Aikido Is Unrealistic?

When you post an Aikido video on the internet you are bound to get these types of comments:

“This is unrealistic”

“This would not work in a real fight”

“Dancing!”

etc etc

To be honest, you are likely to get some negative comments from other Aikido practitioners also!

People love to have an opinion…even on things they don’t understand or have not experienced.

How would I answer this? Well it’s a little complicated and not everyone in the world of Aikido would agree but here are my thoughts.

The technique and movements of Aikido are mostly inappropriate for hand to hand combat, especially for beginner.

But the point of these not techniques is not that they are to be used in a fight. The techniques and movements are a training method to help develop our body and mind.

Sensei often says we start with big movements…and gradually as we improve the movements get smaller and smaller. Later the “movement” almost disappears and it is an internal feeling that occurs.

We have to start with these big movements first before we do that.

Originally these techniques do not necessarily come from a hand to hand combat training style. They are mostly technqiues orginating from defence against weapons, in particular the sword.

When it comes to randori and kokkyunage, these techniques are related to defence from a multiple person attack potentially from all angles.

It is incredibly hard to become so good that you are able to defeat someone that has a weapon, particulary someone that has a sword of knife but this is part of the study.

Why do we study Ki?

When attacked by weapons or multiple partners we are at a clear disadvantage.

Potentially we could be so proficient in striking/kicking and grappling arts that we could conquer someone with a weapon or a group of people but this is very difficult.

Exploring Ki is really the martial art of trying to affect the partners ki, their energy, awareness, intention, focus, attention….their mind prior to the attack starting, then during the attack itself.

With randori training we aim to avoid getting into a grapple or getting into an exchange of blows with one partner…doing this would make us vulnerable to the other attacks that may come.

The study of ki, is a legitimate martial study but it certainly has its limits. It also takes a long time to even begin to start to understand nevermind master.

In the short term, the techniques of other martial arts will defeat a beginner in Aikido but later, we hope to continue our development to a point where our ki is such that we become a match for those opponents.

O Sensei as an older man had many students that were top fighters in Japan, particularly in Judo. In one famous story, a young champion met him on a train.

O Sensei challenged him to break his finger. The judo champion grabbed his finger but immediately found himself pinned on the ground of the train and unable to move. He has no idea how he had found himself in that position.

Can we expect to be at that level quickly?

I would say no. But I say this as a lifelong study that I will continue to improve at even in many decades to come.

When it comes to comparing one martial art to another, there is phrase:

The mountain does not laugh at the river for being so lowly
The river does not laugh at the mountain for being unable to move

I respect the choices people make in their training and Aikido is not for everyone.

Try it out and you may find it is not as unrealistic as you may think.