I teach how to use techniques to cause real harm most our trainers think I teach different aikido than others, except my own sensei who teaches also who aikido works in real life since he have to use it for his work.

(Sorry I little bit wandered out of topic.)

 

[theletch1]

Many aikido schools don't teach techniques as "deadly" because the mindset that most new aikido students have is one of "I just want a purely defensive art" without realizing that a truly effective defense MUST have the ability to be deadly. As someone else said, it's the "hippie" mindset. These folks make sho-dan and become instructors and pass that along. Sadly, many aikido schools are so far removed from the deadly side of aikido that those sub-styles will never be truly effective. Even within a dojo that does teach a technique through to it's fatal conclusion there are students who simply don't... have the desire really isn't the word I'm looking for... have the real world understanding of what true defense may demand and just don't look at a technique from the idea that they may use it to take a life.