This is where I think Ueshiba had a spiritual realization what good is it to defend yourself if you cripple and destroy another human being? In many ways I think Aikido is one of the best martial arts to use on the street because at a high level you can simply avoid an agressors strike without messing with your own karma by doing damage to them. Don't confuse the two and beware instructors that say the two are the same.
If you want to know how to protect your self and your family fine. This is what I alluded to in my earlier post asking the reason for wanting to train in the martial arts.
If you train avoiding these responses that I mention, then are potentially limiting your ability to deal with real danger if it ever occurs. You will fight in a real situation the way you fight in training or in a sparring match. There are things that are not appropriate in a sporting contest for legal and ethcal reasons that are perfectly acceptable in a street fight or in real combat where you are fighting for your survival. comment: No sport match was won with an eye gouge, punch to the trachea, by one opponent grabbing the others balls and ripping them from his body, or with a knife, a stick, tear gas, a gun, etc. Natural movement and behavioral flexibility is what allows a person to respond appropriately to a chaotic situation.Īs to the no match was ever won with dim mak, etc. How many people do you see on the street that move perfectly naturally? I see damn few. It must be transcended over the course of time for a person to be an effective fighter, but it is a step that can't be skipped. Technique is where beginners relearn how to move naturally. Most instructors won't have a problem with this.Ī couple of comments though. To compensate him for his time you need to offer to pay a 1 month rate that is higher than what you would pay under the contract. If this isn't enough time to fully evaluate a school tell the instructor you want to train for a month before making a decision to sign a long term contract. Check out several schools by taking advantage of this.
Most schools will offer a free class or two to prospective students. A long term contract reduces their financial risk and allows them to teach the students that do get off their butts and show up. Also, instructors that are worth their salt spend as much time and almost as much money on their training as do doctors and lawyers and except for a very few are not rewarded financially nearly so well. Knowing that they are on the hook for some cash helps keep them motivated. They hop into an art and then just as quickly hop out looking for the next trendy thing. People in the US tend to have a microwave oven/ remote control mentality and want immediate gratification. As someone who has run a commercial martial arts school I disagree.