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0 pointsitistoday15y ago0 comments

Just want you to know, I really appreciate your post and for mentioning Aikido. Of all the martial arts I know, I find it to be the most profound and wise in its philosophy.

There is also the interesting practice of Tonglen that I was recently introduced to. It is a meditation technique (endorsed and practiced by the Dalai Lama), that teaches you how to train your mind to effectively and healthily handle the issue of suffering:

http://www.naljorprisondharmaservice.org/pdf/Tonglen.htm

0 comments

feral15y ago

Profound and wise, and less than optimally effective. Its a little like the bullying problem in microcosm.

In theory, Aikido is wonderful and beautiful and the right way to solve the problem. But, fundamentally, trying to block and redirect someones attacks away from you without doing violence to either party is a much riskier strategy than striking back. Its just much harder to do right.

In practice, if you do end up in a serious fight in which your physical well-being is at risk, you want the most effective strategies, that have the lowest risk of going wrong, and that's not Aikido.

anthonyb15y ago

Aikido is fantastic once you've had five or ten years of serious practice to master it, and some of it's techniques border on magic. So yeah, not likely to be good for high school aged kids.

btw, Aikido is not a nice but ineffective hippy martial art, despite its reputation and philosophy. There are lots of really nasty joint locks. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wristlock#Supinating_wristlock for one example - "If performed correctly this technique will break the opponents wrist, elbow and dislocate the shoulder."

The throws can also be pretty brutal ie. throw people face/head first into the ground. Some of the comments on http://www.aikidodemonstration.com/aikido-questions-and-answ... might be worth a read.

bootload15y ago

"... In practice, if you do end up in a serious fight in which your physical well-being is at risk, you want the most effective strategies, that have the lowest risk of going wrong, and that's not Aikido. ..."

That is a weapon situation, a situation you avoid at all costs. There is only one outcome. Read my reply to @Confusion.

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