Using Aikido in Combat

Everyone has the power of life or death in oneís hands. It is the decision of the individual to slow down when pedestrians are crossing or whether to pull the trigger when going on a duck hunt.

Unfortunately, there are certain elements in society who will cause harm in order to get money instead of working for it. The person can become a victim when walking to the car after doing some shopping or when coming home late from work.

The police may not always be there to assist so it is best to be prepared always. One way to be prepared is learning a martial art. The individual does not have to be as good as Bruce Lee to kick butt but simply learn what it takes to deliver a good punch.

One of the more popular and yet very peaceful is aikido. This is because in combat, the person doesnít strike the opponent with the intent to injure or kill. The objective is merely to subdue the opponent with minimum force to be able to get to safety.

There are various Dojos all across the country that teach aikido. The person can sign up in one and then move up the ranks.

Beginners will first work use techniques based in the shape of a square. As the skills develop, the person will move up to triangle and then eventually circle. This will take months so the student must be committed throughout the entire process.

The objective of this is for the person to be able to the various techniques with the least amount of effort unlike before. This will give the person enough energy in combat should there be more than one opponent.

The things done in practice such as the holds, grips and falls can never be compared with what happens in the streets. This is because an inexperienced person may try something different so the individual should be prepared for anything.

It is a good thing though that various competitions are held regularly so that oneís combat skills can be tested. The student can sign up especially if the dojo usually participates in such tournaments.

While in practice or during competition, the person should lower the tempo to prevent injuring the partner. After all, the real battle is out there in the streets and should only be used as a last resort.

There may even come a time that the assailant could be someone also skilled in the martial arts. The only way to win will be to use the mind since this will allow the individual to react faster in the middle of a fight.

There are various secrets in aikido. This can be from the hand to eye coordination, the flexibility of the wrist, the breathing and the speed. All of these things will count for something as the person is in combat struggling in a life or death situation.

There is a line that goes, ìno pain, no gain.î Unfortunately, this will happen in order to be good at aikido since the one who has the competitive edge will be the victor in any battle. The person can do well in any combat situation as long as one is guided by senior students and the Sensei and believes in his or herself.

Why watch Aikido clip video?

Aikido was developed by as a martial art by Morihei Ueshiba who studied several martial arts since 1912. Known to many aikido practitioners as "O Sensei" or the "Great Teacher," Ueshiba was able to develop the martial art based on a purely physical level using techniques and movements such those of "Jujitsu" and "Kenjutsu" called "aikido."



It is believed that aikido was first introduced to the Western culture way back in 1951 by a martial arts practitioner Minoru Mochizuki when he visited France. Then, he introduced aikido and several aikido techniques to judo students in different areas of France. After this introduction, Tadashi Abe, who cane as the official Aikikai Honbu representative in 1952, remained in France for less than seven years and continued the pursuit.



The following year, Kenji Tomiki conducted a tour along with various martial arts delegates in 15 continental states in the US. And in that same year, Koichi Tohei of Aikikai Honbu was sent by for a year to Hawaii just to set up a number of dojos. After invading the US, Aikido gained patronage in the UK, Germany, and Australia. Today, thousands of dojos are set up for those who would want to learn the practice of the martial art.



BITS AND PIECES OF AIKIDO



If you are interested with aikido but do not have the time and money to go to a dojo and enroll for an aikido class, then you should find other means to do so. One of the easiest ways to introduce yourself into the exciting world of aikido is to browse the Internet and look for aikido video clips.



Being a limitless source of any information, browsing the Internet for various aikido video clips can give you better options and the specific details you would want to learn. Today, there are so many websites that offer aikido clip videos for free for those who would want to learn the basics and for those who would want to get an idea how the martial art works before enrolling to it.



Usually, aikido video clips contain loose form training or popularly known as "ki nagare." Here, the aikido practitioners are just playing around even and after the martial art presentation. The most viewed aikido video clips are those of famous aikido practitioners while conducting their classes or during their practice. But since these are just clips, it is not possible for you to learn everything about the techniques of the martial art.



Amateurs who document the practitioner's lessons and stunts during practice usually take these aikido video clips. Since these are taken in impromptu, you cannot expect high quality resolution and sound. The most common problem would be is that the aikido video clip has a noisy background due to the noises created by people from neighboring gym hall or from the enthusiastic audience inside the dojo.



After filming, they upload these files into the Internet so others can see it. Although these are just short clips, there is a possibility that you pick up aikido techniques that you can practice. Unlike in full-length aikido videos, the variety of aikido techniques is limited when you watch an aikido video clip.



Aikido video clips are available in various aikido sites or from yahoo, google, and u-tube. There are many more websites that offer free aikido video clips but expect that limited amount of information can be gathered.

