Question:
My dad thinks aikido is useless?
Boban
2013-10-04 12:07:11 UTC
I've been wanting to go train aikido for a few days now, but when I asked my dad if I could go he said: "Aikido is stupid. You can't hurt anyone with it. If a drunk person attacks you and you twist his arm he'll just get madder and beat you up even more."
What can I use as my defense? Does aikido have any good moves to actually beat your opponent in a street fight?

Also, my friend is going to train kickboxing, and I'm wondering if aikido is good against kickboxing. Is there a way to block or counter a fast kick?
Fourteen answers:
possum
2013-10-04 13:28:33 UTC
Your dad apparently doesn't know anything about Aikido. He also doesn't know much about self-defense, either.



He says something about twisting an arm. I'm guessing his idea of self-defense is everything to do with boxing (striking only). What he doesn't know is that an Aikido-ka first applies Aiki, then applies jujitsu (or whatever style the Aikido-ka knows).



If the drunk got his arm twisted, and the technique were applied properly, it is likely that the arm, wrist, or elbow would be broken, or that the shoulder would get dislocated. That's a lot of hurt.



Some people get the idea that Aikido is all about static and take-it-easy practice. That's true for beginners. But the senior students apply aiki to their own style (which in Aikido's case is jujitsu).



Tell your dad to go challenge a sensei at a good dojo. I think he'll get the point soon enough. And if the sensei lived by the tenets of Aikido, he'll have your dad buying the first round of beers.



EDIT: one more thing... No style is good against any other style. Only stylists can be good (or bad) against any other stylist. But your question is also asked by many who do not understand kickboxing and Aikido (and many martial arts). Kickboxing is designed for sport. Aikido is designed for self-defense. Kickboxing techniques can be used for self-defense. And there are Aikido-ka who compete (their style is called Tomiki).



Also, you don't block anything in self-defense. If you're going to expend the energy to stop someone's incoming strike, then, you ought to go the mile and break whatever it is that they're throwing at you. But don't block it. And as for countering, yes, we in Aikido have what we call "atemi" - a sort of pre-emptive strike. It's meant to distract or confuse, in order to use the opponent's momentum against themselves, and to use the opponent to redirect or stop himself. Other than that, avoiding a fast kick generally means moving out of the way. That's what we train to do: move out of the way, then off balance and throw or pin.
jwbulldogs
2013-10-04 18:31:26 UTC
I hate to say this, but it is true. Your dad is wrong in this case. Aikido is a great art. Its focus is self defense. It is not about twisting an arm as your dad suggested. You are to use aikido to counter any type of attack. If the person does not attack the aikidoka does nothing. If the person attacks the aikidoko is behind the attacker before the attack comes. The attacker is on the ground secure and in pain while being trapped. Aikido can be used to break bones, dislocate joints. One of the beginners techniques is a technique soldiers.warriors used to break the necks and kill their attackers. I is a very dangerous technique. Most school have modified the technique in order to reduce the amount of injuries in the dojo. Possum brought out many good points and information regarding aikido.



In reference to kickboxing. Like possum said it is not style against style. Kickboxing is really nothing but a sport. Most places do not teach self defense. Most of the ones that try to add self defense don't teach it well as they were never taught it. They just make it up using a sports mentality. But aikido was created for self defense. A well trained aikidoka knows how to blend with and counter all types of kicks and punches. it is very unlikely that you will see any block because using a block would go against the principles of aikido. You want the person to attack instead of stopping the attack. Then you use their attack against them. In essence they hurt themselves.
Eric Brand
2013-10-04 13:38:38 UTC
Aikido is a fine art as such but really, I agree with your father somehow. If you want to learn applicable self defense, there are better styles. Especially so because you don't have any live sparring in Aikido. So it's more about the methods than the techniques, I'd say. Take BJJ or Judo or Sambo as your primary art if you want to learn chokeholds and armbars and throws and stuff but still want to be able to use them in real life.



And combine whatever you choose with boxing or kickboxing or Muay Thai or something so that you learn to take plus dole out a beating. Only so will you be able to close in for grappling techs under pressure. At least that's my 5 rupees.



But having said that, you could probably take some Aikido and use what you learn to supplement your main styles. And if you love that art, then by all means then go on and train it? Heck, most of us will never get into a street fight anyway.
Artist
2013-10-04 13:07:08 UTC
Respect your parents always, but your dad is completely wrong. He obviously has no knowledge of Aikido and martial arts in general. It's the same with everyone else that bashes an art - they are uneducated about it and don't understand it, so they ignorantly bash it.



