What's the deal with all the Aikido love?.?

Question

Man I hate to blow 5 points by asking a question, but figured I would try it out. This is mainly for those people who everytime someone comes on the Y!Answers and asks what martial art should they learn you answer "Aikido"

"What art should I learn to learn how to throw" you say "Aikido"

"What art should I learn for self defense" you say "Aikido"

What art is fast paced and will go with my TKD background" you say "Aikido"

First, have you ever taken Aikido? Second, have you spent actual time training in Aikido, or know exactly what Aikido is about? Third, have you ever actually used Aikido on a resisting opponent under an andrenaline situation? Last, why do you think Aikido is the answer for everything?

I'm just curious, I am a lowly level 2 who has answered some questions, and am always baffled at the amount of Aikido nuthugging that I see for answers here, and was just curious why so many people are all about Aikido.

For the record, I studied Aikido for two years.

Answer 1

I can answer that question a lot of ways:
1. Most people who take aikido think they have found the one and only true art that beats all.

2. Aikido draws significantly more hippy, treehuggin nutjobs than most other arts. Karate has it's fair share of brutes, but aikido attracts those who are not only interested in martial arts, but spiritual, mind and body stuff, social networking - as well as minimal workouts that stretch you, but dont' require hours of jumping jacks and pushups. Lots of older people.

3. Aikido can teach a bunch of martial principals (theories) that most other arts fail to teach. I don't think aikdio can stand on it's own, but is a most beneficial add on to budo training.

4. Most people find jui jitsu and muay thai just to darn hard to spell properly.


I agree with you - I train aikido too, but I'm tired of seeing it as the universal answer to any martial arts question.

Answer 2

What art should I learn to learn how to throw?
Should be Judo, Aikido, Hapkido
What art should I learn for self defense?
Should be Karate, Aikido, Krav maga, BJJ
What art is fast paced and will go with my TKD background?
Should be Hapkido but I don't know about it being fast paced

People tend to answer with the art that they take regardless if it's the correct answer or not. You have to overlook those people. I think Aikido is a good self defense art and you don't throw as much as guide and of balance your opponent.
I do not think it is fast paced though. If your looking for a fast paced art then I would suggest Karate, BJJ or even TKD.

Most of the people who answer the questions on here are just getting into the martial arts, wish they were in the martial arts, or may have at one time seen a Jackie Chan movie. I always try to give a well rounded, unbaised, answer that uses my years of training to help however I can.

Don't let them upset you. These answers are just peoples oppinions. And yes, I have studied Aikido but my main art stays Karate.

Answer 3

I'm not an Aikido guy, but my present sensei has a second degree black belt in Aikido, and a third degree black belt in another style. I have taken a six week seminar from an Aikido black belt. And I know that the initial Aikido defenses were mostly limited to "overhand sword" attacks. And the present leader of the Karate style I study, himself studied under Uechiba-sensei for a short while.

My experience in talking with Aikido students and instructors is that Aikido fulfills two or three needs at once: learning some self defense, not obviously doing violence to others, blending and re-directing energy, as opposed to hitting and blocking, etc. I have also found out that most aikido students tend to stay in a class less than six months, or sort of forever, if the system fulfills their needs.

So the answers you are getting are from those who are the "forever" student, as opposed to people who hop between Karate or Tae Kwon Do systems, a year at a time.

Answer 4

My image of Aikido is it's not aggressive. Similar to Judo I guess in that sense but you wait for your opponent to strike.
Thought it was a great MA to learn as a beginner.

My sensei focused more on the mental teachings of Aikido than the physical aspects of it. I dunno if that's the case for other Aikido teachers but I thought it was a great way to start. Ya know because so many people want to learn MA to break things or to hurt people. When in actuality I think MA is all about dicipline and mind over matter, not (just) to kick the living crap out of people.

I think it's better to learn the mental AND THEN learn the physical just so you don't end up like that Cobra Kai bully in Karate Kid.
So I would recommend it to beginners too I guess.
Whether it will go with TKD background people....I have no idea.

Answer 5

One thing I notice about Aikido is they tend to be marketed as style where you don't need any strenghtness, size, or power to do well. So this apply to many many people who are actually insecure of themselve, know they will never accomplish any thing good because they have no talent and/or poor training habit. So they're trying to look for short and easiest way to learn something andbelieve that one day they might be a *** kicker without any actual strength, speed, power, or fighting experience.

It's like the commerical for "6 seconds a day, twice a week and eat all you want to" abs work out that turn you from a lardbag into a super model.

So no wonder Aikido craziness is starting to spread around.

Answer 6

How come you didn't ask about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or ninjitsu, or mixed martial arts, or judo because I see these answers as much or more often than aikido?

No serious student of the martial arts believes that a single martial art is the answer for everything, but for some reason you didn't like aikido so you attack those who do with your question and rude "nuthugging" comments. Like I've told one or two students before, if you don't like the art, there's the door. No one's forcing you to study it.

For the record, I have studied aikido, karate, iaido, bujutsu, and battodo.

Answer 7

I have never taken aikido... But I assume that its liek most soft style martial arts. I know a lot about every martial art i liek to know who i'm facing or why i'm facing them. I know a few Aikido moves and have used them. Just because aikido looks slow does not mean its useless it just means you need to learn how to adjust it. Just like if i'm fighting some one in boxing i know kung-fu so i have to take my Kung-Fu and make it into an advanced form of striking, i guess it would look kind of liek shotokan karate, but any way. It's a lot liek tai chi if you know how to utilize it faster than chances are your better tahn most people who have learned it that way. For the record Aikido is an internal art but can easily be brought external do to its ritchness in science!

Answer 8

I am not sure why all the props either. I do know people who have studied traditional akido and honestly it is not something for most people. For the first year of class all they learned was how to fall and land when being thrown. They never learned a throw or any grappling technique until they were into their second year of class.

For most people this is too long to study without learning anything else. The nice thing is though once you make it through that first year you will begin learning forms without concern of hurting yourself while practicing. Is the form good for smaller people yes but I would argue any form can be used by smaller people if the instructor is good enough to teach the form for the persons own abilities and strengths.

Answer 9

Aikido Aikido Aikidooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 10

I don't know why they say Aikido mainly. I think TKD can still be good if you find a dojang that isn't as nindemonsgod put it "a black belt factory". There are still are good dojangs out there, and while some of them do it for the money, I believe that if you can find one with a Master that has actually established a dojang and teaches it along with life lessons and doesn't focus mainly on unrealistic situations, then you're set