I stumbled across this on the Budovideos website, and was very surprised. Anyone know anything about it?


http://www.budovideos.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=28634

Aikido is a highly evolved form of Japanese jiu-jutsu with smooth flowing techniques and an emphasis on blending rather than fighting. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is also a highly evolved form of Japanese jiu-jutsu however with an emphasis on grappling. In this instructional DVD, you will learn how these arts fit together from two of the top instructors in their respective arts. For the aikido side we have Derek Nakagawa - 4th degree black belt and a 30+ year veteran of the martial arts. On the BJJ side, we have Marcio Feitosa, 3rd degree black belt, legendary competitor, and master instructor of the largest jiu-jitsu school in the world - Gracie Barra.

Starting from traditional aikido attacks, Derek shows the typical aikido defense. Next we allow the attacker to resist or counter the technique which sets up the jiu-jitsu portion of the technique. Watch and learn as Marcio & Derek together show you how to smoothly transition from aikido stand up to jiu-jitsu groundwork in this instructional DVD.

Derek Nakagawa
Derek Nakagawa has been studying martial arts for over thirty years and is a 4th degree black belt in aikido, a first-degree black belt in iaido, and a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He is the chief instructor of Aikido of Rossmoor in Seal Beach, California.

Marcio Feitosa
Marcio Feitosa (3rd degree black belt) is the head instructor of Gracie Barra America. With more then 15 years of teaching experience, he is a primary example of a man who is fully dedicating his life to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. An outstanding competition background qualifies him as one of the best competitors in BJJ history.

There was a long-ish discussion recently about how Judo and Aikido (i.e. Judo base+Aikido) go together like Steven Seagal and Cheetos.

Considering that BJJ is related to Judo, then this may not be an inherently bad idea, in itself...

Hey, whatever it takes to draw the larpers into contact sports.

Sometimes it seems futile, but I find it utterly fascinating when people try to apply aikido in a realistic fashion. I see a little merit in shodokan aikido, but I wish they'd get rid of the 'knife'.

I might check this out though, since it's combining aikido with BJJ. There's another video out there like this, but I didn't like it very much.

This is nothing incredibly new; there are several Aikidoka with higher BJJ ranks (Bruce Bookman and Roy Dean come right to mind) who've been cross training and experimenting for some time now. Roy just released a DVD (Art of the Wristlock ?) that sounds somewhat similiar to this.

Paging Chris Hein. I'd like to see what he thinks.

Does Dean's video show integration of Aikido tachi-waza with BJJ? My impression from the trailer was that it was a survey of the wristlock from the two perspectives, but that it wasn't too concerned with integrating the two arts as a specific exercise.

Roy Deans videos look at the wrist lock, and how it can be applied in a Bjj/grappling type situation. He isn't exactly showing an intigration, however showing the similar lines of thinking that exists in all Jujutsu. He shows example of Aikido wrist technique, then shows similar examples in ground grappling situations.

I haven't seen these videos, so I really don't know anything about them. There are lot's of things in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that work in the same paradigm as Aikido. However I think most attempts to work Aikido as an unarmed system are heavily limited.

Japanese jujutsu covers a lot of ground, some of those techniques/methods are found in Judo, some in Bjj and some in Aikido but each sub style has it’s own emphasis. Aikido techniques (in my opinion) are mostly concerned with staying out of a clinch, and freeing your weapon hand, while Bjj and Judo seek the clinch to apply technique.

In my early experiments I attempted lots of clench work with Aikido, it doesn't work so well. The positions are not what Aikido techniques were made for. The techniques found in Judo, or other styles of Japanese jujutsu work much better for this.

Using Bjj to understand what you should be doing in Aikido, training wise (drilling, sparring, doing resistance work) is a great idea. However the nature of Bjj and Aikido are too different to work together well. Bjj as a back up to your Aikido is of course a great idea, but the methodologies, in my opinion, are too different.

I have a sensei at my school who took a little bjj and has included a little bit of it into his classes from time to time. Usually he works on chokes a bit from ikkyo to show that you dont want to turn your back to your opponent in taking ukemi or finishing munetsuki kotaegaeshi with a bjj armbar instead of the traditional pin.

Bjj to me doesnt go with aikido as they are two COMPLETELY different things. Granted, I could pin differently or finish off a move in aikido a little different or even use a wristlock in bjj that ive learned from aikido but they are like oil and vinegar. Two jutsu that want the same results but go about how they get those results in a completly different manner.

I've rolled with Feitosa. Freakin awesome, like wrestling an empty jacket at times - one of the most joyful ass-kickings I have ever received. He has elements of aiki already, as do all excellent BJJrs.

Jeff Cook

Hey Jeff how have you been?

I rolled with Feitosa too and yeah its one of those delightful asskicking things.

As far as Aikido and BJJ its definitely nothing new. When I first started BJJ there was an Aikido guy on our "team". And LeavitK was also an Aikido yudansha when he started training with me in Hohenfels.

Regardless a Judo/BJJ mix is way better than an Aikido/BJJ mix any day in my unbiased opinion.

Hey, whatever it takes to draw the larpers into contact sports.
This right here says it best.

Hey Jeff how have you been?

I rolled with Feitosa too and yeah its one of those delightful asskicking things.

As far as Aikido and BJJ its definitely nothing new. When I first started BJJ there was an Aikido guy on our "team". And LeavitK was also an Aikido yudansha when he started training with me in Hohenfels.

Regardless a Judo/BJJ mix is way better than an Aikido/BJJ mix any day in my unbiased opinion.

Hey brother, I'm good - in train-up for Trashcanistan, although my gun ain't gonna be as big as yours! How are you doing? I'll be downrange this fall. You still gonna be there?

There's an old fart in our club, a little younger than I (I think) who holds yudansha in aikido and judo - and is damn close to getting his BJJ black belt too. Now THAT is a combination! LOL

Shoot me an email at jeffrey.cook@us.army.mil, if you don't mind. Stay safe brother!

Jeff Cook

I'd definitely be interested in seeing this set, especially as a former Aikidoka who burnt out and switched over to BJJ.

I would definitely say there are some similarity and overlap between the two. Certain throws are shared and I use some Aikido wrist locks regularly while rolling to break grips and occasionally as a submission. Also, the idea of moving off the line and using strength/momentum against your attacker is a shared basic tenet.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the two styles mesh seamlessly or are of equal value in real world, fully alive, fighting. But considering the historical basis of the two arts I don't think it is that surprising that they share some elements that could be worked together in a cohesive way.