# Aikido newbie



## Rabbitthekitten (Jun 15, 2017)

Hello. I'm trying aikido tomorrow for the first time. I'm not sure what to expect exactly. 

I've done taekwondo for just under a year but from what I understand it's the complete opposite, being a soft grappling, rather than hard striking art. Does anyone think this would cause problems?


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## Paul_D (Jun 15, 2017)

Rabbitthekitten said:


> Hello. I'm trying aikido tomorrow for the first time. I'm not sure what to expect exactly.
> 
> I've done taekwondo for just under a year but from what I understand it's the complete opposite, being a soft grappling, rather than hard striking art. Does anyone think this would cause problems?


Problems in what respect?


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## Rabbitthekitten (Jun 15, 2017)

Paul_D said:


> Problems in what respect?



I have no idea, some people think it's impossible to learn more than one art. 

Personally I think it's nonsense. But I'm happy to defer to people with more experience and I'd be interested to see what they have to say on the issue.


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## Paul_D (Jun 15, 2017)

So you are going to train both styles at the same time?


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## Rabbitthekitten (Jun 15, 2017)

Paul_D said:


> So you are going to train both styles at the same time?



That's the idea, I do taekwondo in Mondays and Wednesdays. I'd do this on Fridays. Just to get me out of the house really.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jun 15, 2017)

Rabbitthekitten said:


> Hello. I'm trying aikido tomorrow for the first time. I'm not sure what to expect exactly.
> 
> I've done taekwondo for just under a year but from what I understand it's the complete opposite, being a soft grappling, rather than hard striking art. Does anyone think this would cause problems?


Having a background in something else should actually give you a foundation most in Aikido won't have. Do you know which Aikido you're going to be studying - which lineage or organization?


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## Gerry Seymour (Jun 15, 2017)

Rabbitthekitten said:


> I have no idea, some people think it's impossible to learn more than one art.
> 
> Personally I think it's nonsense. But I'm happy to defer to people with more experience and I'd be interested to see what they have to say on the issue.


Most of us here have experience in more than one art. Many trained multiple arts at the same time. There's no reason you can't. There will be times your movement in one won't be "idea", because of something you've integrated from the other, but in the long run it won't be an issue. You'll be slower than average at developing in some areas, and faster in other areas.


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## Rabbitthekitten (Jun 15, 2017)

gpseymour said:


> Having a background in something else should actually give you a foundation most in Aikido won't have. Do you know which Aikido you're going to be studying - which lineage or organization?



This is what I copied and pasted from the page. 

We teach traditional aikikai aikido and are affiliated to the United Kingdom Aikikai (UKA) through the Ren Shin Kan house.

Ei Mei Kan Leicester Aikikai - 栄明館 レスター 合気道 - is part of the Joint Aikikai Council (JAC); all our kyu grades are recognised nationally and the dan grades internationally.

Here is the link Ei Mei Kan Leicester Aikikai Dojo :: Traditional aikikai :: 栄明館 レスター 合気道



gpseymour said:


> Most of us here have experience in more than one art. Many trained multiple arts at the same time. There's no reason you can't. There will be times your movement in one won't be "idea", because of something you've integrated from the other, but in the long run it won't be an issue. You'll be slower than average at developing in some areas, and faster in other areas.



That's good to know.  Apart from the slower part.  But extra work to improve I guess.


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## Paul_D (Jun 15, 2017)

I've never trained two arts at once, let us know how you get on.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jun 15, 2017)

Rabbitthekitten said:


> This is what I copied and pasted from the page.
> 
> We teach traditional aikikai aikido and are affiliated to the United Kingdom Aikikai (UKA) through the Ren Shin Kan house.
> 
> ...


Aikikai will usually be one of the softer (and more mainline) versions.


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## Rabbitthekitten (Jun 15, 2017)

Paul_D said:


> I've never trained two arts at once, let us know how you get on.



Yes, I will. 



gpseymour said:


> Aikikai will usually be one of the softer (and more mainline) versions.



