Aiki and the streets?

[amir]

Just like any other martial art theres techniques that you pick from and try that will be effective and some that wont be even close.I do belive if a technique gets botched up in an altercation that you should strike as much as you possibly can.Its the street right?So you have to do anything you possibly can to survive.

You can try and look at seperat techniques and examine their usefulness in various situations. But that would not be Aikido, because you are missing the most important aspect of this discussion - Aiki.

Amir

 

[Yari]

You can try and look at seperat techniques and examine their usefulness in various situations. But that would not be Aikido, because you are missing the most important aspect of this discussion - Aiki.

Amir

Wouldn't you mean that you lose a part fo the concept Aiki? For Aiki can't be taken out the technique, for if it could there wouldn't be a need for the technique.

/yari

 

[samurai69]

For Aiki can't be taken out the technique, for if it could there wouldn't be a need for the technique.

/yari

Isnt that the whole point

 

[Yari]

Isnt that the whole point

I wasn't that clear. I mean that there wouldn't be any reason to learn Aiki by usign these sepcified techniques. There is a reason that these techniques(aikido) are used to learn both selfdefense but also Aiki.

So I belive that saying that just looking at techniques you'll miss Aiki is wrong. You might mis the whole picture, but you'll stille be getting some Aiki because it's a part of the techniques.

Was I clearer?

/yari

 

[amir]

So I believe that saying that just looking at techniques you'll miss Aiki is wrong. You might miss the whole picture, but you'll still be getting some Aiki because it's a part of the techniques.

Aiki is mostly beyond or between the techniques: Moving in front of an attack so it will be difficult to hit you, getting an opportunity to perform some technique. And then selecting the right technique to use - those are fundamental parts of Aiki. These are at least as important as the technique itself.

You can perform most "Aikido joint locks" based on superior force and/or stunning your opponent with strikes. In my view, that would not be Aiki nor Aikido at all - but a crude form of low quality Ju-Jutsu. Aikido (and Aiki-M.A. and Ju-M.A.) are not about the technique, but rather about correct movement.

When I read statement of Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, and senior students of his; when I read technical statements (not bravado) of members of the Gracy family; and when I read statements from other senior M.A. exponents; I find those same principles everywhere:
* Learn to adjust yourself to the situation - be sensitive. In Aiki - we call this soft.
* Learn to use the opponent power, movement and intention. In Aiki - this is part of harmony.
* Learn to use superior positioning rather then force. Technical means to achieve the above.

Need I continue ?

Amir

 

[Yari]

.......

Need I continue ?

Amir

Nope, I'm just stating more or less the same as you. But trying to emphesize that Aikido is both technique and movement and filosofi. Beacuse you'll have no Aiki if you dont have movement or technique. But focusing on just one of the areas is not the whole picture, in my opion(sp?).

/Yari

 

[scottcatchot]

Great discussions. I will add my experience. I train in Aikido. I have always had a problem with being a little too honest with my instructor and I would tell him when I did not see how a technique would work when someone was really trying to fight it. He never would explained he wanted to "show me" so I would resist and then get thrown, slammed, or bowing to Sensei due to Nykkio. The techniques do work. The problem with "street application" is the same faced with all real fights, you don't know what is going to happen next so alot depends on your own experience. I worked at a maximum security prison in Texas for 2 1/2 years as a corrctional officer. I was involved in several uses of force during that time. In some my Aikido worked exactly as it did in the dojo, other times unexpected counters or circumstances causewd something not to go right. But my training and experience helped me maintain focus, not freak out and continue to fight. The point, nothing works perfect all the time.

 

[AlwaysTraining]

Great discussions. I will add my experience. I train in Aikido. I have always had a problem with being a little too honest with my instructor and I would tell him when I did not see how a technique would work when someone was really trying to fight it. He never would explained he wanted to "show me" so I would resist and then get thrown, slammed, or bowing to Sensei due to Nykkio. The techniques do work. The problem with "street application" is the same faced with all real fights, you don't know what is going to happen next so alot depends on your own experience. I worked at a maximum security prison in Texas for 2 1/2 years as a corrctional officer. I was involved in several uses of force during that time. In some my Aikido worked exactly as it did in the dojo, other times unexpected counters or circumstances causewd something not to go right. But my training and experience helped me maintain focus, not freak out and continue to fight. The point, nothing works perfect all the time.

I'd say that's where training comes in. The better you are, the more likely it is to work exactly as it does in the dojo.