Best Aikido: The Fundamentals (Illustrated Japanese Classics)

Book Discription

Best Aikido: The Fundamentals (Illustrated Japanese Classics)


At last, the complete and authoritative introduction to all the fundamentals of Aikido, coauthored by the two direct successors to the Founder of the martial art, Morihei Ueshiba. Coauthors Kisshomaru Ueshiba and Moriteru Ueshiba, son and grandson of the Founder, seek to carry on his legacy and to share with the millions of men and women around the world practicing Aikido today the most important techniques and principles of the art.
This book is the quintessential training aid for all Aikido practitioners-whether beginning or advanced-who wish to further their understanding of the forms and spirit of Aikido.
Underlying the forms, or physical techniques, are the spiritual principles of Aikido, which are based on the notion of ki, or "life force." Ki is the fundamental element to understanding Aikido. But as the authors explain, it cannot be learned merely by watching a demonstration or reading a book. Rather, one must come to experience it through practice, in unifying body and mind.
Best Aikido helps guide the practitioner to this goal. It offers step-by-step instruction that will complement knowledge learned in the dojo. The text is illustrated with a wealth of never-before-seen photographs that feature Aikido master Moriteru Ueshiba demonstrating the fundamental techniques of the art.
Best Aikido is authorized by the Aikikai Foundation, the central organization set up by Morihei Ueshiba.

Review

"The book is a concise, illustrated guide for how to do the basic aikido techniques, with information of value to practitioners of all levels....As a technical reference for the performance of basic aikido techniques, this book is exemplary and sets the standard." - Journal of Asian Martial Arts
"An excellent introduction to the basics of aikido." -The Hawai'i Herald
"The major part of the book contains excellent photos of fundamental Aikido techniques demonstrated by Moriteru Ueshiba himself, an invaluable reference work which I recommend to all my students and to the general readership who require an authoritative, clearly presented, and extremely well-written introduction to the art of Aikido." -Cultural News

Aikido video #1

A Basic Guide to Aikido

Aikido is a unique form of martial art. Its emphasis lies on the harmonious fusion of mind and body with the natural laws of Nature. Aikido focuses on accepting and respecting the energy of life and nature and channeling this harmony onto techniques that expresses this energy in physical forms.



Aikido is often viewed as more of a defensive martial art since its techniques and teachings are designed for you to avoid or get out of trouble. On the contrary, Aikido's techniques are very powerful and effective.



Basically, there are four levels of technique in Aikido training. These are the katai which refers to the basic training and is intended to build the foundation of body movements and breathing; the yawarakai trains the defendant to deflect attacks and fuse movements to take control of the attacker or situation; the ki-no-nagare which involves training the defendant to defend or counter attack by merging his movement with the attacker even before the latter makes contact; and the ki which is the absolute Aikido technique and involves establishing a link of ki or spirit from the defender to the attacker.



When training for Aikido, you need a sparring partner. The uke and the nage. The Uke is the initiator of the attack and receives the Aikido techniques, while the Nage is the defender and the one that neutralizes the attack.



Aikido basic techniques include ikky which involves control an attacker by placing one hand on the elbow and one on near the wrist giving an opportunity to throw the attacker to the ground; the niky which draws in the uke using a wristlock and twists the arm while applying painful nerve pressure; sanky which is a rotating technique aimed at applying a spiraling tension on the whole arm including the elbow and shoulder; yonky a shoulder control technique with both hands gripping the forearm; goky is another variant of ikky



wherein the hand gripping the wrist is inverted and is quite useful in weapon take-aways; shihnage or the four-direction throw; kotegaeshi or wrist return which involves a wristlock-throw that stretches the extensor digitorum; kokynage also known as breath throws or timing throws; iriminage or entering-body throws which resembles a "clothesline" technique; tenchinage or heaven-and-earth throw; koshinage or the Aikido's version of the hip throw; jinage or the shaped-like-'ten'-throw; and kaitennage or rotation throw wherein the nage sweeps the arm of the uke back until it locks the shoulder joint after which the nage applies forward pressure to throw the attacker.



These are just basic techniques and from the list thousands of possible implementations or combinations can be drawn by the aikidokas. In Aikido, the strikes employed during the implementation of the Aikido technique are called atemi. For beginners, grabs are the first ones to be taught. It is safer and the aikidoka can easily feel the energy flowing from the uke to the nage.



Among the basic grab techniques are the katate-dori or single-hand-grab which involves using one hand to grab one wrist; morote-dori or both-hands-grab which uses both hands to grab one wrist; ryte-dori another both-hands-grab technique wherein both hands are used to grab both wrists; kata-dori or the shoulder-grab technique; and the mune-dori or chest-grab which involves grabbing the clothing of the chest of the attacker.



Mastering each technique involves discipline and dedication. To be a good aikodoka, one must master both the techniques and principle of the marital art.

Into the world of Aikido martial arts

With the visible convergence of East and West cultures, more and more people are discovering and rediscovering new means self-discipline especially in the field of martial arts. One of these means is called "Aikido," a very popular Japanese martial art.

KNOWING AIKIDO

ìDo not fight force with force,î this is the most basic principle of Aikido. Considered as one of the non-aggressive styles in martial arts, Aikido has become popular because it doesnít instigate or provoke any attack. Instead, the force of the attacker is redirected into throws, locks, and several restraining techniques.

