On Tuesday, February 9, 1999 at 8:00:00 AM UTC, The Martial Way wrote:
Just recently read an article in a Japanese news magazine that stated that the Japanese Police force is doing away with teaching their new cadets Aikido. The biggest reason for this was due to many of their police officer getting hurt when using Aikido in unarmed, armed, and general self-defense situations. The article didn't state, however which art was going to
replace Aikido. I can say from my experience (took Aikido for 3 years)
that Aikido is a very hard art to learn and understand. I myself gave up on Aikido because I thought that it was worthless in real life scenarios (was assaulted once, tried using Aikido, almost got seriously hurt). Any experiences from other practitioners of Aikido or people who took Aikido, found it ineffective and switched to another art.
It is interesting that most of the commentators here attest to consider Aikido as set of techniques. I was frequently told that it was about mastering movement, and that the specific principles - Ikkyo Nikkyo etc are starting points from which to gain
control of your adversaries attack. I was frequently told that you cannot do Aikido while standing still; and that aikido was all about getting out of the way!.
if you are planted on your feet thinking "that low roundhouse kick looks follows the principles of a yokomen attack" you are not instantly responding to the movement around you. No martial art should be applied in the same way as kihon is practiced.
training is to develop skills, not a template for a real world attack.
kote gaishi should not be executed while you are waiting to be hit! but before the punch has developed. or after he has taken a swing at you, and then you enter. are we all not told that?
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