When you watch clips on YouTube, you’re bound to think Aikido is controlled and won’t inflict damages to an opponent in real combats. However, you should also know that videos on YouTube are far less practical than reality.
Aikido is an old art that originated from Japan, and to this day, serves as a defensive tool in the army. It’s tricky and equipped with enough techniques to outsmart your opponent in different situations. This includes getting attacked from behind or coming against a heavyweight.
However, we do think Aikido isn’t difficult to learn and can be mastered by anyone. This is why this guide will be your guide to the world of Aikido. Some of the things we will cover here include how the art works, where to learn, and what you need to get started.
What’s Aikido?
Aikido is a form of martial art that originated in Japan. It involves maintaining stamina, as well as executing joint locks and leg kicks. The closest skill to Aikido in terms of movement is judo, except that they’re less effective than Aikido in real-life situations.
In the present era, martial art such as Aikido has earned a lot of criticism due to the introduction of similar acts like MMA, proving that traditional combat technique is irrelevant.
However, while some people believe Aikido isn’t practical and not a good defensive tool, such opinion comes from individuals who haven’t transferred their art from the training room to the street where real bullies walk the walk.
Aikido is a complete defensive tool. It involves striking as well as pinning techniques that force the opponent to surrender. Original Aikido training involves the use of weapons such as staff, knife, and sword. The act has been modernized, and you will hardly find an instructor who trains students with any of the original tools.
Also, Aikido has a simple fighting method. It incorporates a great deal of self-discipline as well as personal development. Aikido fighters are not killing machine. The art promotes uprightness, loyalty as well as courage. It promotes positive characters that are transferred from a practitioner to the disciple.
The training room for this skill is the same as any martial art. In the modern era, the training takes place in a small room rather than outdoor where your body will be exposed to harsh environmental elements. Aikido has a designated custom. You can’t train in everyday clothing, but you can do so on flip flops.
Where To Learn Aikido
Before you can learn Aikido, you need to find a place to train. Traditionally, it’s called a dojo. There are several dojos spread all over Europe, and you can find one by searching on the internet or looking through street signs as you drive around your city.
Before enrolling, you ought to visit the school you’ve picked to experience their training first hand. You want to observe the teaching method; the instructors experience, and how each training is organized. Most dojo centres are comfortable even for first-timers, and the instructors are friendly.
However, you want to steer clear of schools where the air in the room is negative and do not give you a welcome reception simply because you haven’t enrolled yet.
Secondly, the school you enroll to learn should be accredited by the national organization, and the practitioner should have obtained certifications. A good dojo centre will offer free trails for some days before you enroll for their paid class. This way, you’re able to train for a few days and see if it’s right for you before proceeding.
You ought to know that Aikido is more practical than what’s displayed on YouTube. The real training is more challenging, and you want to ensure it meets your expectations
What To Take To An Aikido Gym
1. Training
So, let’s assume that you’ve decided to enroll at a dojo and want to learn Aikido. Of course, you will be instructed on what to bring along to the class, but if you aren’t aware yet, you will find out a few items that are a must for you to take to your first training.
Training Clothes: Traditional Aikido training were done in an Aikido Gi but these outfits don’t exist anymore. The closest you can get is a taekwondo Gi, and it isn’t available in all countries. As an alternative, you can bring sports clothing with you. This includes loose shorts and a T-shirt. You don’t want an outfit that will restrict your movements, especially in a kneeling position.
Shoes: the training will be done indoors, but you won’t be allowed to walk in your everyday shoe. You will have to change into a flip flop at the locker room before proceeding to a dojo. In other martial arts such as systema, you can walk in barefooted, but this is considered as a bad habit in Aikido
since they don’t want any traces of specks of dirt in the dojo
Towel: standard dojos have a bathroom where you can wash off the sweat before putting on new clothes. If the dojo you enrolled in happens to have this facility, you can bring a bar of soap and towel along. However, only a few people use these facilities because they will be itching to get home than spend another second.
2. Choosing A Good Instructor To Learn From
We can’t go on without emphasizing the need to get a good instructor if you ever what to use this skill for good. The quality of the skill they’ve acquired will help you through the learning phase.
Most Aikido practitioners with a black belt from a certified school are called O-sensai. Before choosing a practitioner, you want to ensure they’re familiar with the entire Aikido curriculum starting from basic movement such as grappling to advanced skills like choking.
Also, the best certification you need is that they have a black belt from their Aikido training. A practitioner with no belt most likely won’t meet the skill level required to transfer the knowledge to another. With a craft such as Aikido, you don’t want to be taught by a teacher who’s just a step ahead; you have one who’s a master at their craft.
How Aikido Works
Those who haven’t seen Aikido fighters in action rely on clips from YouTube but in the real world, it’s quite different. In most training, you will be taught how to strike, throw, grab, and choke opponents. You will also be taught how to pin opponents and force them to surrender.
For instance, if an opponent latches at you from behind, the system teaches you how to grab their head from behind and place your hands close to their eye socket to cause some discomfort that will force them to release their hold on you.
If poking the eye seems a bit dangerous, you can grab the opponent’s head and throw them off from the back. This technique is faster if you’re up against numerous opponents and want to execute every move as fast as possible.
A lack of skill is why most Aikido fighters get defeated in street fights. It’s impossible to master simple striking skills and still find yourself clueless in street battles.
We agree Aikido might not teach the same level of intelligence as Kung Fu or Najutsu but inflicts serious damages to the opponent. Also, you will be taught how to tackle opponents in different situations, especially if you’re taken unaware.
Having read till this point, you already know that Aikido Isn’t all about attack. In a way, it improves posture, stamina as well as flexibility. Before every training, you will be made to carry out a light workout that would improve your fitness.
Equipment You Will Need For Aikido
At some point, standard dojo centres will introduce a weapon into the training. However, the equipment isn’t as dangerous as the ones used years ago. In place of a samurai sword, most dojo uses a Wooden bokken that’s shaped like a sword. You can create your bokken from woods such as Red Oak, cherry, or Ebony.
The process would be time-consuming and quite unnecessary since you can get it at an affordable price. You can also enquire about a dojo staff at the same place you purchased your booking.
Is Aikido Effective In Street Fights?
Now, in the modern world, there are no sword battles or ninja fights. The only place you will be using Aikido is to defend yourself in the street especially during one-on-one combats. Well, unlike what you’ve been told, Aikido isn’t useless, and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise doesn’t understand how it works.
It’s built around stopping an attack from executing moves, which will harm you like an opponent trying to choke you from behind. Freeing yourself from their grasp is way more important than throwing kicks or punches.
However, Aikido is not fast, and you won’t experience this lightening shadow movement. At its best, it takes some years to master but once you do, you will become a one-man army and completely untouchable.
Conclusion.
Aikido isn’t just limited to street fights. So many officers in the military possess this skill, and they use it to great effect to defend themselves against violent criminals. Aikido isn’t lightning-fast, but it’s sleek. The better you get at it, the faster your movements will be.