Aikido is a great art and works in real life. Ask him to go make his claim to a real Aikido instructor and he'll change his mind. Aikido techniques are also taught to police and military. It works.
anonymous
2016-03-12 03:52:07 UTC
you could think the sky is purple but that doesn't make that true lol it's only as good as the person teaching it & the person using it... people forget about human error. aikido is not all wrist locks either it sounds like you had a crappy teacher. aikido has 2 punches and 3 kicks from my very limited knowledge and probably more. it's not your fault your were never taught that part of aikido just your teachers. *edit* and your just an idiot troll mouthing off on the internet & yeah since 1997 when I was 10 years old and I'm a comic & manga writer since I grew up with it in my generation you retard. I trained for a while with Sensei Takeshi Kimeda who is a 9th dan not like your teacher who awarded himself a black belt he bought offline to fool idiots like you lol
Kokoro
2013-10-04 14:15:13 UTC
So if I take you and slam you at full force into the ground your telling us or rather your dad is telling us that won't hurt, bull.

Aikido like any art is a great art as long as you have a good instructor.

And btw even aikido has strikes





Edit

Kw why don't you explain to us why hundreds of police academy's all over American use aikido and why don't you explain how it is useless why tens thousands of police offices use it successful and if we include the Japanese police I'm sure the number skyrockets into the millions.

All you do kw is lie and ignore the truth when given.
Liondancer
2013-10-04 14:12:27 UTC
How effective it is depends on how long you train in it. It is not effective if you only train a year in it. It is one of the more complex martial arts and harder to learn.

Your Dad is right. Someone who is high or drunk will not be pain compliant but they will also have little balance. Aiki has techniques which are pain compliant but it also has techniques that compromise a person's balance to set up a throw. Did you know that Aiki also has strikes? Yes, Aiki has moves that are good in a street fight and moreover I have seen a grappler take down an Aikidoka mount the Aikidoka and the grappler was tapping out even though he was on top.

Yes, there are Aiki moves to counter kicks.

Tell your Dad that Aiki is taught to police officers and prison guards. Look at the best answer in this question:

https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20130906135540AAXYddF
SiFu frank
2013-10-04 12:23:24 UTC
You should respect your Dad. However he is wrong. Akido can be used to be every bit as aggressive as necessary. It depends a lot on how it is taught. An example here is one of many. Notice in many of the throws and take downs there is that subtle twist of the arm.... If in a true self defense situation that is a dislocation of the shoulder or elbow.

No mater how drunk you are it is difficult to do a lot with your arm out of joint or broken. Note also the foot stomp in the ribs, or the small of the spine or a kidney. Wrist locks, finger breaks, all are good. I have been to seminars and cross trained a little. My primary art is Taekwando ITF style. I also train in Wing Chung. I can say a good Akidoist is a formidable match. I considered myself a fair sparrer I could not touch the Akidoist. LOL Of course he did have a lot more experience.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P73mcY3g5ZE

Here is an additional one. Sure these are staged tough they are realy trying to take the master down.

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

And one last one for all the MMA folks that think traditional arts don't matter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_380810&feature=iv&src_vid=aj8xH_aiCtg&v=L7iLl2myzkQ
Jim R
2013-10-04 21:59:29 UTC
I will just give you this. Police and military who use martial arts use aikido and judo more than any others.

I wonder why military and police would teach such useless stuff to those they put in danger?

Aikido doesn't just "twist arms", they can rip that arm right off with little effort if they wish.
Thorolf
2013-10-04 12:11:14 UTC
I found when I met an aikido master, he was about 4"7', but he still terrified the crap out of me. Aikido is less about physical brawling so much as making the enemy afraid to attack you. If you assert the dominance that that little person emitted, it'll take a tank to mug you.
Minecraft1234
2013-10-04 12:15:00 UTC
no I don't think aikido can beat your opponent in a street fight cause I watched a video about aikido and it looks fake so I think your dad is right about aikido. I don't think you can block a fast kick. ; ~ )
anonymous
2013-10-04 20:13:46 UTC
It's not completely useless. Tai-sabaki & the iriminage are the best aikido has to offer. I have used it before. but it will rarely ever look like what you've seen in the dojo. What would you do if someone just stands there & jabs your face ?
Sev
2013-10-04 13:46:26 UTC
Who says you can't hurt anyone with it when it's been done many many many times?



Just in case KW answers, he's wrong about nearly everything pertaining to TMAs so ignore him.
Shotokanpal
2013-10-04 12:48:13 UTC
dude believe me the guy who created that art wasnt wasting his time to create an useless martial art :) so dont worry you will be good :)


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