How To Quickly Improve In Aikido?

Question

I just started taking Aikido classes with some friends, and I quickly found out that I lack coordination skills. lol. The foot and hand movements make sense when the instructors demonstrate them, but when it's my turn to try, I get all jumbled up.

Anybody know of any tips to improve coordination skills?

Answer 1

i didn't need to read what you wrote to answer this there is no quick way to improve you skill it takes time and hard work. with Perfect Practice and time you'll see your skills improve.

Answer 2

try ask an insructor for help with the techniques you will gain co ordination from actually doing it.

Answer 3

Well, one way is to use a speed bag.

Of course, this really isn't something that is very relevant to Aikido.

What you can do is jump rope, box jumps, cone runs, tire runs...etc.

Anything that makes you focus on footwork and movements outside of arbitrariliy running will help.

Another good thing to do is to repeat the techniques slowly over and over.  Eventually you will pick up speed as you start to develop muscle memory for the movements.

So, as if you needed to hear it, ....practice. :)

Answer 4

practice with your friends

Answer 5

i agree with the shihan

Answer 6

i'm doing aikido few years now and i found 2 things improving learning speed at least it works for me :

1) to learn a technique quickly don't try to understand it ( like now i have to put the left foot then the right hand etc..)   try copying what your sensei does, like being a shadow of your sensei

2) aikido is a high level martial art like kung fu it's hard to learn but to get quick over the basics try learning at the same time maybe once a week some other martial art like muay thai or boxing or even kung fu

hope it helps  

Answer 7

don't worry

that's what happens to all people that begin with aikido.

aikido tends to be very technical and for most beginners it seems pretty hard to follow the movements.  just relax, keep practicing and in a few weeks it will start making sence.

Answer 8

In Aikido training Jo and bokken techniques rapidly improves balance, coordination, speed and power.

Ask your sensei to teach some basics and practice alot!

Answer 9

Anyone starting a martial art feels the same way.  The way to overcome this is to keep going to class and practice, practice, practice.  Thats the only way

Answer 10

I agree, your instructor has been doing this for many years, its only right that his movement look perfect. everyone feels out of place when starting a new class.

Answer 11

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Answer 12

Slow down.

It's part of the learning process: you're training your body to do something new and to be used in a way it's never been used before. Coordination from speed bags and jump ropes doesn't really help.

Find recordings/videos of top practitioners. You're not trying to learn the techniques, but use your hand and block out their upper bodies and just watch their feet. Then (again, not trying to learn technique) mimic their movement. Just the feet. Watch the way their feet glide, pivot, or step and mimic that movement. Watch it over and over, then practice it. You have to practice it on your own. You'll develop a few bad little habits, but training in class will correct those away. But put the movements together as though they were an impromptu dance. Move around your house like that. A few days of just getting used to that type of movement will help with making the footwork natural, then you can focus on how to move your hands in class and practice moving outside of class with both your hands and feet. Then train with others. You'll improve in no time.

Some of the best movement in martial arts I've ever seen comes from guys who have backgrounds in dance. Tango, salsa, ballet, ballroom, swing... Not because they directly relate, but because they're used to using their legs without having to think about the "foreign" movements.

Good luck, train hard, and don't worry. Eventually, you'll stop thinking about it and it'll just flow.

Answer 13

Aikido is very overwhelming to learn at first.  It's like learning a language and it's just repetition of movements.  Aikido is not competitive, so it does not matter whether you are learning fast or not.  Everyone just goes at their own pace.  Don't worry about learning fast.  If you keep coming to class then you will learn.  The only method to improve faster is just to keep coming to class, and go to class more frequently for extra improvement.