I'm on a roll. Maybe hidden anxiety over my upcoming randori!
Here's the trouble with Aikido? No. This is the trouble with practicing martial arts @ all.
What's the Difference Between Aikido and Sports
291 views
•Sep 27, 2013
Dave Parks
34 subscribers
What's the Difference Between Aikido and Sports? Hey. I've fought for years to make the distinction in people's minds between Aikido and sports. People still think and refer to Aikido as a sport. It isn't. Aikido is defined as "Budo". Aikido emphasizes the balanced and complete development of the student. The first Doshu (the son of the Founder) said that Aikido is, a special type of martial art that emphasizes spiritual development. While there are Aikido organizations that host tournaments, the Founder emphasized the the art has nothing to do with competition and instead leads to cooperation and the pacification or transformation of the attacker. As far as physical activity, students of Aikido can verify that it can be a challenging physical activity. The practices can be rigorous and also carry the risk of injury if the practice is not done with caution. Moreover, it was never the intention of the Founder that Aikido become an Olympic style activity. Given that Aikido does have its physical side, its focus is not the same as for sports. As I mentioned, competition in Aikido was specifically prohibited by the Founder. Instead, we are to focus on spiritual development -- that is, on the development of the whole human being. As Aikidosha (a person who practices Aikido) we don't depend on excessive force in order to win against an opponent. In this, Aikido differs from sports. Personally, I think that sports occupy a very important place in today's world. Nevertheless, Aikido goes beyond the reach of sport. Aikido takes into account the whole human being to an advanced degree. It (Aikido) also does not subscribe to the idea of "winning" in the sense of a sport or when applied to a "real" situation. Aikido always promotes the idea of reintegrating an out-of-control person into harmony by means of exercising the Aikidosha's own self-control. We'll talk about "What would you do if someone wants to (injure, kill, rob, etc.) you at another time. Sports can't do the same. Aikido creates a link between physical activity and the values and techniques of the samurai. Let me know what you think. Ciao for now.
Dave (the author / speaker) wants to know what I think. He shouldn't have said that.
This guy may be right. He may be some guru of aikido. He may be able to demonstrate aikido will flip / flop Cody Garbrandt and all of Team Alpha Male over all town.
The trouble is I can't get that from what he's presenting. It's just talk, a personal talk about all the same kind of stuff we hear from karate, TKD... even BJJ to some extent.
"Harmony, spiritualism, joining, self development, not a competitive endeavor,,,," "The founder prohibited competition.... specifically." And so on.
So what? I mean what the hell is aikido? How about Merriam Webster?
Definition of aikido
: a Japanese art of self-defense employing locks and holds and utilizing the principle of nonresistance to cause an opponent's own momentum to work against him
Ok, this is a little better. Hard2Hurt's got this far. But it doesn't really tell us what specfically makes aikido work. Except we do see a similar concept of judo with the
non-resistance and using opponent's own momentum to work against [them].
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Now let's look at that Ronda judo throw again, O Soto Gari. And throw in MMA / Holly Holm a bit. 'Cause I know O Soto Gari, I can talk about it. What makes that relevant is that I can do it. I understand how it works, and how it can work against you.
Judo - Osoto Gari - 大外刈
214,985 views
•Dec 4, 2012
Flash Mavi
115K subscribers
Now, say Holly Holm has stepped in front of me to punch me, I have to step in to do the throw. The demonstration here takes it from there.
Now what in the Aikido video explains how to effect an O Soto Gari like technique... we are not physically shoving back like the Aikido video says, sorta off. Now what about the Judo video of O Soto Gari explains what all this fancy talkly talk means.
Honestly, I think the O Soto Gari demo video is a fairly good representation of Judo... not overwhelmed. But what does that mean. Honestly to start on the negative, I'm concerned about how the instructor starts to the opponent & leans into the technique. I would be cautious about that.
On the positive, the technique appears to do the work. The physical effect is not from some huge torquing or pushing or exaggerated action, with muscles bulging or straining. So certain steps or parts are performed which when done correctly together cause the opponent to flip rather smoothly and easily.
Okay, so how do you do that? What do you do? It's not adequately described by the Aikido video by
harmony, yet the O Soto Gari throw here could be characterized a kinda harmonious, harmony-like in character. Like the Merriam dictionary, kinda use the opponent.... momentum?
When I first started posting, I set out Judo works a certain way. And all the components of that way, the philosophy down to the gi grip must be practiced, understood and mastered to a working level.
How do I feel Dave? Lost listening to you. How do I feel in Judo Class? I know exactly what to do and why. I have to throw Holly Holm with proper Judo... then it will work.
"Spirit; and The founder said this...'" isn't enough. I have to know specifically & exactly how it works to throw, or submit an opponent. I have to do the kind of actions shown in the O Soto Gari video above. Should I not perform the throw as it should be done... I'll torgue myself right into an MMA head kick.
