Do you think Steven seagal is destroying Aikido?

[moonhill99]

In Steven seagal older movies it is mostly Aikido with not many punches or kicks but Steven seagal new movies have lot wing chun mixed in with Aikido lot more punches and kicks.

This make it confusing for students training in Aikido that go up to attacker and say do I use block/ take down or do I do strike to the face than take down. Do I kick groin area than use take down or no kick to groin area just take down.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Do people still pay attention to Steven Seagal?

 

[drop bear]

The issue you have is you have to win the dynamic you are engaging in.

So if I grab your wrist. You can't free your wrist or it doesn't work.

If I punch you. You can't punch me back harder or it doesn't work.

so. To make Aikido work. You have to engage the other guy in a fight dynamic that you are likely to win. So if you are going to strike to nake it work. You need good striking.

If you are going to grapple to make it work you need good grappling.

This kind of determines the method of entry you are going to use.

 

[marvin8]

In Steven seagal older movies it is mostly Aikido with not many punches or kicks but Steven seagal new movies have lot wing chun mixed in with Aikido lot more punches and kicks.

This make it confusing for students training in Aikido that go up to attacker and say do I use block/ take down or do I do strike to the face than take down. Do I kick groin area than use take down or no kick to groin area just take down.

Per Nishio Sensei...

From the start of the OP video, “The judo way of throwing… cannot be used in Aikido… In aikido, the opponent is unbalanced through the use of atemi [from a distance, not via gripping]... We don’t do it this way. When the opponent punches, we enter directly. Taking Initiative Instead of Blocking. This is not acceptable as a martial technique. Because when you parry him here, he will attack with the other hand. Block and counter. You can’t consider this way of doing it to be aikido… You have to have already defeated your opponent before being touched. You can’t attempt to grab after being struck. Our way of doing it is to enter, thus preventing him from striking. That’s how we execute the movement. Our way of grabbing is different too… In the usual way, you execute the movement after receiving the strike. We enter directly... We invite him to strike then enter… The hand that comes into contact with the opponent is to draw him out."

"We don't do it this way." With the front foot planted, the opponent can throw a feint, straight left, check hook or move back by pushing off the front foot...

“We are in this position.” From this position, the opponent is double weighted and hasn't landed his punch...

Shoji makes sense. His method follows universal concepts. It applies to both striking and throwing. There is empirical evidence that it works "live" in high level fighting.

 

[Dirty Dog]

In Steven seagal older movies it is mostly Aikido with not many punches or kicks but Steven seagal new movies have lot wing chun mixed in with Aikido lot more punches and kicks.

This make it confusing for students training in Aikido that go up to attacker and say do I use block/ take down or do I do strike to the face than take down. Do I kick groin area than use take down or no kick to groin area just take down.

Do you think there are very many people who get training advice from movies?

 

[moonhill99]

Do you think there are very many people who get training advice from movies?

Well what I’m bit worried is some one watching his movies than take up Aikido and wing chun and not knowing how two blend together. Unless there some MMA gym that teaches the two and blend the two together.

 

[Sammy Naur]

Well what I’m bit worried is some one watching his movies than take up Aikido and wing chun and not knowing how two blend together. Unless there some MMA gym that teaches the two and blend the two together.

There are definitely schools that train what people consider to be combat ready Aikido, like the judo students that overlap.

Indefinitely don't believe Steven Seagal is one of those, there's no evidence he was even a trained competitor or fighter.

 

[MuayJitsu]

I don’t think any movie makes a single bit of difference to do with any martial art

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Well what I’m bit worried is some one watching his movies than take up Aikido and wing chun and not knowing how two blend together. Unless there some MMA gym that teaches the two and blend the two together.

By the time they get to the point that they should be blending them together, they should understand how to do that properly on their own. And also be advanced enough that they have more motivation than they saw something cool in a movie.

 

[Haruhiko]

In Steven seagal older movies it is mostly Aikido with not many punches or kicks but Steven seagal new movies have lot wing chun mixed in with Aikido lot more punches and kicks.

This make it confusing for students training in Aikido that go up to attacker and say do I use block/ take down or do I do strike to the face than take down. Do I kick groin area than use take down or no kick to groin area just take down.

