# More of a combative style of Aikido for more violent times



## Jas (Feb 2, 2003)

If I had to think of one thing I would change about Aikido it would be the rep it has built as a passive art! Just like any style of Martial art Aikido has evolved to fit the times, and just like other styles it is based on a spiritual backround. Nihon Goshin Aikido has adapted to a more violent age, in this style gone is the idea that you can end a confrontation in a peaceful manner, we are taught to beat our attackers with a number of defences that are meant to severly disable them. The only thing we take from Usheba(?) is the skill of blending and using your attackers energy against him by redirecting him in a circular motion. I respect all styles and this is only meant to open people up to the fact that Nihon Goshin Aikido is real, in the dojo I have been knocked out when I messed up and I have had my bell rung alot in the begining, that is because we train for real street style attacks. please check us out at Aikidoinc.com.


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## bob919 (Feb 2, 2003)

mixing aikido with wing chun would be a great idea emphasize aikido on the deffensive and wing chun on the offensive this should give a well rounded art in which you should satay good at even when you get alot older mix it with some more ground fighting like BJJ and you will become excellent one on one


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## Jester (Feb 3, 2003)

I've just started Aikido as a second martial art (kick boxing being first).

As you say the art is practised in class with little resistence (e.g not real) but I can see how the applications can be applied to real life and I will train them that way myself in my own time.

Its all about taking whatever martial art you study to what ever level you want to, the art is never restrictive only the person studying it.


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## bob919 (Feb 5, 2003)

every art is restrictive but that isn't the problem alot of people are restricive to one art thats whatm goes wrong jester, you have the right idea; hard external striking with soft internal defense excellent combo


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## Yari (Feb 5, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Jas _
> *If I had to think of one thing I would change about Aikido it would be the rep it has built as a passive art!*




I agree, I would like it to be change to responsive art.

Aikido is alot of things, and there are many different styles of it. Emphesizing(sp?) from just KI to more "realistic" techniques. But I think that all Aikido styles have the possibility of functional techniques.

I would like to point out that alot of people say that Aikido can't be used in it's full, but I disagree. True you don't learn to punch and kick, which are simple to learn, but Aikido tries to learn you the most important thing: sensetivity to movement. If uke moves ina certain way, what is the optimal response?! When you learn this your 80% on your way.

/Yari


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## Jas (Feb 5, 2003)

In Nihon Goshin Aikido we do learn to strike (punch/kick) that is just one way it has evolved.


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## Infight (Feb 13, 2003)

Hi Guys!

    Im a brown belt jiu-jitsu fighter ( i dont say brazilian because im on Brazil so it makes no sense to say it), and im a fan of Aikido, i think its a real soft martial art, and can be very efective too, but to be serious i dont have much knowledge about it, i want to know if there is some site with basics of Aikido, like some moves, locks, dont know, something just to get a better idea about it.
   If you can help me, please tell me where i can find it, or maybe if you have a book of aikido in a pdf format and can send me, ill be really glad for it, i can send you some bjj books too in pdf format, thx.


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## Angus (Feb 13, 2003)

> _Originally posted by bob919 _
> *mixing aikido with wing chun would be a great idea emphasize aikido on the deffensive and wing chun on the offensive this should give a well rounded art in which you should satay good at even when you get alot older mix it with some more ground fighting like BJJ and you will become excellent one on one *



Aikido and Wing Chun have COMPLETELY different philosophies toward attack, defense, movement, position, etc, let alone BJJ. How would this be beneficial at all?


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## Infight (Feb 13, 2003)

Hi, i think what he meant was that with bjj you could defend yourself on ground, everybody needs to know something about ground fighting, or youll be lost against anyone who knows.
  I just desagree about Wing Chun, its not agressive, its just a plastical kung fu, like any other, he should do some reall agressive and the most important effective, like Kickboxing, Thai, Karate Kyokushin or something in this line.


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## Angus (Feb 13, 2003)

Why? Those contradict the philosophies of Aikido even further that Wing Chun would, especially given that Muay Thai and most Kyokushin, though I love them, are competition based. That would most certainly NOT compliment Aikido in the least!

I love BJJ and study it, and though it's the least contradictory, it's not as though Aikido doesn't have ground techniques as well. Just not a focus on training there like it is on standing because I'd rather just roll over and get up that fight on the ground!


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## Yari (Feb 14, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Infight _
> * i want to know if there is some site with basics of Aikido *



Try this and see if it helps you on the way : http://www.aikiweb.com/

On the other hand I agree with Angus. It's a weird mix of styles.

/Yari


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## Jas (Feb 14, 2003)

To see more about Nihon Goshin Aikido check out Aikidoinc.com


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## angrywhitepajamas (Feb 15, 2003)

The strength of aikido is its "passivness".  Most hard stylists that I know consider aikido practitioners unable to defend against a full intentioned attack.  But that is missing the point. You can be extremely agressive in aikido.  It just dosen't look like what most of us are used to seeing.


