[Krimzon]

i was probably misled by their training but it did go down like how i had described it

i didnt see your previous edit. I can't gauge for sure if aikido is practical for fighting specifically but there were some things that were not completely void for practical usage like you said so i didnt want to sell aikido short, so why not try aikido

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by Mikey Triangles

not really. I've done Aikido. Once you're already a serious fighter there is definitely shit in Aikido that you can find useful, but to take Aikido as a means to learn how to fight (or develope a base for learning to fight) with no real prior training is just preposterous.

Word. You said it very well. I took a class in aikido in college after I was already a blue belt in brazilian jiu-jitsu and I just saw how limited it was if a person REALLY wanted to learn how to protect themselves in a short amount of time. That being said, after studying aikido it does have some stuff that is useful. For instance I am incredibly interested in standing joint locks, because frankly even though I'm a better than average grappler in a real fight I wouldn't want to go down to the ground. You know as well as I do that wrist locks are a big part of aikido and that if you've ever been put in one (they are incredibly difficult to do correctly because the wrist has such a wide range of movement as well as various flexibilities specific to each person) that they are incredibly painful.

Honestly getting my black belt in BJJ is my first priority when it comes to martial arts training, after that getting a black belt in judo. But I would love to go back and study aikido after having a deep understanding of those two and making it work.

[Flexwave2003]

Originally Posted by SamuraiRat

I posted a thread asking about a good grappling art to start out in a while back. For the time being the only grappling art that fits my schedule and bank account is Aikido. I wanted some expert opinions on this art from. Is it practical or should I just learn another form of striking until something better comes up? Just wanted to hear what you grapple guys think.

Thanks.

Ive studied Aikido/Aiki-jitsu so I will give you my opinion on your questions.

Is it practicial? Well depends on what you call practical. If you're somebody who tends to get grabbed alot it can help. But its not the entire answer in self defense.
But if you want to take guys out in your back yard and beat the living snot out of them, Aikido isnt the Martial Art for you. I would recommend training in boxing over Aikido, but some people are just Aikido guys. The martial art appeals to them on a number of levels. So what may be my cup of tea, wont be your cup of tea.

I would atleast attend a class which is usually free and get an idea of how things are going to go. Go down to the gym and just watch the class. You should be able to make up your mind by then.

[UrbanSavage]

From what I've seen, I'd probably never train in Aikido. I'd probably just train more striking or use that time to start lifting heavy weight or working on your conditioning. I'd probably bet on someone with high numbers in powerlifting and a good cardio base in a street fight over someone who's way less athletic but great at Aikido.

[blanko]

aikidon't

[Sasquatch]

Originally Posted by blanko

aikidon't

QFT

[Darkslide632]

The footwork alone is worth the time. The techniques in a lot of Aikido styles may be questionable, but no one, with the possible exception of extremely good boxers, have better footwork.

[Sohei]

^^^ TKD has better footwork then aikido.

[Balto]

Aikido is a weapon based art. That's why there is such an emphasis on footwork, range, etc. It's also why it looks quite a bit different than Judo.

It's also why it is not very applicable to MMA. Obviously MMA is not a weapon based rule set.

As far as the techniques of Aikido go, there are definitely some useful principles in there. It's unfortunate that these are mostly lost in the fact that so many Aikido practitioners are "spiritual" whackos who couldn't beat a middle school wrestler. But the value is still there if you are trained enough to find it.

The problem is, if you haven't done any grappling before, you probably aren't trained enough to find it. And you won't learn how to find it at the average Aikido club for the aforementioned reason. And the fact that even if you do find this stuff, it's not that applicable to MMA because Aikido is not about MMA in the first place.

So I would stick to striking at the moment.

[Darph]

Aikido was originally an extension of Judo, designed for old judoka who didn't have the strength/quickness/endurance to compete anymore, but had already mastered the techniques.

Aikido as a stand alone art is truely a terrible joke.

Aikido needs some real competition in the sport to build a real athlete base that represents it.