@baby cart Sorry, tried, but can't read through all your constant arguments. Your line of debate could attempt to devalue any martial art. The same questions you ask, I've asked many times and been asked hundreds of times. These questions were eye opening twenty years ago to me, now they are not to me, but still maybe to other people so they should still be asked and passed on to others. Bottom line is that there are plenty of people with Aikido in their backgrounds that find it useful in whatever martial art they train in now. They find it useful because the principles cross-over to all martial arts.
Much of what baby cart posts makes good sense to me. I just have two things I don't like about his postings in this thread: 1) I don't like how he takes good questions and some good discussion on his part, but tries to jam in too much. In the end, the good and the bad get blended together and to me it ends up the equivalent of internet vomit. 2) The good questions he does have are nothing original these days, which is a good thing because these types of questions and discussions are quite sound to last the test of time. I could refer to these questions and answers as textbook. What I don't like is that unlike when I've had discussions with folks in the past, baby cart does not seem to demonstrate the ability to actually go beyond these questions with sound experience. What I mean by sound experience is experience in the extrapolation of the questions and answers beyond the textbook (e.g. some show of wisdom beyond the regurgitation of materials). Most of us with large post counts here have debated on the internet and been wrong at times. I remember arguing some long time with BJJ folks about BJJ having strikes and them saying it didn't. I had to go back to my instructor to find out that what I actually was learning when I first started BJJ cross training was for Vale Tudo. So I'm not concerned about if people are wrong or right in discussions as long as they have a good attitude and show some empathy. What concerns me is the regurgitation of materials, and this applies to everyone, without the actual most important aspect of these materials... and that is to keep an open mind. There are those that regurgitate materials with really nothing beyond this and then there are those that are pioneers in a field. What pioneers do is they are always trying to learn, from anyone. What non-pioneers do is close their mind to only learn from a limited source and try to argue with the rest.
Both the Japan Aikido Association and the Shodokan Aikido Federation have a competitive format. Tomiki Sensei followed the format used by Kano, by grouping techniques into various kata. Ohba Sensei played a major role in assisting Tomiki with this process as he held dan grades in various martial arts including weapons systems, he held the total of 39 dan grades. Embu (Kata) competition Tanto Randori Toshu Randori (Both Aikidoka Open handed) [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST5JKA2hasc"]Koryu Dai San kata Gold medal 2013 International Aikido Competition - YouTube[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNPDlAdEh2k"]Josh Ramey vs. Norihiro Shimada at Kawasaki 2013 - YouTube[/ame] [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATabB8Wunjg"]International Aikido Competition - YouTube[/ame]
Stanley Pranin has a short video blog that covers this question. It pretty much gets right to the point. O Sensei's life experiences in WWII shaped his view of budo and it's purpose. He believed that competition led to the excesses of war. So there is really no other reason other than it was the founders wish. http://blog.aikidojournal.com/2013/06/04/stanley-pranins-video-blog-why-no-competition-in-aikido/
Well yes but I think arguably it has more to do with the fact that aikijujitsu doesn't have competition to begin with, toss in a dose of Japanese traditionalism, a spoonful of omotokyo and a sprinkling of the second world war and you you have non-competitive training. As the video points out Tomiki is the only one to start competitive aikido of the pre-war group. If the main influence for the lack of competition was WW2 you would expect to see more of the pre-war group going competitive but even people like Shioda who held a 3rd dan in Judo and taught very pre-war, hard style aikido didn't go the competitive route.
That might be true if it were the only influence on Aikido and Aikidoka like Tomiki hadn't tried to introduce competition.
I think I always interpreted O'Sensei's words differently. When saying there is no "winning or losing", I felt that meant that you must do what is necessary and right. Winning leads to others wanting "revenge" (wanting to beat you) and the cycle of revenge never ends. "If I kill your student, you kill my student, etc. etc. etc." You see there are no winners or losers in this... maybe just everyone loses. Instead, end the cycle by never starting it, be true to oneself and do what is necessary and right. For some, there is a time and place when competition is necessary and right. I could argue that if you want to get better, improve, and learn about life, you need to gain experience and through competition, experience can be gained. Competition can make you better!!! However, there are so many things in competition that "make you lose yourself"! When you buy into competition as your persona, it can be like a false sense of success. It can be tough to stay true to yourself and your family in such cases. So maybe it isn't the competition that is bad, it is what competition can do to someone and their families that is bad.
In terms of competition. There is a difference between making something difficult or doing something difficult to better one's self and trying to be better than someone else for the sake of your ego. The latter is what I understand O Sensei did not approve of. I think it's clear O Sensei had no problem with hard practice in martial arts. Taking ego out of the equation is, I think, the important part.
Peacemaking Do you think this article is accurate in regards to Morihei Ueshiba? http://www.nollassociates.com/Columns/Peace59.html An excerpt: “The Way of the Warrior has been misunderstood as a means to kill and destroy others. Those who seek competition are making a grave mistake. To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst sin a human being can commit. The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent slaughter—it is the Art of Peace, the power of love.” Unlike Sun Tzu or Musashi, who accepted the inevitability of war, emphasized cunning strategy and manipulation of the enemy as a means to victory, Ueshiba understood that continued fighting with others and ourselves was disastrous. “What we need now,” he wrote during the depths of World War Two, “are techniques of harmony, not those of contention. The Art of Peace is required, not the Art of War.” Through the martial art of Aikido, Ueshiba taught the Art of Peace as a means of handling aggression. The Art of Peace is a way of life that fosters fearlessness, wisdom, love, and friendship. Ueshiba believed that every person could become a Warrior for Peace.
It could have been if the article hadn't referred to video clips of O Sensei in his 70's and 80's. It made a good start but then got lost in the mysticism. Which leads me to believe the author might be misquoting things for his own ends.
Yeah I wonder about translations of O'Sensei's words and how much context is applied to them. I have a copy of Budo, translated by John Stevens, who my Aikido instructor had trained with at some point (I think briefly). She always said good things about him. However, even his translation I come to find out later was regarded as not accurate and even rejected by the family (I heard). It is all water under the bridge to me, but makes me wonder.
You might be interested in this article that comments on John Stevens' translation of "Budo". Best, Chris
He wrote an unauthorised biography about O Sensei called Abundant Peace, basically drawing on all the mysticism and promoting all the legends about him. It also went into O Sensei's personal life without permission. Which is as I understand it, is a cultural faux pas in Japan. So the Ueshiba family was understandably upset. And it's not as though the guy was ignorant of Japanese culture. The sales patter on the back cover even claims Stevens was O Sensei's biographer. Which I don't think was quite true.
As one who has been in Law Enforcement, that's a pretty bold claim regarding joint manipulations!! May I ask where you got your info from?
Again, that's a bold claim. Seeing how a majority of arrests are made with joint manipulations and hand on tactics.
In a short no, Aikido is not about hard contact as it is using leverage and the opponents own strength against him/her. Aikido runs along the same principles as Judo, Hapkido, Jui-Jitsu, and other "soft" systems. All use joint manipulation, leverage, and what many consider soft hand targets.
itf was banned a few months ago for basically being a troll, you might have a problem getting him to respond . He came out with a lot of poorly founded assertions over a lot of things though.
If cops use joint locks doesn't that prove they work in reality? Also BJJ guys use joint locks on the ground, so if they work on the ground surely they work standing up?
