New Rule #2
It’s time to take a look at the next of our new rules, it’s about aikido being lethal. This is something that so many people are guilty of and it’s time to stop. New Rule #2: You are not allowed to claim lethal effectiveness for aikido unless you can prove it. Aikidoka seem to love to claim that it is ‘lethal’, or ‘too dangerous for competition’, or ‘incredibly deadly if we want it to be’. I understand why we claim that. I really do. There’s a whole host of reasons…
Aikidoka Need To Be The Fittest Martial Artists
There is an interesting concept that seems to prevail in the minds of many aikidoka. It’s about your level of fitness, and it runs a bit like this. You don’t need to be fit or strong to do aikido. This is an assertion I have come across over and over through my years of training. I can see how people would arrive at this conclusion. It’s an obvious outcome of being told that your martial art does not rely on strength and that it uses the other person’s motion. It…
Quotes That Need to Die #3
Our quote that needs to die this time is that old chestnut that appears all over social media. It usually takes the from of an ‘inspirational’ meme. I can see why it would work that way for some people but really, this one is just dumb. Ready for it? Here we go: “A black belt is just a white belt that never gave up.” Are they though? I mean it’s a lovely sentiment, but that’s all it is. Importantly though it really doesn’t hold true. If you aren’t a black…
With Weapons Training You Need To Finish The Technique
Over the last number of months, as the world has been shut down, there has been an increase in weapons training. As noted in a previous post I think this was a missed opportunity but it has revealed something else that was unexpected. The world over aikidoka are performing weapons techniques and kata. Now, more than ever, social media groups are flooded with videos of aikido weapons. Watching these videos it’s almost impossible not to notice a problem. Failing To Finish It seems that when aikidoka are performing weapons kata…
New Rule #1 – Stop Saying That
There is an idea that floats around that is a bit weird. It’s the concept that everybody’s opinion is valid. We have to respect everybody’s opinion because…reasons. Unfortunately this just isn’t the case. Saying we have to respect someone’s opinion is kind of like stating we can say whatever we want and if you argue against it you’re being disrespectful. That may be true but it’s a terrible argument. It’s up there with people who say, “That’s offensive” and use it as the entire basis of their argument. Sadly, ‘that’s…
Quotes That Need to Die #2
This post is the second in the series of Quotes That Need To Die. This one focuses on a specific aikido quote. It appears everywhere and, in my opinion, is unhelpful to both training and a general discourse on aikido. “Aikido is 90% atemi!” – O Sensei. I’m going to assume that you’ve heard this one before. It’s almost impossible to have a conversation with an aikidoka without encountering this quote. I’m pretty sure that this quote needs to die. It’s not helpful to aikidoka and even a moments thought…
For Good Ukemi, Uke Needs to Move
There is an aspect of aikido that is at least as important as the techniques. It’s called ukemi. There are some basic principles that apply to it that are universal regardless of the type of aikido you practice. Today, we’re going to consider just one of the most basic aspects of it, but it is also one of the hardest to get right. Quite simply, you have to move. An awful lot of ukemi is performed from a static position. Much of the rest becomes static after the initial attack…
Your Stupidity Should Be Painful
I recently came across a really great concept that in my head immediately related to the practice of aikido. Not just one aspect of it though, but pretty much right across the board. It’s pretty simple and goes like this: Stupidity should be painful. Initially as an uke, then even further as a teacher, I’ve learned that one of the quickest ways to teach somebody that they shouldn’t be in the position that they are is to hit them. For example, if they are standing right in front of you…
Lockdown = Weapons! Right? Wrong.
Okay, so nobody is allowed in the dojo at the minute. Seems to be a worldwide thing. For weeks now all I’ve heard is the question, “How can I train at home?” Not being allowed in the dojo is the perfect time to work on that area that is massively neglected, fun to train, and just about everybody sucks at. No, not weapons. Put The Weapons Away There, I said it, stuck at home is not an excuse to do nothing but weapons. Sure, weapons can be important, but there…
The Art is Not the Method
There has been a large amount of conversation on social media over the last number of years about the ineffectiveness of aikido as a martial art. This has been caused by numerous factors ranging from aikidoka themselves, to the nature of the demonstrations, to the near meteoric rise of mixed martial arts competitions. Aikido hasn’t been the only art to suffer under this. Many traditional martial arts are experiencing the same thing. Perhaps the most famous example of this is the loss of numerous kung fu masters in China to…