Aikido and Fitness

**Mister** · Posted On: 8/02/2011 6:22pm

Hello, I've been training in Aikido for about two years now, I am told I am very dedicated and I practice regularly in the dojo at least four times a week and sometimes on my own free time with weapons, my technique has definitely gotten better over the years due to this but...my general fitness...let's just say is not improving as much.

I don't like exercises and reps too much, I also hate weight lifting, I'm not overweight or anything I'm 185 Centimeters tall and I weigh about 74 Kilograms, but I feel I get tired too easily during randori or Jiu waza as an attacker (uke).

Does anyone else have this kind of problem? Am I doing something wrong with my training? Is Aikido alone not enough to maintain good fitness? If so any suggestions that would help?

Sorry if this isn't the right place to post this is my first post. I know there is not much respect for Aikido in the Martial Arts world but this is my choice and I hope you respect that.

**Petter** · Posted On: 8/02/2011 6:33pm

Originally Posted by Mister

my general fitness...let's just say is not improving as much.

I don't like exercises and reps too much, I also hate weight lifting

So you want to improve your fitness without exercising or lifting weights?

Maybe you’ll want to pay more attention to the automatically generated ads than the actual posts. You could also try ‘infomercial’ television. They all live for people like you.

If so any suggestions that would help?

Either practice a martial art that works you harder, or go exercise. Run, lift weights, sweat a little.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 8/02/2011 6:39pm

Originally Posted by Mister

I don't like exercises and reps too much, I also hate weight lifting, I'm not overweight or anything I'm 185 Centimeters tall and I weigh about 74 Kilograms, but I feel I get tired too easily during randori or Jiu waza as an attacker (uke).

Does anyone else have this kind of problem? Am I doing something wrong with my training? Is Aikido alone not enough to maintain good fitness? If so any suggestions that would help?

Sorry if this isn't the right place to post this is my first post. I know there is not much respect for Aikido in the Martial Arts world but this is my choice and I hope you respect that.

This never ceases to amaze me in any of the Traditional Martial Arts. People will practice Kata, techniques and other low impact things for hours. Yet, when it comes time to do the things that build endurance, stamina, cardio, strength, and will they balk.

Put half that lazy fitness dedication into hard work and you will see a marked improvement.

**Permalost** · Posted On: 8/02/2011 6:40pm

Originally Posted by Mister

Is Aikido alone not enough to maintain good fitness? If so any suggestions that would help?

The aikido practice I've seen would qualify as light exercise. In this day and age, light exercise isn't enough for most people to maintain good fitness. Also, it's easy to equate pain in training to hard training, to serious exercise. The problem is just because you're being subjected to tori's locks doesn't mean that you're getting exercise.

**Mister** · Posted On: 8/02/2011 6:43pm

Originally Posted by Petter

So you want to improve your fitness without exercising or lifting weights?

Maybe you’ll want to pay more attention to the automatically generated ads than the actual posts. You could also try ‘infomercial’ television. They all live for people like you.

Either practice a martial art that works you harder, or go exercise. Run, lift weights, sweat a little.

There's no need to be condescending. I was just wondering if I'm doing something wrong with my training, or if some people train Aikido differently in a way that produces more fitness gain, or something like that.

**Mister** · Posted On: 8/02/2011 6:47pm

Originally Posted by Permalost

The aikido practice I've seen would qualify as light exercise. In this day and age, light exercise isn't enough for most people to maintain good fitness. Also, it's easy to equate pain in training to hard training, to serious exercise. The problem is just because you're being subjected to tori's locks doesn't mean that you're getting exercise.

Thanks for the advice, I think you're right.

Edit: Also I'd like to point out that training in Aikido is not just sitting around it's continuous throwing and getting up almost nonstop, it makes me sweat and all that but it looks like it's not enough on its own.

**aikideshi** · Posted On: 8/02/2011 7:03pm

If you move fast, i.e. get up quickly after you are thrown as uke, it should build up some stamina. Same with the warm ups before classes and weapons training, if you do it with intent and seriously, e.g. the rolls, it should help with stamina as well. I think my stamina is relatively good just by falling and getting up quickly and doing the sword katas with intent.

But nothing like good old calisthenics or other exercises to really build up your strength and endurance. I, myself, prefer bodyweight training, i.e. dips, pull ups, squats (pistols), etc. I have recently started incorporated some gymnastic rings training to my calisthenics routines.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 8/02/2011 7:10pm

Originally Posted by Mister

Thanks for the advice, I think you're right.

Edit: Also I'd like to point out that training in Aikido is not just sitting around it's continuous throwing and getting up almost nonstop, it makes me sweat and all that but it looks like it's not enough on its own.

If you move fast, i.e. get up quickly after you are thrown as uke, it should build up some stamina. Same with the warm ups before classes and weapons training, if you do it with intent and seriously, e.g. the rolls, it should help with stamina as well. I think my stamina is relatively good just by falling and getting up quickly and doing the sword katas with intent.

Go take a basic free fitness class at your local community college or YMCA. You will then understand why your edit really means nothing. There is a reason why the best athletes of almost any sport do things that they may not like to get better and build endurance.

**daishi** · Posted On: 8/02/2011 7:56pm

Aikido training has been some of the most vigorous I've done outside of JJJ/BJJ randori. Your teachers should not be letting you get complacent or be comfortable in your training. If you aren't pushing your limits in aikido, what is the point of practicing it? It certainly isn't to be a badass street warrior. Practicing aikido, or any modern martial art, is meant to better oneself, promot discipline, and one's ability to deal with real life outside of the dojo. Not play lip service to such ideas, but actually work on them. This is done by making students overcome difficulties. One of the easiest ways for teachers to do this is physically. Exhaust students physically to the point where their "spirit" is tested....in Japanese its like "tanren"-something...in American its called a "gut check." Aikido techniques are hard to pull off correctly, even with cooperative opponents. Its theese difficulties, and testing of students, that makes the training worthwhile. If you are not even physically spent after a class, i would invite you to increase the physical tempo, and mental concentration, of your training. Hell, you are getting up off the ground and being thrown back down again...that is about as exhausting an exercise as you can hope for without adding weight resistence. Increase the serisousness, severity, and tempo of your training and see if that helps you. You should feel physically and spiritually/mentally challenged every class....meaning, you should very much not want to finish the class, but have to force yourself to mentally overcome that.

Warning - I have no working spell check, which is my crutch.

**NeilG** · Posted On: 8/02/2011 8:01pm

Originally Posted by daishi

Aikido training has been some of the most vigorous I've done outside of JJJ/BJJ randori.

Mileage sure does vary on this. I trained aikido for a season and hardly broke a sweat. Everything was done very easily and there was a lot of listening to instruction.

To the OP: I don't normally recommend any of the martial arts as the most direct path to fitness, and aikido is certainly not one of the top ones that will help you get fit. If you want to stick with aikido and improve your fitness, you're going to have to buck up and start cross-training. Hit the gym, hit the road, hit the pool, something.