Aikido is misunderstood, lots of videos

[Aikichick]

I'll start off by saying that I'm probably going to be flamed a ridiculous amount for posting this thread. That's ok, but at least hear me out since from what I've seen on a lot of martial arts forums, Aikido is a highly misunderstood art.

A lot of you are used to seeing Aikido like this, where its ridiculously slow and along the lines of the Bujinkan with extreme compliance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVEgzBDkMGE

Or like this, where uke throws themselves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKake...eature=related

HOWEVER.

It is necessary to understand that there are many different styles of teaching and training in Aikido.

I've seen both ends of the spectrum, so I understand the flaming and mockery that Aikido tends to attract. But the problem, that many people do not understand, is that Aikido training is what you make it.

There is the sort of Aikido that is found out in Boulder, which is is very very soft and more appropriate for the crowd that wants to do a martial art but doesn't want the bangs and bruises that come with good training. Like so:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUP86qBR8O0

There are the styles of Aikido that sit right in the middle- soft but still with plenty of throwing, locks, and pins thrown in. This is more the sort of stuff that was posted in the video where it the ukes were half throwing themselves.

Then there's the harder styles of Aikido that do not really deserve to be badmouthed as much as the other two.

For example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKFcKaWn8Ys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN7yn0XOSMQ (yes, this is technically Real Aikido, but all of their techniques are Aiki based)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIjEm...eature=related

I guess my main point is: before you flame, find out what style of Aikido someone does/is talking about. There's plenty of variation within the art and not all Aikidoka are alike.

Finally, for the grand finale, Aikido VS resisting competitors:

1) Aikido VS MMA, 2 videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLqov...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwt9_...eature=related


2) Aikido VS kickboxing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbCoC3om3T0

3) Aikido World Games 2007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc1Ly...eature=related

And lastly, one of the key points that is overlooked- Aikido is primarily a defensive style, not a fighting style. So of course it will not contain all aspects that many other martial arts do.

I don't mean to start a war or flaming competition, but just wanted to clarify a few points that people commonly overlook....

[Omega Supreme]

I'd like to give you a good concise discussion but all but one of those videos are crap. I'd doubt you'd understand the nuances.

[goodlun]

I'd like to give you a good concise discussion but all but one of those videos are crap. I'd doubt you'd understand the nuances.

May I ask which one got a "passing grade"? As I don't get all the nuances but would like to learn.

[Just Guess]

Those videos of harder Aikido are just the same thing, but sped up and either put to bad music or made into a comedy routine by the girly screams.

[Omega Supreme]

May I ask which one got a "passing grade"? As I don't get all the nuances but would like to learn.

This one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN7yn0XOSMQ

And even that one needs to be better pressure tested.

[helmutlvx]

Aikichick, would you mind detailing your rank in Aikido and some of your lineage that qualifies you to make the absolute statement "Aikido is misunderstood"?

[Snake Plissken]

This thread needs some Simio and DCS

[Kovacs]

Op, you've shown us one end of the spectrum and 0.5% of it that is better. You've cleared up absolutely nothing.

[BSONE]

I'm a dedicated aikidoka..... and I find this thread to be both insulting and sad.

I wish aikido noobs wouldnt start threads like this.

[Lindz]

This one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN7yn0XOSMQ

And even that one needs to be better pressure tested.

Why that one?

[goodlun]

This one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN7yn0XOSMQ

And even that one needs to be better pressure tested.

You know when I watched that video I was thinking that it looked a lot more like JuJutsu here is another video with the same guys some redundancy in it but it looks like it has even longer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h__CdPeJoXo

[judoka_uk]

You know when I watched that video I was thinking that it looked a lot more like JuJutsu here is another video with the same guys some redundancy in it but it looks like it has even longer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h__CdPeJoXo

Didn't look anything like Jujutsu to me.

Jujutsu looks like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhTpeCdANzA

That video looked like 'Jiu jitsu' which has little if anything to do with Jujutsu and is just a conglomeration of Aikido, Judo, Karate and Western self-defence methods bundled together.

[Aikichick]

I'd like to give you a good concise discussion but all but one of those videos are crap. I'd doubt you'd understand the nuances.

Really.

Why don't you try finding out what my background is before you say that I don't understand the nuances?

10 years Aikido, 4 years of Aiki-Jutsu on and off (we do a bit in the Aikido dojo here at VT and there's a couple places in the general area that I've gone to when possible w/ transportation and class work). SPRINKLINGS of Judo and boxing from past Senseis. Not exactly a noob to Aiki and the world of martial arts in general.

[BSONE]

I'll start off by saying that I'm probably going to be flamed a ridiculous amount for posting this thread. That's ok, but at least hear me out since from what I've seen on a lot of martial arts forums, Aikido is a highly misunderstood art.

A lot of you are used to seeing Aikido like this, where its ridiculously slow and along the lines of the Bujinkan with extreme compliance:

Or like this, where uke throws themselves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKake...eature=related

I don't mean to start a war or flaming competition, but just wanted to clarify a few points that people commonly overlook....

Aikichick, I find it strange that you are trying to defend aikido in general, yet you use an example of bad aikido by Christian Tissier. I think you are showing your ignorance on the subject by taking vids out of context and laying out critique.

Here is that same teacher actually teaching. He is a great aikido teacher, somone I train under, and I would encourage you to try to see him if you can:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeNLF6EbgLc

He is very well respected as an aikidoka, and I have never heard him talk about aikido being "the deadly" or criticize other martial arts.

I was at the seminar the above clip was taken from, and I can tell you that Tissier has IMPRESSIVE aikido. I did not throw myself for him, and he tossed me around like a piece of tissue paper.

[goodlun]

Didn't look anything like Jujutsu to me.

Jujutsu looks like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhTpeCdANzA

That video looked like 'Jiu jitsu' which has little if anything to do with Jujutsu and is just a conglomeration of Aikido, Judo, Karate and Western self-defence methods bundled together.

My misunderstanding I thought they where the same but a different romanization with the JuJutsu being the most modern, if that is not the case then Jiu Jitsu is what I was referring to.