Aikido?

[klonk]

Who is the better teacher? You can tell by looking at the students.

Entirely well said!

[klonk]

IMO, about the most valuable thing you'd get from aikido is learning how to fall (should you ever slip on a banana peel or black ice, that comes in handy).

Ukemi is a damned handy skill. I once slipped off my feet on the black ice you speak of, had a near miss with a passing automobile, and a cop came running up, thumbing buttons her radio, as I calmly arose and said, "No problem, Miss. Near miss!"

She liked my skills, but dashed my hopes. She was not a near miss, she was a mrs.

[johnwang]

36 years old is still too young not to work on "cardio (at least 45 minutes none stop work out)" IMO. If you have a strong heart and you can breath comfortably then you will have less chance to have heart attack and stroke and you will live a long life. If you can't find any teacher, you can always create a set of daily drills and stick to it. If you are interest in combat then you should train your punch, kick, lock, and throw skill. Most of the information can be obtained online and all you need is just a training partner, a heavy bag, and some training equipment.

[Dweezle]

this is simple, ask the teacher if you can throw a punch at them and feel their response. Specify you will intend to hit them full force, and you have a 30 second window to hit with either hand.

Whatever teacher is game, hit or miss I would go with.....

G

[klonk]

Welcome back, Master Wang.

[signet]

Hi all... thanks for your very helpful responses. I thought I was going to get hammered about, but instead I got well thought, concise answers. You are a very classy bunch.....

Thank you.

[JessOBrien]

In my opinion there is a lot to be gained by Aikido training. Although not as combat focused as Chinese martial arts, all of the principles and much of the body training is in accordance with internal methods as I understand them. Many of Ba Gua's throws are to be found in Aikido and I could see Aikido as a great foundation for later Ba Gua training.

One great aspect is the emphasis on tactile sensitivity and interaction. Everything is done two person, which is something that many kung fu systems lack due to forms training.

Personally I like the cooperative training, I think it helps you learn how to use your body in a more relaxed, comfortable way. Of course later you'll need to do non-cooperative work as well, but Aikido can be a really fun and interesting way to learn martial arts.

I like the idea of learning Aikido weekly and doing Ba Gua on the side. I think they mix quite well, depending on you, your teacher and your training schedule.

-Jess O

[edededed]

Whether bagua and aikido (or anything else) are compatible or not largely depends on the particular branch/lineage of each; it is best to see both (if you are interested in both) yourself and make an educated judgment.

Some aikido branches have limited single-person practices, use of intent, and/or weapons practice. All aikido branches will however have knee-walking, joint-locks, and compulsory dresses (hakama).

[Interloper]

Oh yah, I forgot about the skirts! In aikido, you get to wear skirts!

[Jake]

Man, some styles have all the luck!

Aikido has dresses, karate has pajamas, some kung fu has cool silk suits...

All we get is what we happen to be wearing at the time.

[Interloper]

I like the outfit Savate guys wear. Form-fitting stretch pants that show off what they're packin'. And they do those high kicks to really show it off!

http://www.martial-arts-info.com/127/savate/

Jess,
My concern about aikido is that so few schools teach a practical approach to martial application. The method is such that it relies on cooperation, or at least the ability to "psych" the opponent into dropping himself into a void. Some of the evasive aspects may be helpful "on the street," but I do wonder about the vast majority of the techniques, in addition to the rigid ways of attacking that most aikidoka are used to using (shomen-uchi, etc.).

In my perception. aikido has been systematically made non-martial in keeping with a set of spiritual ideals. That has gone quite a ways to make the art more of a ritualistic exercise that uses martial pretexts as a vehicle for expressing those ideals, rather than as a means for practical martial use.

Of course, Ueshiba himself was highly trained and skilled in martial methods, so he could afford to "give it up." But students coming to aikido with no martial background would be at a loss to make this a pragmatic martial skill, IMO.

[Jake]

Oh gawd don't I know what you mean.... I mean jean claude van damme is just so damn HOT!

Silky smooth like belgian chocolate............

[CaliG]

Hi Signet,

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but personally I have to weight in with JW on this one.

First if someone is serious about martial arts they are going to spend some time getting in shape. Sure street fights are short but often times the faster, stronger, more athletic one wins because they can make their body do what they want it to do because their body is already prepared.

For example if you spend 10 minutes a day on a speed bag, how long do you think it'll take for your body to ready to throw a fast jab and right cross? If you're on a speed bag for 10 minutes a day snapping out punches like that would be as easy as brushing your teeth.

I think your first impression was the correct one. Of course it depends what you want but if it's true fighting skill I don't think Aikido is really the way to go. Because the reality is trying to lock someone and throw them is not easy and in an Aikido environment you're probably not going to deal with someone changing or resisting.

When I was doing bagua, many years ago, I went to an Aikido class, when they'd put their two hands on one of my arms I would just step behind them and they didn't know what had happened. The more advanced Aikido players even got a little angry. Later I asked the teacher about their strikes and she barked out, "In Aikido we don't have any strikes!" As if yelling at some primitive caveman for drinking out of a tolilet bowl.

My suggestion would be to take some judo. You'll learn the same stuff but the difference is when you throw someone it is for real. Then after years of judo you may want to do some Aikido to refine the skills you already have.

[klonk]

I'm not an aikidoka and I don't play one on the Internet. I've a couple friends who do aikido and have shared this or that aspect with me.

I wonder if the situation vis a vis fighting aikdo is not somewhat similar to what we see in taijiquan. The technical basis of taiji makes perfect sense, but it is unusual to see someone who really kicks ass with taiji. Could the reason be similar in both cases?

And what is the reason? In the case of taijiquan, I think the problem is this, the way it works is so counterintuitive that few people trust it. To stick and yield, hampering the opponent, trusting that this will bring you an opportunity to counterattack, goes against instinct. You can understand intellectually that the sticky defense puts the brakes on whatever the opponent is trying to do, giving you an extra tick of time, but the innate tendency is to pop him one instead.

Likewise the aikido thing of yielding out of the way while looking for a timing and balance solution (kokyu nage) or a joint lock solution must be hard to do when the aggression juices are flowing and someone is trying to beat your head in.

Both taiji and aikdo have very sophisticated concepts of combat. But are they, perhaps, too sophisticated?

[johnwang]

too sophisticated?

There is 50% chance that you will have to attack your opponent 1st, and 50% chance that your opponent will attack you 1st. If you always have to wait for your opponent to attack you so you can stick, yield, follow, and borrow his force then you have eliminate 50% of your chance in combat. Tinjin is a 2 edges sword. When you can listen to your opponent, he can listen to you too. Try to listen to your opponent but don't allow your opponent to listen to you is high level skill and that is "projection - predict his moving path without contact".