Since aikido uses very few punches and kicks, the size, weight, age, and physical strength of the participants or the opponents only partake only a small role. What's important is the skilled Aikido practitioner is skilled enough to redirect his or her attacker's energy while keeping him or her in a constant of unbalance.

The history of Aikido as a martial art can be traced when Morihei Ueshiba discovered and developed its principle of aikido. Known as "O Sensei" or the "Great Teacher," Ueshiba made sure to develop a martial art that is based on a purely physical level using movements like throws, joint locks and techniques derived from another martial arts like "Jujitsu" and "Kenjutsu."

Technically, aikido was stemmed out and developed mainly from "daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu" while incorporating several training movements similar to the "yari" or "spear, "jo" or a short "quarterstaff" and from "juken" or "bayonet". Although these jujitsu movements are prominent while practicing the martial art, many practitioners agree that strongest influences of aikido is that of kenjutsu.

When he finally developed the minor and major principles of Aikido, Ueshiba emphasized that the martial art does not only pertain to self-defense techniques but can also play a major role in the enhancement of the practitioner's moral and spiritual aspects eventually leading them to place greater weight on the development and achievement of peace and harmony. In fact, because of the great emphasis in the development of harmony and peace, seasoned aikido practitioners say that "the way of harmony of the spirit" is one phrase that could describe or translate the term "aikido" in English.

Just like any other martial art, aikido has various techniques that include ikkyo or the "first technique," "nikyo" or the "second technique," "sankyo," or the "third technique," "yonkyo" or the "fourth technique," the "gokyo" or the "fifth technique," the "shihonage" or the "four-direction throw," the "kotegaeshi" or the wrist return, "kokyunage" or the "breath throw," "iriminage" or the entering-body throw, "tenchinage" or the "heaven-and-earth throw," "koshinage," or the "hip throw," "jujinage" or the "shaped-like-'ten'-throw," and the "kaitennage" or the rotation throw."

Although aikido is not about punching or kicking the opponent, it is not considered as a static art. It is still a very effective means of martial arts because it requires the aikido practitioner to use the energy of their opponent so they can gain control over them. When you will look at the martial art closely, you will realize that aikido is not only a means of self-defense technique but can also serve a means of spiritual enlightenment, physical health or exercise or a simple means of attaining peace of mind, concentration, and serenity.

Although different aikido styles gives great emphasis on the spiritual aspects to varying levelsósome to greater or lesser degreesóthe idea that the martial arts was conceptualized in order to achieve peace and harmony remains the most basic ideology of the martial art.

The Art of Aikido

Martial Arts is one of the contributions of Asia to the world. Who can forget Bruce Lee and the fact that he was first and foremost a martial arts athlete before being a movie star? Even until now martial arts is still a big hit with the increasing popularity of Asian movies like crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and more recently the Forbiden Kingdom.

The Chinese are the first people that come to mind when it comes to these things but the Japanese are just as athletic with a rich heritage of body contact sports that can be found in their history. The modern Japan still gives honor to these things by holding tournaments and promoting such sports abroad,

One of these is Aikido. It is interesting to note that the word comes from three Japanese words from which one can derive the meaning of the one word. Ai means joining, Ki means spirit and Do means way. From this we can understand why Aikido is beyond just the physical skills of it students especially sin its proponent Ueshiba focused more on the spiritual and philosophical development of his students.

In Aikido, one is not taught violence instead one is taught to be in harmony with the opponent to be able to defeat. This might seem odd but it actually works. In approaching an opponent, the aim of the Aikido practitioner is to be one with the opponent to be able to attack him where he is weakest and in doing so diver or immobilize him but never to kill.

This is where Aikido becomes an art. Art is something beautiful to watch and something positive and Aikido is all that. At least one of the people involved in the fighting strives for harmony and harmony can only be achieved if there is grace in the movements. The moves maybe calculated but there is an air of finesse in doing these movements, not a womanly finesse but just a finesse that emanates peace. The art of peace as what they call in Aikido is one of the most positive influences of Aikido to its students and to everyone who choose to know about this Japanese martial art.

Some of the techniques in Aikido include the following. Ikkyo is the first technique. Using this technique you control an opponent by using one hand in holding the elbow and one near the wrist, this action is supposed to make you pin your opponent down in the ground. Nikyo the second technique is when you do an adductive wristlock that enables you to twist the arm of your opponent that will in turn cause enough nerve pressure.

The third technique is Sankyo which is a pronating technique that directs upward-spiraling tension throughout the arm, elbow and shoulder. There are many other techniques but the first three should get you started.

In studying Aikido, it is important to remember that along with building physical strength to be able to defeat your opponent the mental capacity should also be developed. Just like in any art, it takes a lot of practice and discipline to perfect the art of Aikido. The important thing is the one who wants to get into the art should have determination to give honor to the art by performing it in the best way possible.