What Makes A Good Training Session? – Part 3
Promote Competition Between Friends Every once in a while the question, “What makes a good sensei?” comes up for discussion. There are many valid answers for this question but this post is going to take a different approach to the standard responses. This month continues the series looking at what makes a good training session? Since the sensei runs the session, a good training session requires a good sensei. The inference being that if you do these things then you will improve as a sensei. This post will be considering…
Why There Should Not Be Competition In Aikido – Part 2
This post is the final entry in the four part series on competition in aikido. The last post started presenting the arguments that competitive aikido is bad. That’s Not How That Technique Is Supposed To Work There is, amazingly, a very close analogy to the idea of competition in aikido. There is an art designed for close personal self-defence that can be looked at in this context. In recent years, Krav Maga has developed a competition aspect. What is particularly interesting is that the arguments around competition in aikido, are…
Why There Should Not Be Competition In Aikido – Part 1
This post is the third in the four part series on competition in aikido. The series started with a defence of competition, this post will begin the arguments against it. Many aikidoka feel that competitive aikido is bad, and they have valid reasons for doing so. We’ll examine them below but note that these are not counterpoints to the arguments in the previous posts. Define Competition People that think competitive aikido is good often point out that you are already competing against yourself. The idea being that to improve you’re…
Why There Should Be Competition In Aikido – Part 2
This post is the second in a four part series looking at one of the most controversial topics in aikido. Competition. The last post started presenting the arguments that competitive aikido is good. This post concludes those arguments. Next week will start to present the opposing view. Is That Technique Valid? It is possible that MMA has the most well-known competitive setting in martial arts today. It may only be beaten into first place by boxing. Proponents of MMA are usually quite willing to point out that there are no…
Why There Should Be Competition In Aikido – Part 1
This post is the first in a four part series that will look at one of the most controversial topics in aikido. Competition. In the aikido community there are fierce divisions over the concept of aikidoka competing with their art. In some places it almost seems like competitive aikido is a dirty secret that we shouldn’t be discussing. This does not change the fact that it does exist, and isn’t going to stop anytime soon. No matter how many letters Aikikai Doshu issue. This post begins the defence of competitive…