Is Aikido A Martial Art?

Realistically he didn't. Sure, his life philosophy changed over time (later life quotes about "farming and budo being one", "how everything in life can be your teacher", etc"). But I don't believe that he ever said that the training should ever be soft and lazy (wouldn't make sense for a guy who ran "the hell dojo" after all). I think Koyo said something of a similar nature as well.

I'm not sure if it is people being lazy or something else though.

Damn...that sounds depressing.

 

There's 20 people in that class and they can all be flying around the room and there's barely a sound. The aikido I see is basically the art of falling over gracefully. I don't believe that is what aikido was when it first arrived in the UK.

 

It's really irrelevant speaking of Aikido as it was originally intended, if it bears no resemblence to it's modern day teaching globally.

Aikido, as practiced today, is primarily a striking art?

 

He didn't. Personally I think there are two factors at play. "Monkey see, monkey do" and the profit motive.

When O Sensei began to mellow and focus more on his philosophical out look. Others tried to emulate that. They basically copied what they saw without understanding. And I think this is particularly true of western students and teachers.

For example there are a number of videos of O Sensei in his very advanced years seemingly throwing people without touching them. The reality is the students, out of respect, are taking the fall anyway. That's how the culture works. But it's something most westerners miss. So this myth of the "no touch" throw has established it's self.

Watering down physical side of the art and focusing on the esoteric elements opens Aikido up to a much bigger market where a lot of money can be made. Koichi Tohei realised he could use Aikido as a vehicle for teaching people how to deal with a much broader range of conflicts and problems other than getting into a fist fight. And marketed his teaching of Shinshin Toitsu Aikido and Ki to Japan's businessmen. However he still advocated hard practice for Aikido students. But sadly as I said above some individuals take this to extremes of uselessness.

When simply going through the motions is the norm in a club or demo. And people fall down because they're supposed to. Our instinct to integrate with the group causes us to do the same. Teachers will introduce students to falling down at the right time as a way of learning to break-fall. It then very quickly becomes the normal mode of practice. And in this mode, the class can accommodate a very wide and diverse range of students.

The end result is a very healthy pension plan.

I agree a lot of the Aikido out there is utter crap. And I've said on this very forum you have to make sure the club you join is a decent club with lots of hard practice. Especially if it's a Ki Aikido club.

 

A few of the guys from our club went up to a BAB (British Aikido Board) seminar a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't go as I had an inter-club comp around the same time. Most of the people by all accounts are fine and there's always some whose Aikido really stands out from the rest.

But every year they come back with more horror stories of people who basically just fall over at the drop of a hat and technique work that sounds utterly ridiculous (this year it was a one finger technique!).

Equally there's always the odd few people who are complained about because they slam locks on hard and toss everyone else around like rag dolls or are really "stubborn" (read: don't move unless you force a lock on and often tense up to make it harder). But they're really rare by comparison.

It's kinda depressing thinking about it.

 

Why?

 

If close to nobody is able to learn the original style, then why advocate it? It's simply a historical fact that Aikido might have been 90% striking, or whatever the claim is here. It's certainly not true anymore.

 

how would you know that? have you ever trained in aikido in any way, shape, or form?

 

I checked an aikido place and it stank of what I just read so much, glad Im not the only one who thinks it's ridiculous to throw myself on the ground when the guy cant budge me with his own movement.

This hard style of aikido he talks about, now thats something I wouldnt mind seeing for comparative purposes

 

Todays world offer us plenty of insight without having to train any art ourselves. Seminars and other students are freely available in our everyday life, as well as online.

You tell me: Is Aikido 90% striking?

 

Yes but you have missed the point of the phrase because you have no experience in it

 

I would never attempt to evaluate good from bad Aikido execution. I am simply pointing to how the current state of affairs are in terms of teaching/philosophy, which I don't need experience in personally to be able to apprehend.

 

You do if you are going to pass comment on the 90% thing as it is clear you fail to understand what that actually means

 

I did Aikido to shodan level. I heard the whole Aikido is 90% atemi claim. If this were true why do aikidoka spend virtually no time developing powerful empty handed atemi? I've trained with some top end aikidoka such as Yamada Sensei and Saito Sensei and did very little genuine atemi waza. This is not a swipe at aikido. The bukiwaza is valuable and aspects of body management and restraint are good. Atemi no.

 

On the original question Aikido is very much a martial art its just not always taught or delivered competently.

 

I can perform only one strike all the time and that can still mean 90% of my Aikido would Atemi

It doesnt mean what most people think it does

 

go to the midwest aikido center in chicago. every sunday morning, art wise, rokudan, teaches. with every technique he shows atemi points implicit within the technique. he also does a lot of bokken work.

at chicago aikikai, an asu school, the late kevin choate taught atemi with every technique.

but in both cases, as you say, the "training" was more like "here's where you would hit and how". not actually training atemi.

yeah, the 90% thing is interesting. you've got a lot more experience than i do. how do you think that aikido would manifest itself in practice?

 

"i don't train in the art, but i understand it", is basically what you're saying. yeah, keep up with that delusion, it will serve you well.

i don't know about 90%, but i agree, striking is of critical importance during fighting. MY aikido is way bigger than you can ever imagine--think obi wan kenobi big.

 

Great article, long time fan of the Ellis clan. Posted my thoughts on my blog here...