I don’t have any personal experience with Wing Chun or Aikido, as I haven’t studied or trained in them, but I can see how the differences in Steven Seagal’s movies might create some confusion. From what I understand, his earlier films focus more on Aikido’s traditional techniques, which prioritise redirecting an attacker’s energy into throws and joint locks, with strikes (atemi) used sparingly to unbalance or distract. In his later movies, though, he incorporates more punches and kicks that some believe are influenced by Wing Chun. Whether or not he formally trained in Wing Chun, it seems these changes were made for cinematic appeal rather than as a reflection of Aikido itself. Steven himself isn't known for his good character either so take what he says in interviews with a grain of salt. Before his Hollywood career he was an exceptional aikidoka, that much I do know.

If you're feeling unsure about how to approach certain situations in your training, like whether to strike or kick before a takedown, I’d suggest sticking to what your sensei teaches and focusing on the principles of Aikido. From what I’ve read, Aikido’s philosophy emphasises resolving conflict with control and minimal harm (though there are lethal techniques to it like eye gouging and breaking of fingers, bones, and all the stuff that'll likely put your opponent in hospital). It’s probably a good idea to have a conversation with your sensei to clarify how to apply your techniques in different scenarios, especially when what you see in movies doesn’t always align with traditional training.

There's a reason Aikido isn't fully represented in the UFC - a lot of its techniques are outright banned. Not Aikido techniques in and of themselves, but what the techniques do to whatever unfortunate soul is on the receiving end of a trained aikidoka.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Well what I’m bit worried is some one watching his movies than take up Aikido and wing chun and not knowing how two blend together. Unless there some MMA gym that teaches the two and blend the two together.

It's nice that you worry about total strangers. But I think by the time they learn enough for it to matter, they will know. And it will be their instructors problem to teach them how to use the arts together. Or their own, to figure it out.

In my own experience, it happens organically. You'll do something from art A and it flows naturally into something from art B.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Do you think Steven seagal is destroying Aikido?​

No

Do you think there are very many people who get training advice from movies?

Bingo

 

[frank raud]

Well what I’m bit worried is some one watching his movies than take up Aikido and wing chun and not knowing how two blend together. Unless there some MMA gym that teaches the two and blend the two together.

There is no doubt the fight choreographer on his movies should be arrested for the general publics benefit. No doubt you were traumatized when Robert Downey Jr portrayed Sherlock Holmes fighting with Wing Chun instead of Bartitsu, what a kerfuffle that was!

 

[marvin8]

If you're feeling unsure about how to approach certain situations in your training, like whether to strike or kick before a takedown, I’d suggest sticking to what your sensei teaches and focusing on the principles of Aikido. From what I’ve read, Aikido’s philosophy emphasises resolving conflict with control and minimal harm (though there are lethal techniques to it like eye gouging and breaking of fingers, bones, and all the stuff that'll likely put your opponent in hospital). It’s probably a good idea to have a conversation with your sensei to clarify how to apply your techniques in different scenarios, especially when what you see in movies doesn’t always align with traditional training.

Yes. The techniques used prior to the takedown vary depending on the moment and opponent. So, students should be taught the concepts and principles. Controlling, positioning and timing the opponent before the throw as Nishio Sensei shows.

The guy in the white helmet is a better fighter. He feints, controls the distance, moves and double weights the opponent, enters then finishes with an irimi nage type throw (no "leg skill" required).

https://imgur.com/7y5QQAB

 

[Tony Dismukes]

There's a reason Aikido isn't fully represented in the UFC - a lot of its techniques are outright banned.

I went looking through lists of Aikido techniques and the only thing I could find which would be banned in the UFC is the use of the bokken.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I went looking through lists of Aikido techniques and the only thing I could find which would be banned in the UFC is the use of the bokken.

Are small joint manipulations legal?

 

[Haruhiko]

I went looking through lists of Aikido techniques and the only thing I could find which would be banned in the UFC is the use of the bokken.

Small joint manipulation (e.g. twisting fingers or wrists), uncontrolled throws that risk head or neck injury, attacks to the spine or back of the head, pressure point attacks, and techniques involving hair pulling or groin strikes are all banned.

The UFC would be way more interesting with bokken though, admittedly

 

[Dirty Dog]

 

[JowGaWolf]

Do people still pay attention to Steven Seagal?

That's the same question that made me even check out this thread lol

 

[JowGaWolf]

Do you think there are very many people who get training advice from movies?

Speaking from someone who used to watch kung fu movies all the time. I had to bleach all of that out of my system. What I saw in the movies was preventing me from being able to apply kung fu. The 70's and 80's were the worst examples of "How to use Kung Fu."