Why do you practice Aikido?

[michelinman]

I was just wondering why people choose to practice Aikido. I personally study Aikido, and although I am still quite the beginner, I find it is truly an interesting martial art. What are your thoughts?

[The Opal Dragon]

Greetings!

Personally, I practice Aikido (with my mom) mostly because I/we have to. I have a older brother with several different problems. Being mentally ill is one of them. Basically, he can be happy one minute and in a violent rage the next. We take it for the self-defense. Aikido is just perfect in our situation. Aikido is also one of the best things that has happened to me in the last few years too! ;) I just love it! :D

Robyn :)

[The Opal Dragon]

Originally posted by michelinman
I was just wondering why people choose to practice Aikido. I personally study Aikido, and although I am still quite the beginner, I find it is truly an interesting martial art. What are your thoughts?

Well??? I'm interested to know why other people practice Aikido??? Where are all the replys???:confused:

Robyn :)

[yin_yang75]

I used to practice Aikido and then I blew my knee out. After a nine month recovery the Dojo was out of business.

I loved the workouts, they were 2 hours long and you learned the techniques because nobody gave you a move and you got to work it on a lot of different people.

When I couldn't find another Dojo as serious about training as that one I had to move on to another art. I think the school an the instuctor make it happen, not the art.

Byron

[roninja]

I study aikido because for years I have been looking for a martial art that did not require the "kias" or contradicting your opponent. I had seen Aikido books. I knew segal did Aikido, but I never really understood aikido. and then I came to college and saw that there was a class. so I took it, and at first I had many problems with it. i doubted the techniques, philosophies and so forth. then my sensei assigned a paper, which I am still working on. and my foremost thought was that i was going to show how I would change aikido to make it more applicable, but as my study continued I found myself consumed in the philosophy of aikido. and once I understood that, the movements made sense, the throws, the falls, the stepping, everything just seemed to fit and I realized "this is what i have been looking for". I am still in my first three months of aikido, and a white belt, but I feel as if in these months I have learned so much. i truely believe that aikido has and is changing me, helping me, normally when I leave the dojo and or get a technique right, I just feel enlightened. I still practice other styles, such as bjj in my free time, but I believe that i will stick with aikido.

[alcantur]

I do aikido cause I'm not the kind of guy that's looking for troubles, but who doesn't want to be caughjt off guard if someone wants to attack me. I also dislike unnecesary violence and aikido is perfect for me: It allows me to defend myself without being violent, and helps me to find a balance between peace and security.

[SeiserL]

I usually answer that I stay in the martial arts because I don't golf. There was always something about the windmills and clown faces that got to me.

IMHO, I study Aikido specifically because it has been part of a natural developing progression in martial arts from the streets, military H2H/CQC, bashing, FMA/JKD, and now blending and balance. It appears that Aikido is one of the few arts whose training and application is consistent and congruent with the goal of peace in ouselves and our interaction with others.

Besides, its a good workout and I like the people. I've always had a thing for white pajamas and black pleated A-line pantaloons.

[Peter Rehse]

I usually answer that I stay in the martial arts because I don't golf. There was always something about the windmills and clown faces that got to me.
:D :D :D


Besides, its a good workout and I like the people. I've always had a thing for white pajamas and black pleated A-line pantaloons.
All but the latter - its why I do Shodokan.
:laugh:

[Xuzen]

I practice aikido because aikido has made me a more tolerant man. I can tolerate people even when they purposely throw/slam/twist/trip/shove/push me onto a mat. Actually I even enjoy it :eek: . I am tolerant about it because I get to throw/slam/twist/trip/shove/push the same guy the next time. :bandit:

[JessePasley]

I train in Aikido to improve my skills in ASSASINATION and SUBTERFUGE.

beware.

[Peter Rehse]

Damm Jesse - we weren't supposed to let that tidbit out of the bag.

Did you know if you mix up the letters of Aikido, add a few and toss a few out you get Ninja.

[shevrikuka]

When I first heard about Aikido almost 15 years ago, I was amazed that I always had Aikido mentality. At that time I didn't have enough health for practising any MA.
I have improved it and so I could start about 3 years ago.
My younger sister started 15 year ago and now she has a black belt. She helps me with advices.
When I started I knew a lot about Aikido from my sister.

[KayJay]

I initially joined Aikido to appease my husband and his paranoia of something happening to me. :p
However, that can always happen no matter what you do. And especially with this style it can take years before you can have any hope of mastering it to work for you.
But, it's the small things that I'm taking from it now that do help. The rolling, balance, confidence and awareness around me are just a small part learned that have helped me (and others I train with) in our daily lives.
And now I can add fun to the list because I'm having a lot of that too!! :D

[Bengel]

I practice aikido because it helps my form and stance in jiu-jitsu. I'm taught to stand straight and stand low or else the techniques do not work. In jiu-jitsu you can use force to 'compensate' for bad form. In aikido you can't (well you can but then it won't be aikido).

[David Anderson]

I practice Aikido because the idea of a martial art that seeks to avoid violence and destruction appeals to me ethically.

I started Aikido because my dojo was the only place in town [as far as I knew at the time] where I could learn anything about the proper way to use a katana...I'd always loved what I saw of kenjutsu and Iaido...and sword work is an integral part of my school's practice. However the techniques and philisopical underpinnings of the art...the mission statement of Aikido, if you will...impressed me a whole lot. Then when I saw the premarkable proficiency of my instructor and the senior students at my dojo, I knew this was the kind of martial art I wanted to practice and become good at.

[Bugeisha]

To become a killing machine.

[Stoker]

I started after watching Chuck Clark (www.jiyushinkai.org), who was six weeks off knee surgery, put an uke in a spine lock and then do a hiza garuma that seemed to put uke into orbit. All my fellow judoka who saw him do that agreed that we have never seen such a clean or effect hiza before.