Aikido optimized and structured program

Discussion in 'Aikido' started by hrig, Oct 19, 2016.

  1. hrig

    hrig New Member

    Does any one know a site with video lessons teaching aikido in an optimized and structured way?

    Let me explain.

    What I mean when I say “optimized” is:

    When you go to an Aikido class, you learn a lot of moves. After months or years training, you begin to realize that some of them would really work in a self defense situation, but a lot of them just wouldn’t.
    Let me give you a example: any move that relies on my opponent having to hold my wrist never letting go no matter what, just wouldn’t work in a real fight. While I would try to do some sort of body move to set up an Ikkio, the person would just let my wrist go and punch me.
    I do not want to learn those kind of moves.
    If you tell me that move is a good exercise for developing a notion of space and knowing my own body, I reply to you in advance: dance does the same thing and I think it is not a good idea to do 5 years of dancing before learning an effective arm lock. Another way to put this is that notion of space is good for driving too but you do not see any drive instructor training people 5 years of space notion before showing the gas and brake pedals.

    What I’m looking for is a program that has cut off all the fancy inefficient stuff and selected the real effective moves that do exist in aikido! They are just hidden there in the middle of lots and lots of dance like moves I, sincerely, do not want to learn.

    Now, what I mean when I say “structured” is:

    I also do not like the Aikido learning systems were you just learn the moves randomly. It would be better if the classes were structured in a way you learn first all the counters to, let’s say, wrist grabs. Only after you know all variations of counters to all kinds of wrist grabs (plan A and plan B, if A doesn’t work) you would move on to, let’s say, counters to punches.

    Now, why I want video lessons:

    I know fighting video lessons don work alone. I will keep goint to my dojo to train with real people. I just want need the video complementantion because I’m afraid my real people training won’t, alone, make me able to defend myself.

    Does that optimized and structured aikido video course exists or I this is just an impossible dream?
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2016
  2. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Youtube "Aikido3d". Might be up your street. You have to pay for it though.
     
  3. Knee Rider

    Knee Rider Valued Member Supporter

    Have you considered cross training in Judo?
     
  4. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

  5. hrig

    hrig New Member

    Thanks Chadderz. That’s an interesting resource. They have not cut off the unrealistic moves. But it definitely helps seen the lessons in advance and choosing which I want to see. If there were a real teacher explaining and telling the most common mistakes, it would be perfect.

    Knee Rider, you mean train also judo? I’ve considered that. That’s a good ideia. But my main concern is time optimization that is to know in advance the ineffective aikido moves and focus on training just the effective ones
     
  6. Thomas

    Thomas Combat Hapkido/Taekwondo

    Sounds like you may not be getting what you want in the school you are in. Sounds like you may wish to join a RBSD school for practical real-world stuff and/or a sport martial arts school (like an MMA school) where you can practice pretty freely under few restrictions.

    The downside of learning a TMA is that, generally, you are expected to learn the whole curriculum as the instructor(s) teach it. In most (if not all cases), many of those seemingly useless drills and techniques have a purpose and all contribute to an understanding of the art. My experience in the limited cross training I have done in Aikido is that there is a grand plan to develop the skills and body over a looooong period of time and that each step is important to leading to the next one. If you don't want that, why stay with Aikido? There are many similar arts, some that have spinoffs that are based in RBSD that may fit your goals better.


    Whereas videos can serve as great resources and for ideas on how to do things, they really work best in conjunction with a program that has real people working together.

    What you may find better is getting a few of your classmates to go with you to some local seminars or cross training at a RBSD school or some sport training schools that offer fairly open pressure tested sparring to work this material. Get a video that goes along with (either purchase or record) and then use that guide your studies with your classmates. This way, the video contains a reference to what you've already learned in person and wish to continue practicing.
     
  7. Knee Rider

    Knee Rider Valued Member Supporter

    You might find judo provides the base to be able to make those techniques work. Original Aikidoka were mostly judoka first. The way Aikido is taught, as well as the material itself, is often highly theoretical and not always that conducive to practical ability even for those techniques which appear valid 'out of the box'.

    If you are looking to just cherry pick certain workable techniques from Aikido it might be worth considering that training methodology and what that contributes to the functional understanding of how to use your own body, move and adjust to someone elses and feel out an application is just as much if not more important than technical syllabus/specific techniques.

    Time spent dealing with a resisting body in randori will develop your ability to implement techniques from whatever art, full stop.
     
  8. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    If you're wanting to optimise for fighting/self defence then perhaps find a place that teaches fighting/self defence. Aikido is a martial art and unfortunately more often than not is not designed for such real confrontations.
     
  9. aikiMac

    aikiMac aikido + boxing = very good Moderator Supporter

    YouTube "The Rogue Warriors" for their videos on "Tenshin Aikido"
    https://www.youtube.com/user/lscc1313


    Suggestion: Pick something else to learn, instead of aikido.

    Or, if you are lucky enough to live where you have a pick of aikido schools, go somewhere else. Try Iwama or Yoshinkan or, even better, try Tomiki style aikido.
     
  10. hrig

    hrig New Member

    thank you all for the suggestions.

    Unfortunately, I live in a distant place that does not offers any kind of self defense program, just the traditional judo, BJJ, aikido, karate. My only option is training those arts with a self defence mindset filtering the inefficient stuff. That’s why I posted my question.


    Hey Knee Rider (or anyone that wants to give their opinion), I have a question: Judo teaches the same armlocks andwristlocks in Aikido?
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2016
  11. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Self defense is not martial arts and vice versa - go do BJJ :)
     
  12. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    The work of Iain Abernethy (a karate bunkai guy) has really helped me "place" wrist locks and wrist grabs into a wider combative context.
    In his bunkai his wrists get grabbed because, in a clinch/rsbd situation, he's trying to throat grab, eye gouge, groin grab or punch the guy. The wrist locks and releases then flow from that and serve to clear the grip to carry on hitting. It doesn't matter if the grip is released without the lock or technique working fully because the intent is maintain the ability to keep hitting rather than chasing the wrist lock itself.
    IMHO arts that focus on wrist grabs and wrist locks (like Aikido) have lost he combative context of how, when and why they occur.
    Also I think wrist locks coming from wrist grabs make a lot more sense when you're walking around with a weapon on one of your hips. Which obviously is another context that has been lost.
     
  13. hrig

    hrig New Member

    Yep, I'm already in BJJ, love it. But I'm I think it lacks standing arm locks and standing wrist locks.

    I can put my original question this way: I wish there were a Brazilian Aikido to add to my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
     
  14. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Haha, well put! I would train that 100%

    EDIT: Can I put that in my signature?
     
  15. greg1075

    greg1075 Valued Member

    There is. It's called Jujutsu. And you probably have a higher chance of finding a jujutsu school that incorporates resistance training than Aikido.
     
  16. hrig

    hrig New Member

    yes!
     
  17. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    But not really though. You'll never find something as resting as bjj in the context of aikido.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2016
  18. aikiMac

    aikiMac aikido + boxing = very good Moderator Supporter

    There are "aikido" locks in the judo kata, yes. I haven't been exposed to enough judo to know how broad the selection is, though.
     

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