Is aikido useful in street fights?

Question

Im interested in aikido but i dont know if it would really do any good in a street fight. I want a mostly self defense style of martial arts, exactly why i was interested in aikido. please let me know if aikido would prepare me for self defense in a street fight attack or recommend another style that is better suited for the street fight situation. thanks

Answer 1

Well, here's what you'll learn about in aikido: Falling without getting hurt, throws and projections, joint locks, submissions, blocking blows. Furthermore, you'll also learn about keeping your cool, which is not only useful in case of an assault, but also useful in avoiding one.

I would also like to make a distinction between fight and assault. A street fight is a voluntary (more or less) confrontation between two people who decided they had nothing better to do that day then beat each other up. It is stupid, irresponsible and a crime. Plus, if something goes wong you could end up killed, disabled, or having to face justice for having harmed the other person. So the answer to street fighting is that you should never be in one.

An assalt is an attack where another person gives you absolutely no choice but to fend them off physically. It is very different. In case of assault, you are justified in using any means at your disposal to fend off your attacker, or escape the situation.

I am mentioning this because the techniques of aikido were not developped with sport in mind. A lot of the techniques are literally designed to break a person's bones if they resist you. They are not meant for play-fighting. My dojo manual is very adamant on this point, that the only time the art should be used outside the dojo is if 1) Someone is physically putting you in danger 2) Someone else is being put in danger. 3) Someone is disrupting the public order in a dangerous fashion.

So clearly, no room for idiotic testosterone contests over who was looking at what.

Answer 2

First of all no matter what Aikido you do it will take you AT LEAST 10 years to be able to defend yourself in a street fight, furthermore there are different schools of Aikido, the spiritual ones and those that actually train and spar, if you join the one that spar you will have a better chance of being effective, still it is not an old mans art

Aikido was designed more as a spiritual art than anything else, the guy who founded it was VERY spiritual and into some cults back in his day and designed his art from a vision after being enlightened, so take that as you will i guess, anyway, im sure even Aikido guys will tell you it will take at least 10 years to master weather it works or it doesnt is still as to debate because Aikido is never tested in situations, except that famous Aikido Ki master vs MMA that you can find on youtube

Answer 3

I just LOVE your question!!! 'Cuz it soooo applies to me and I can relate to it. I took aikido for two years and now I just started muay thai for a month. Having seen muay thai, I am giving serious thoughts about going back to aikido after doing muay thai for an year or so. The difference between the two is same as comparison between apples and oranges or rather banana but reason why I am so inclined in going back and finishing it of is because of aikido's long heritage, tradition and philosophy. Most importantly aikido can give you a confidence which other martial arts can't. I am probably the weakest guy in my muay thai class and that makes me feel like sh^t, yet when I was doing aikido I knew it's not about SIZE and STRENGTH rather TECHNIQUE which will determine the best man on the feet. Yet muay thai being all about POWER can only give you consolation that even if you are good, and really good you will do certain well at street fights with certain people. Note not with ANY people which aikido used to give. Interestingly enuff one can go to an aikido class with a big ego and come out with humility while go to muay thai class with humility and come out with a coksure ego. And also one must remember aikido was truly created for self-defense (check out my other question) whereas muay thai is geared towards ring fights. At the end of the day, although one can get majestic self-cleansing with aikido, I'd say one needs both to complete the complement of yin and yang.

Answer 4

How many guys do you all see repping Aikido in high-level Mixed Martial Arts competition? Sure Aikido may work against guys who don't know how to fight... but what happens if you run into a seasoned thug or someone with practical combat training? I've never seen aikido techniques successfully applied in any sort of realistic sparring with someone reputable. Its always aikido student against aikido student in a choreographed dance. Technically, there are better styles to train in than Aikido. I welcome anyone who dissagrees with me to prove me wrong. I'm open to learning unlike some people here :P I have similar feelings about hapkido. I've watched some of the best hapkido masters and not been impressed...

Answer 5

I didn't take it very long but aikido would be good if you are focused on self defense. The basic moves I learned were only initiated by hostile actions, from a punch or a grab.

I have friends that are into the PRIDE/UFC fighting. They do a little kick boxing but focus on grappling, like jujitsu. It's focused on one-on-one but once they got a hold of you it was pretty much over.

My personal favorite is old style American street brawling: Hit him when he's distracted and/or pick up the closest/heaviest thing next to you and crack him with it. Remember, if you get jumped make an example of the first guy....it helps.

Answer 6

Most martial arts are commonly referred to as self defense. Aikido is great because you use it to take an opponents force and turn it against him. Often times this will lead to a grapple which is also covered by Aikido.
Personally, I study Japanese Karate-do and am partial to the hit them hard and make it count idea. Shotokan Karate has often been referred to as "The Hard Style" or "Japanese Street-fighting."
If you find the right style and have a good teacher with a lot of dedication you 'll develop skills that will assist you in street combat. Otherwise, I'd take up sprinting if you have this hanging over your head that you're going to be in a lot of street fights. Avoiding the fight is often the concept taught in many traditional dojos.

Answer 7

Woulnt hurt to be able to box a bit but their is advance courses in aikido,which go far beyound your basic.Just check out a Steven Segal movie a lot of that is aikido,another note The Ohio Dept of Corrections teaches aikido for the purpose of self defense,and using it in that situation is perfectly legal in the court if an unruly inmate gets hurt.

Answer 8

I have to agree with Bigfoot. Aikido is a very dynamic martial art and there are mainly two types. The more aggressive type uses strikes to the face and low kicks to set up or while employing some of the techniques and is the type that you see Steven Segal do in his movies. The other, more defensive type is not near as aggressive and relies on the other person coming to you and extending themselves, their reach, and balance for you to take advantage of. Both types are very effective but take more time to master to be able to use in street situations than some other forms of martial arts.

Along with the development of your "touch" the timing aspect for some of the techniques is critical and takes years to develop. Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, and Hapkido are easier to learn, develop, and utilize in a street situation and more piratical for self-defense for this reason. Also they tend to be complimented more easily by some of your striking and kicking martial arts like Muai-Tai, Karate, and TKD.

Answer 9

Kick him in the knee caps thrust your fingers in his eyes grab his ears after doing a double slap to them knee him in the face .

Why do you need to hang a style label on that sequence.I have a friend who has studied AIKIDO for years and the above is how he fights .What has AIKIDO or TKD or KARATE got to do with it.?You decide not the art.

Answer 10

why don't you take Hapkido? if you intend to beat up someone on the street you shouldn't take Japanese martial arts cuz that's what they most hate.
A grandmaster of Hapkido Choi Yong Sul only learned Japanese Aikido for 4-5years during the annexation and brought it back to Korea and made it violence, and he named it Hapkido on 1958. It is quite new born exciting violence for American people, you should take that.