Same here. I did aikido for 10 years and at that time would have self-assessed myself as at least being able to handle myself in a fight. One month of judo was more than enough to disabuse me of that fantasy. Four years of judo later I’m probably in better physical condition and more capable of handling myself in an actual fight than I ever have been before, yet I still feel like I would get my ass handed to me in a fight because I’ve experienced for myself how much stronger and more skilled people can be compared to me.
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Well said, same here. In the beginning years of aikido, you had to already be an accomplished martial artist and have a letter of recommendation from a recognized instructor to even be invited to train aikido with Ueshiba. So all these 1st generation aikido guys were already very accomplished judoka, karateka, or something else (a few kendo and at least one sumo). They already knew how to fight, so aikido was more like a finishing school for them. Very different from what aikido has become today.
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Just watching this “tai chi” person walk, I could have told you he knows very little about tai chi. No center, no balance, no connection with the ground.
I’ve watched people with decades of dedicated practice and been taught by some of them. You don’t need to see a fight to know who has done the work and who is faking IF you have enough experience and the eyes to see.
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At my most skilled in Karate i also would have never thought myself capable of handling myself in a fight despite being one of the top students in my dojo, i’m also very non-confrontational so i’m more than glad i’ve never had to defend myself.
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Tai Chai Master 101.
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If he was a real master, he’d know how to load the dishwasher by now.
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and put the seat down, FFS.
Can we just talk about how poor his block form is? It’s like he expects the punch to stop because his arm’s generally in the neighborhood. That first strike he takes, he almost seems surprised that it could connect.
Forget stylistic differences and what makes a master or not: this is the basic skill of preventing someone from repeatedly hitting you in the head, which I should think is universal in any self defense concept.
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This video is the equivalent of a hypothetical remake of My Dinner with Andre starring The Joe Rogan Experience.
This pairing is fundamentally wrong and people recorded it.
I’m on the sidelines booing it.
I´d wager that it involves the same thought patterns that makes you susceptible to conspiracy theories / cult worship / pyramid schemes / what have you.
Once you do away with Ockham’s razor as a tool to make sense of the world, magical thinking will sneak in in places where you least expect them to.
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I think it is–the disconnect here is what is actually a martial art and what is a series of slow, methodical poses aiding in meditation.
Aikido is more a sport (I know that’s a poor descriptor) as compared to Aikijutsu, which is a martial art or combative. Every martial art is ultimately about principles; most practitioners get hung up on techniques. A dangerous street fighter, soldier or other person involved in potential life and death confrontations doesn’t care about techniques - they just use principles they’ve trained into their responses without consciously thinking about footwork, hand position, correct distance or timing.
I think this was what MMA was developed to make use of. I know it’s a sport, but it’s all about “getting the job done”.
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I had hoped he would be able to maintain his balance better after years of tai-chi. He tipped over after every contact. If all he has been doing over the years is breathing and coordinating movements, then his tai-chi is kind of garbage.
Not even in the context of fighting but if you’re aware of your body you should be able to step backwards instead of falling over, or if you’re prepared, shift your weight to keep your center of mass over your feet.
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One of my martial arts buddies was on a motorcycle that got hit, and managed to roll out of it completely unharmed. The driver of the car was in shock, but he was just mad more than anything else.
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I think people tend to hero-worship and eventually make cults/religions out of things, which is why “Here’s some tips on how to not get killed in a fight” eventually turns into “We do this because this is the best ever” and eventually
“My chi breathing will defeat you.”
In some places BJJ is already starting down that path… I did some training with a friend who teaches, and I was shocked at how many blatant openings he had that would immediately be taken advantage of in a real world fight, outside a ring or a dojo.
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People who practice martial arts get quickly used to sparring, which is not the same as combat/fighting. The ones that focus on keeping things practical fare better obviously but typically that’s not going to be the case.
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You mean, like, sitting on his butt and going in for the armbar? Well, guess what, the guy doing that in a street fight is getting kicked in the head by one of the other guy’s buddies. BJJ, while shockingly devastating 1 on 1 is crap for pretty much any other situation. I loved BJJ for the time I did it and wish I could go back. Got a major neck injury though 
which I am still unhappy about. Happy not to be paralyzed. But no more BJJ for me.
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Agreed. Depends on what your goal is. If it’s more of a meditational practice/physical exercise (like I imagine TaiChi to be) then great. My wife is never going to be a professional dances, but loves taking ballet classes. I’m hoping to never have to fight anyone, but if I do, it’s not going to be with Aikido only techniques (unless I use the #1 technique of “not being there to receive the punch in the first place”).
Bringing Aikido to a street fight would be like bringing a engraved damascus H&R single shot rifle to war.
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