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## brothershaw (Feb 17, 2003)

Regarding doing wing chun and aikido,
   Wing Chun is both offensive and defensive simultaneously. Also if done correctly it is very soft, and not using strength against strength which is part of aikidos philosphy. However wing chun tends to operate at a much closer distance  than aikido, and is also less concerned with off balancing, throwing and locking. Not to say that in wing chun we dont off balance, throw,sweep, lock or break its just that that is not necessarily the prime objective. 
If someone attacks you respond, if you happen to get a sweep or break or throw fine, but you may have already hit them 5 times anyway. 
      I have nothing against aikido, but aikido and wing chun have 2 different mindsets, that are in my opinion contradictory. I think an aikido person would do better learning some jujitsu (not bjj) to complement thier aikido training. Not to mention the chinese martial arts and the japanese martial arts tend to have a very different mindframe not to mention the differences in the ideas about ki and chi and body movement. I say this from personal experience.


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## Infight (Feb 23, 2003)

HI Again guys!

 Thanks Yari, that site was exactly what i was looking for!

   About topic, i see your point, and agree with it. I said a mix of BJJ and Aikido thinking just in techniques, not in philosophie, but of course if you pratice martial art based on its philosophies, it will not fit, then i think old Judo will fit much better with Aikido, than BJJ.
   But i think that Aikido, exactly for its principles is not well explored. To make my point of view clear to you, ill tell you a fight that i saw in a Vale Tudo in Brazil. A Muay Thai fighter fought against a guy that pratices Karate ( im not quite sure, but i think both black "belts"). In the middle of fight, the karate guy threw a punch direct to the Muay Thai guy's face, but he took his wrist and went to an armlock, laying the guy on ground. ( That common one you guys do). It was amazing, than i thought why not more fighters pratices Aikido, of course by principles, but shoudnt have some line of Aikido that could help guys fights these kind of vale tudo fight,? you know, most of aikido's sensei dunno allowed his disciples enter a fight.
  I know it sounds wierd to you, because Aikido is based on it passiveness, but of course its a Martial Art, and its techniques could have great value to a real fight too, should senseis fit its techniques to some fight situations that happen in these "everything goes" fights? Do you think this must be forbidden?
  You know, there are 3 kind of martial artists,  the guys who pratice for healthy and enlightment, those who pratice for selfdefense and those who pratices for competitive objectives, i think aikido can cover the first 2, but there is no much competitve feelings on it, and i agree that shouldnt have, but dont you think could open new horizons to it, if some guys pratices with competitve thoughts? Some senseis in Brazil are trying to do that, but the older ones are very conservative about that. I think all kind of praticioners should pratices aikido, its a very valueable art, and could really help some guys on its competitions.


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## Yari (Feb 24, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Infight _
> *  I know it sounds wierd to you, because Aikido is based on it passiveness ..   *



I would argument that Aikido is responsive, not passive.

/Yari


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## theletch1 (Apr 30, 2003)

Yari, I like the responsive vs passive analogy.  I've studied kenpo for the last 2 years and am about to begin the study of Aikido.  From sitting in on the class and doing what other research I've been able to do I think kenpo and aikido would blend well together.  I sat in on a class monday night and saw a couple of techniques that looked very similar to kenpo and kenpo has never been called a passive art.  I am looking forward to the philisophical side of the art though.  I'm not interested in competition with anyone but myself so there is no problem there.  All of the discussion about blending styles is really a JKD mindset but I think that most western pratitioners have a little bit of the whatever works mentality going on anyway.


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## Mark Jakabcsin (Apr 30, 2003)

JAS wrote: "More of a combative style of Aikido for more violent times "

Actually this is a very false statement, concerning 'more violent times.' Violent crime statistics in the US have trended downward for since 1990 and are at the lowest levels since before the Vietnam War. Last year showed the first year of leveling off with slight increases in a few areas. While the media does a great job of selling advertisements for their news shows and newspapers they do a louse job of actually reporting facts. Lower crime doesn't sell ad space so it doesn't get reported. Furthermore, the public generally believes the US is one of the most violent countries in the world, which is likewise totaly false. Of the top ten industrial nations in the world the US is in the bottom half for violent crime per capita. The UK is at or near the top in almost every category, many believe due to their recent gun control laws. Lastly, if you look throughout history mankind has become far more tolerant and far less violent than at any other era, at least in the western world. Good marketing phrase just not true.

mark


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## Yari (May 1, 2003)

> _Originally posted by theletch1 _
> *I think kenpo and aikido would blend well together.  *



I dont know kenpo, so I'd love to hear more about this.

Do you know what kind of Aikido it was?

/Yari


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## theletch1 (May 7, 2003)

Nihon Goshin Aikido.  I've just gone back to the dojo to sign all the necessary paperwork and get my equipment.  It's gonna take some getting used to wearing a white gi after all this time in a black one.:shrug:


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## twinkletoes (May 29, 2003)

I think one thing that lends effectiveness to Aikido *without* changing it at all is to crosstrain in judo (or wrestling/BJJ).  By practicing a "sporting" art in which you have competitive practice against a partner, you build the attributes of timing and you heighten your awareness (to kuzushi, positioning, etc).  Developing these attributes will only improve your aiki techniques and make it more realistic for *you* personally to do them on someone.   

There are other ways, but arts with competitive "randori" will help immeasurably.

Best,

~Chris


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