Aikido is the best self defense

Kiron

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I'm learning Aikido for its beautiful defense. No fancy movements, no wasting of energy, and the very important thing is it is able to make you calm. It's elegant yet deadly Martial Art.
 

Anarax

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I'm happy for you that you have found a Martial Art you like. However; Aikido is anything but deadly. Aikido technically doesn't even teach breaks, but pins instead. Morihei Ueshiba( The Founder of Aikido) was a follower of the Shinto religion. It essentially teaches Sacred Power exists in animate and inanimate objects. That means breaking someones bones or destroying human tissue is disrespectful to the Sacred Power. Aikido has a rich and interesting history, understanding the Founder helps to give the techniques context.

Good luck in your training
 

jks9199

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There's a lot more to aikido than that. Think about what happens if you don't know how to fall or if you don't ride out some of those throws, for example.

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Headhunter

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Aikido is a great martial art and yeah it's calming but I definently wouldn't call it deadly it's referred to in some places as the way of peace. I'm not saying it doesn't work but a lot of schools don't teach it properly and there's no resistance to those techniques the guys just go down without any effort and that's not going to happen in a real fight. If you train it properly sure it could work but I don't think it's the best for self defence to be honest.

But if you enjoy it and it's the martial art for you then go for it keep doing it,I'm not going to tell you you should be doing something else but just be aware of it's limitations.
 

DaveB

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All is say is if you want self defence ability do not really on your classes alone. Find people to attack you realistically and with power and speed and intent.

It could be friends with boxing gloves or spend time training in boxing or krav maga or some other place where people come at you with more than one punch and where getting hit hurts.

Whatever art you do, test your ability to use it and if you can't then adjust your training accordingly.
 

lklawson

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I'm learning Aikido for its beautiful defense. No fancy movements, no wasting of energy, and the very important thing is it is able to make you calm. It's elegant yet deadly Martial Art.

I'm happy for you that you have found a Martial Art you like. However; Aikido is anything but deadly. Aikido technically doesn't even teach breaks, but pins instead. Morihei Ueshiba( The Founder of Aikido) was a follower of the Shinto religion. It essentially teaches Sacred Power exists in animate and inanimate objects. That means breaking someones bones or destroying human tissue is disrespectful to the Sacred Power. Aikido has a rich and interesting history, understanding the Founder helps to give the techniques context.

Good luck in your training
I must be getting old. I don't really have any interest in this argument any more and I note the very low post count of both very polarized and minimal "sides" and it makes me skeptical.

Feh. <insert crotchety old dude comment here>

Get off my lawn.
 

oftheherd1

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Welcome to MT Kiron and Anarax. Anarax you might wish to go to the Meet and Greet forum and introduce yourself and tell us a little about yourself.

Kiron, if you like Aikido, stay with it and learn all you can. I don't know how you define fancy movements, but Aikido has movements that non-grappling arts don't have, and might be considered fancy. Especially as you progress in the art.

I will grant you there should be little wasted energy, but I think that is true of most martial arts, even if the art's emphasis is on different methods than grappling. And even now that there is more knowledge of different martial arts, grappling arts still have a chance of befuddling non-grappling artists.

Don't be too concerned about if your practice opponent resists or not. Contrary to popular belief amongst non-grapplers, once you correctly learn a technique (and a certain amount of resistance of course helps as long as you stop before you break something), most techniques are difficult or impossible to resist once correctly applied.

Just don't forget, if all, or even a majority, of what a given art does is blocking, striking, and kicking at speed, they likely are very good at it. In other words, don't get the big-head.
 

Matt Bryers

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I'm learning Aikido for its beautiful defense. No fancy movements, no wasting of energy, and the very important thing is it is able to make you calm. It's elegant yet deadly Martial Art.

Hi Kiron!

I think your post was spot-on UNTIL you said "Deadly Martial Art". It's not that the movements and techniques of Aikido that are "wrong". In fact the movements, principles, flow, etc of Aiki is absolutely beautiful, and if applied correctly are very effective.

But here lies the problem - does your school train Aikido in realistic self-defense training? Are you sparring regularly, and if so, are you use Aikido techniques effectively? Are you training against modern weapons (where Aiki can really shine) done in a realistic manner?

