I was recently told that the original point of aikido was to fend of multiple attackers at once. Is this true or have I been had?
I don't like that choice of words. The "point" of aikido is to stop violence, to create harmony. But structurally, yes, aikido is (was) designed to fend of multiple attackers. The defenses, the strategy, the everything, is the same one-against-one or one-against-many. You'll do everything the same when facing multiple attackers.
The idea when performing a technique is to always imagine that you are surrounded. That is why O,sensei always said that tori should never look at uke after the first attack you should be able to feel were thay are if you are in good hanmi, always be in apostion were you can see as much as possible .Thats another reason for moving circular like cutting with ken. so yes to some of your question
Learn to deal with one attacker first, then worry about more then one. Aikido is a strange blend of psedo-religion and martial arts designed to enhance "Harmony" and develop "chi". Great art, not much to do with fighting IMO
Good advice. IMO, it has everything to do with fighting. But whereas muay thai (to pick a random example) is about continuing fighting, promoting fighting, let's-keep-on-fighting, aikido is the polar opposite. Aikido is about stopping fighting, about not fighting. To fight, you do not have to know how to not fight. (Think on that.) But to not fight, you first have to know how to fight. To put it more profoundly: Light is not the absence of darkness. Darkness is the absence of light.
when i got into a ramdori at classes, i always get my self surrounded by 5 or 6 ukes always it is kind of hard to handle but with the time you get used to it and hit one or two techniques
Not only possible, but encouraged. (But "throws" that send the opponent flying away from you are more often called "projections," to distinguish them from the "throws" that put the opponent at your feet.)
I think that compared to a lot of martial arts, Aikido is REALLY suggested against VMA (various multiple attackers) unless the practicionner has gained a lot of experience in fighting and practice.... Because, unlike other martial arts, it's focus is not to strike down an opponent in the less move possibles by striking vital points (such as WC) or overly powerful hits (MT) or anything remotly "street smart" When it comes to multiple Aikido practionners to fight altogether, well it's a different story, but in the street, Aikido vs VMA will just make you end up at the hospital.... The only good thing that i could see with aikido would be the ground work, but what's groundwork worth when you're getting kicked the hell out of you by the other guy friends?
Adam: If you re-worded the original question - then ai think we arrive at one of the main benefits of Aikido as I've experienced it... "Aikido: art created for NOT fighting multiple attackers?"
When dealing with multiple attackers, I find that aikiki and other post-WWII aikido is lacking as leading your uke in huge circles ends up as kind of a rasslin' match. As a student of Obata-san's more aggressive pre-WWII samurai style aikibujitsu, multiple attacker drills take on a whole new meaning...and introducing your uke to the other guy by playing 'crack-the-armbar-whip' is an absolute scream. The point is indeed to throw your ukes into one another....well, actually, the point is not to let them hurt you. But hard style aikijitsu is all about economy of energy.....let them hurt themselves, each other, the floor...............