What does that mean exactly. Sorry if I sound a bit stupid. I'm completely new to all of this.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jun 15, 2017)

Rabbitthekitten said:


> Yes, I will.
> 
> 
> 
> What does that mean exactly. Sorry if I sound a bit stupid. I'm completely new to all of this.


They typically use a relatively stylized set of attacks to allow students to develop flow and to focus on working with the momentum of the attack. They do little or no pushing and pulling. I don't think I've ever seen them use strikes in their techniques, though I've only spent a total of maybe 10 or 12 days in Aikikai schools.


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## Rabbitthekitten (Jun 15, 2017)

gpseymour said:


> They typically use a relatively stylized set of attacks to allow students to develop flow and to focus on working with the momentum of the attack. They do little or no pushing and pulling. I don't think I've ever seen them use strikes in their techniques, though I've only spent a total of maybe 10 or 12 days in Aikikai schools.



Ahh ok, interesting. My knowledge of aikido is pretty much zero. So there are different styles of aikido which employ slightly different methods? Is this right?


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## Gerry Seymour (Jun 16, 2017)

Rabbitthekitten said:


> Ahh ok, interesting. My knowledge of aikido is pretty much zero. So there are different styles of aikido which employ slightly different methods? Is this right?


There are. Most are descended from Ueshiba's teachings (including the version you'll be studying). To my knowledge, there are two that did not: Aikido Korindo, and Nihon Goshin Aikido (my primary art). NGA was almost certainly influenced by Ueshiba's early teaching, but is separately descended from the same primary source: Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu. Within Ueshiba's art, there are a few well-known variations (Shioda's Yoshinkan Aikido, Tomiki's Shotokan Aikido, and Tohei's Shin-Shin Toitsu are the most visible). And there are a few organizations within the Aikikai.

But don't get too wrapped up in that stuff right now. It's intellectually interesting, but won't be terribly useful, as information goes, for a while. Once you have some fundamentals, this kind of thing can help inform you about the principles and approach of the specific style you're studying.


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## Headhunter (Jun 16, 2017)

So you're not doing jiu jitsu anymore? Surely you'd know what it's like training 2 since you already did it


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## Rabbitthekitten (Jun 16, 2017)

gpseymour said:


> There are. Most are descended from Ueshiba's teachings (including the version you'll be studying). To my knowledge, there are two that did not: Aikido Korindo, and Nihon Goshin Aikido (my primary art). NGA was almost certainly influenced by Ueshiba's early teaching, but is separately descended from the same primary source: Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu. Within Ueshiba's art, there are a few well-known variations (Shioda's Yoshinkan Aikido, Tomiki's Shotokan Aikido, and Tohei's Shin-Shin Toitsu are the most visible). And there are a few organizations within the Aikikai.
> 
> But don't get too wrapped up in that stuff right now. It's intellectually interesting, but won't be terribly useful, as information goes, for a while. Once you have some fundamentals, this kind of thing can help inform you about the principles and approach of the specific style you're studying.



Thanks. That's interesting.


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## Rabbitthekitten (Jun 16, 2017)

Headhunter said:


> So you're not doing jiu jitsu anymore? Surely you'd know what it's like training 2 since you already did it



I went to a class but didn't like the atmosphere so I didn't go back. One class doesn't really count I think.


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## Headhunter (Jun 16, 2017)

Rabbitthekitten said:


> I went to a class but didn't like the atmosphere so I didn't go back. One class doesn't really count I think.


You said you loved it in your post and signed up to a few classes.

Anyway do what you want there's no right or wrong answers it's personal preference


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## Rabbitthekitten (Jun 16, 2017)

Headhunter said:


> You said you loved it in your post and signed up to a few classes.
> 
> Anyway do what you want there's no right or wrong answers it's personal preference



I did, but the teacher guy never sent me the form for the payment, I was going to wait for him to send for a week or so before I emailed, but he never did. And after following the group on Facebook there was quite a bit of arrogance and disrespect shown to other other arts by people practising. I just thought it wasn't for me in the end. I did try it somewhere else, but it didn't fit in around my work and taekwondo so I gave up with it.


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