I signed up as a beginning Aikidō student tonight. I've been wanting to study for some time, and I'm not getting any younger. Not easy trading my karate black belt for a white one, but that's how it goes.

As some of you may remember, I studied Filipino Kali (escrima) for about a year, but had to drop out last summer as my chronic fatigue began flaring up again. Been resting and undergoing new therapies, and believe I can once again try training again.

Tonight's introductory class went very well. I even got a chance to get thrown by the Sensei in front of the class. Not bad getting my arse kicked very first class!

I hope this continues to go well.

I studied Aikido for a couple years in college. I enjoyed it greatly and it’s served me well in my career. The more basic throws and joint locks are perfectly usable for practical application and the learning to fall properly and get back up quickly has saved me from serious injury on more than one occasion. The flashy advanced stuff probably isn’t going into your repertoire for street use unless you live in that dojo, but it teaches you movement, balance, and timing regardless. It’s a harder form to pick up than Karate, but it’s deeply satisfying the first time you manage to execute a perfect iremenage on the instructor.

My last teacher had an amazing technique. You’d go in for a grab and find yourself on the mat with no clear idea how you got there. Didn’t even hurt. He was all technique and leverage. No muscle at all.

Studying aikido helped save my life when I drove my motorcycle into a stopped car at 60mph.

I was thrown over the car like a dead cow carcass launched from a trebuchet, but during my unplanned flight my aikido training curled me into a ball, one that saved my appendages from hard impacts on touchdown.

Enjoy.

Glad you are able to go, fatigue is a difficult problem to live with.

It’s a fantastic art. I studied it for a while.
The priest who taught the class liked the
saying, “do what Jesus did, turn your cheek to your opponent”

As there are “no real attacks” per se, you’ll get the meaning quickly.

Enjoy.

I knew a 5ft 4in cop that weighed perhaps 145 pounds that was an expert in Aikido. He DEMOLISHED bad guys. He made it look so easy when a drunk 245 lb college line backer got roudy. With a little twist of some wrowdy guys wrist, they would go flying, crying, stuffed and cuffed into the back of a police cruiser. It was impressive to watch, to say the least.

Those that master the techniques have an amazing ability.

Awesome! Studied for 15 years. Nidan here.

My dojo moved so I just traded in my Black Belt for a White belt in BJJ.

Get after it!

My current situation:

This message has been edited. Last edited by: myrottiety,

Studied it for about 5-years, I look at it as a fanatic foundational martial art. My sensei was a former Tokyo LEO, every once in awhile, some of his former colleagues visiting from out of town would come by and they'd go couple of rounds....OMG . If those guys are typical Tokyo cops, I do not want to mess with them, can only imagine how much mat time was needed for them to be so proficient. Aikido, regardless of form, definitely gets your footwork dialed-in and how to take a fall. Mix it in with Wing Chun or, any other hard art and you've got a lethal combo of skills.

I used to teach Kenpo. A little over a year ago I put back on the white and started bjj. Now I’m a three striped white working on blue.

It’s great to go back to being a beginner

Since this is a Martial Arts thread. I'll share this. I have zero relationship with the company. Other than I've bought two of their Gis and like them.

Light weight pearl weave BJJ Gi from Flow Kimonos : $79 (Usually $120)

~Link to BJJ Gi Deal~

Best of luck to you.

Your story reminds me of my first, introductory class when I studied Jiujitsu several years ago. The instructor told me to throw a punch, so I did. Before I knew what was happening, he had me on the floor twisted up like a pretzel.

Never studied Aikido (though I've always wanted to), but I did get the chance, when I was studying Jiujitsu, to attend a class with a guest instructor who was a black belt in Aikijutsu (the style of Jiujitsu I studied "branched" off from Aikijutsu, similar to Aikido).

There are a number of schools in aikido, and some different approaches, but the concepts remain the same.

Aikido is learning about yourself; it's about awareness, more than anything; flow, breathing, rhythm, balance. It's never about who is stronger, it's never about attacking. It doesn't get old; you'll grow old and still find there's a lot to learn.

To me, aikido is the most positive of the various schools of movement, and it become s nearly a way of thought. In many partial arts, there's a clash; one force against another, but it's never the case in Aikido.

Properly done, aikido has the capability of exploding an opponent's joints; it's incredibly easy to separate a wrist, shoulder, hip, etc, but what you'll find is that there's no need, and that may be the point. If you study another martial art, aikido doesn't contradict it, but expands, complements. It's whatever you want it to be.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
Properly done, aikido has the capability of exploding an opponent's joints; it's incredibly easy to separate a wrist, shoulder, hip, etc

Whenever I read about detractors talking about how Aikido students are "throwing" themselves, it's to keep them out of the hospital. When I studied Jiujitsu I spent a lot of time working on how to fall, including what my instructor called, "air rolls." He wouldn't let me practice some techniques until I could fall properly.

I think this is an aspect of the art that some overlook.

When practicing an energetic kotegaeshi the uke damned well better throw himself with the technique. Failure to do so runs the real risk of wrecking the wrist, elbow, and rotator cuff. Aikido is as much about learning how to fall without injury as it is making the other guy fall.

Uke v. Nage; the one thrown and the one throwing are the same. Learning to be thrown, handled, rolled, taken down, is just as important as learning to throw, take down, etc. Two sides of the same coin.

What makes aikido different is that it's never uke against nage.

It's uke with nage. That's the crucial difference.

Quick story -

A guy I know ( named Mark Larson ) is from my hometown ( St. Cloud, MN ). He was a hockey stud and after college was walking thru the mall, enters a book store, and see's a book on Aikido. He sits down in the bookstore, and several hours later has finished the book. He is fascinated. Moves to Japan shortly thereafter ( can't speak any Japanese ), and finds an Aikido master to train him. I think he spent ten or so years there, is a 5th ( ? ) degree black belt and now teaches aikido in the twin cities area of MN.

Really an incredible story.

MDS

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
Uke v. Nage; the one thrown and the one throwing are the same. Learning to be thrown, handled, rolled, taken down, is just as important as learning to throw, take down, etc. Two sides of the same coin.

What makes aikido different is that it's never uke against nage.

It's uke with nage. That's the crucial difference.

Unless a LEO. In the grand scheme of things. Honestly you'll use the falling / ukemi more in your life than you'll ever need to twist a wrist. I think the ukemi is more important "self defense" than anything. I fell off a ladder years ago. Popped up like nothing happened. Should have seen the looks on peoples face.