The sub-problem to that is that Aikido works AFTER a connection has been made. The connection or entrance to use Aikido or any grappling-based martial art is the secret. Disrupting, striking, close-quarters-combat, etc is essential to actually use Aikido or Judo or Jiu-Jitsu. Why MMA is successful in using grappling is because they know how to defend and enter effectively to actually use grappling.

So - I hope that you continue to train Aikido. It is a wonderful art that has many effective combat PRINCIPLES. But if you're looking to train Aikido in a combative manner or to make it Deadly-Force worthy, you're going to have to supplement Aikido with other concepts.

Osss

Matt
 

Flying Crane

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If you get quality instruction and training, and you pursue that training enthusiastically, you can develop excellent defense and combative skills through the study of aikido.

There will always be somebody on the internet who wants to convince you otherwise. Most of them do not, and never did, train in the method that you train. For some people it seems like a life's mission.
 

Gerry Seymour

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I'm learning Aikido for its beautiful defense. No fancy movements, no wasting of energy, and the very important thing is it is able to make you calm. It's elegant yet deadly Martial Art.
There is little deadly about most Aikido, and I (as a teacher of an Aikido art) will argue that aiki arts are not the fastest path to self-defense. As for "best" that depends upon what your specific goal is. I happen to like the aiki toolset, but I find it very limited if you're not also developing a "hard" side with it, which would be either an effective striking game or an in-tight, Judo-style grappling game - preferably both.
 

Gerry Seymour

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I must be getting old. I don't really have any interest in this argument any more and I note the very low post count of both very polarized and minimal "sides" and it makes me skeptical.

Feh. <insert crotchety old dude comment here>

Get off my lawn.
Put your bifocals back on and go read your newspaper, Kirk.
 

Kung Fu Wang

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I must be getting old. I don't really have any interest in this argument any more and I note the very low post count of both very polarized and minimal "sides" and it makes me skeptical.
A: I'm learning MA style X.
B: I like that style.
C: I don't like that style.
B: #@!%^$#
C: *^&%$^#

We should all stay away from thread such as "Which MA style is the best?" It just means trouble.

Also, the thread discussion won't go have any meaning if everybody all agree (some people may prefer this kind of discussion).

A: I think MA style X is the best.
B: I agree with you 100%.
C: +1
D: +2
E: +3
F: +...

I's a lose-lose situation no matter which direction the discussion may go.
 
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Kiron

Kiron

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Hi Kiron!

I think your post was spot-on UNTIL you said "Deadly Martial Art". It's not that the movements and techniques of Aikido that are "wrong". In fact the movements, principles, flow, etc of Aiki is absolutely beautiful, and if applied correctly are very effective.

But here lies the problem - does your school train Aikido in realistic self-defense training? Are you sparring regularly, and if so, are you use Aikido techniques effectively? Are you training against modern weapons (where Aiki can really shine) done in a realistic manner?

The sub-problem to that is that Aikido works AFTER a connection has been made. The connection or entrance to use Aikido or any grappling-based martial art is the secret. Disrupting, striking, close-quarters-combat, etc is essential to actually use Aikido or Judo or Jiu-Jitsu. Why MMA is successful in using grappling is because they know how to defend and enter effectively to actually use grappling.

So - I hope that you continue to train Aikido. It is a wonderful art that has many effective combat PRINCIPLES. But if you're looking to train Aikido in a combative manner or to make it Deadly-Force worthy, you're going to have to supplement Aikido with other concepts.

Osss

Matt

Hi Matt, thank you for enlightening me. Thinking I different thing about Aikido is a disgrace to its Art. I think I need to comprehend more to understand the real essence of Aikido. Thanks again!
 

Buka

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Kiron and Anarax, welcome to MartialTalk fellas.
 

FighterTwister

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I'm learning Aikido for its beautiful defense. No fancy movements, no wasting of energy, and the very important thing is it is able to make you calm. It's elegant yet deadly Martial Art.


Yeah its a fine art, I did Aiki-Jiu-Jitsu for several years, then moved on.

I loved it for what it is, look into it, similar to this video.............

 
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Martial D

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I'm learning Aikido for its beautiful defense. No fancy movements, no wasting of energy, and the very important thing is it is able to make you calm. It's elegant yet deadly Martial Art.
Elegant anyway. :)
 

MA_Student

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I'm no expert but never really seen anything hugely deadly about it
 

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