I just don't understand why there is this need to insult the style yes I understand it's not for every one but to say it doesn't work. How do you long time practitioners deal with it?
I just ignore people who say that Aikido doesn't work. You kinda get used to it. Our dojo is temporary located in a gym, so several non-practicioners pass by while we train to make fun of us. Because of this I noted the most common 'mocking subjects'. They are, but not limited to: *Just the fact that we train in a Gi. It gives the old 'kung fu movie' touch *Our round movements and somewhat static attacks: the socalled lack of agression in our engagements. In the eyes of these people we are either dancing or just pretending to defend ourselves against a really fake attack. *The fact that all below-dan graders have a white belt. Expect tauntings like: 'Oh a white belt already? You must have trained really hard!' *The hakamas of our dan graders *the meditation and cerimonial practices. *Kiai attacks. I believe that people mock Aikido because of what it stands for: not attacking and ending a confrontation whith as least agression as possible. People here (in Holland) are just so hypocritic. If confronted with agression on the street they say that it is bad. But when they see us training Aikido they think we are wimps because we do not show enough agression! Let me end this post with something my sensei told me. After one year of training a mother took her son off the lessons. When asked why she made her son stop Aikido she said: 'Because he still hasn't learned how to beat someone up.' Wisely my sensei replied:'Then I must be doing something right.' Don't make a mistake, my sensei is one of the best Dutch Aikdokas, I believe. He is feared because of he realistic approach and his painfull and exhausting lessons. But this just displays the bias with which people judge Aikido.
Booksie is totally right. Too many people make judgements on something they don't understand. I wouldn't worry about it. People just like to gripe, they'll always find something to criticize. You could have submitted this question in anyone of the other sections substituting karate, TKD, CKD, KungFu for Aikido. They all get the same thing - water off a duck's back friend!
... and when you invite someone (mocking dudes) to give it a go, they just... quit!!! LOLLOLOLOL!!! They mock but they just don't have what it takes to be a real Aikidoka, or if you like a good MA practiccioner. Cheers, VFarias
People fear what the do not understand, same goes for every prejudice its how you react that matters. Take insult, absorb insult, redirect insult. ie Insult: Aikido is crap, you can't catch a real MA punch. Retort: You may be right, throw a punch and lets see if i can pull sankyo on you. the answer is usually no.
I've noticed when people mock Aikido or anything else for that matter it's normally when they want to impress a crowed of friends. And there's normally 20+ of them. The same people are not so vocal and self assured when they are on there own or in a smaller group of 2 or 3.
I hear insults from people who want something that aikido doesn't offer. Aikido must be crap if it doesn't offer what you want, right, right, right? Highly illogical, but that's the criticism that I hear most often. It comes from people who want to practice killing, maiming, and otherwise beating on other human beings.
I don't mind people slagging off aikido, as long as they listen to me in return. everybody has and is entitled to their own opinion, but if they listen to me, it makes me feel as though i have educated them a little and worn a little of their ignorance away. If i keep doing this it will have a knock on effect like ripples in a lake, and eventually all forms of ignorance and prejudice will be weakened. It is the job of aikidoka to take negitive energy and redirect it into something positive, that is the price for the privilige of learning our art.
Anything and Booksie told me Aikido was totally stupid! Not really, just trying to stir up some trouble in the ranks. I don't know, I think Booksie is probably right though, traditional arts aren't "in style" right now and they tend to take a beating by the masses. I say go with what you like!
I think the first and best reason for doing anything is because you want to do it. I don't really beleive in following fasion trends. If you do that you're getting what suits someone else and not you. If people are slagging something off because it's not in style that just further shows their insecurites.
People are perfectly entitled not to like stuff. Anyway I don't want everyone thinking aikido is great...I will just end up getting hit in the back of the head with a brick.
'Although when I look with the eye of a philosopher at the varied courses and pursuits of mankind at large, I find scarcely one which does not appear to be in vain and useless, and while I have been accustomed to think lowly enough of myself, I have already reaped from this Method such fruits that I nevertheless derive the highest satisfaction from the progress I conceive myself to have already made in the search after truth, and cannot help entertaining such expectations of the future as to believe that if, among the occupations of men as men, there is any one really excellent and important, it is that which I have chosen for myself.' Descarte (edit: added quotes lol)
