How efficient is Aikido in terms of self-defense and attack? In your opinion is it worthwhile?

Question

How efficient is Aikido in terms of self-defense and attack? In your opinion is it worthwhile?

Answer 1

All styles have their strengths and weaknesses. Choose a style that suits you the best. The style doesn't make the fighter; the fighter makes the style.

Answer 2

Any martial art done well is worthwhile,  Aikido, when taught well is really quite effective and can be used as an attack as well as a defensive art.

I teach Krav Maga and the one thing I have learned is that all martial arts, when taught well, offer tactical advantage.  

The efficiency of Aikido is dependent on the practitioner, as is any martial art, the more effort you put in, the more you get out of it.  

The whole thing about martial arts is in what they call "arts", it depends on the artist.  Steven Seagal really put Aikido on the map, by taking defensive capabilities and using them offensively, creating his own Aikido, he is a true martial artist.

When I teach Krav Maga, I throw in some of my own personal insights, I also study Combat SAMBO, so I add touches in, as well as from Wu style Tai Chi, since I am not a member of the American Krav Maga body, I can do this.  I am IDF trained, so my art developed on the streets and battlefields over time.

How efficient is Aikido, well again it depends on you, the quality of instruction you receive and the dedication you show.  The important thing a martial artist can do is to picture and create, to make the art yours make is a part of you.  This will make Aikido efficient for you.

Answer 3

Aikido is not useful for learning attack.  It's totally defense based.

In the defense you only learn strikes for distractions.  

In my world if I strike somebody who attacked, with a full strength and practiced punch; I would be deported from Japan after spending 20 days in jail with no access to a lawyer.  Or I would get a letter in the post from the victim (via the police)  needing 3,000 dollars apology money.  I've seen both situations happen.  I'm sure there's legal consequences for sending someone to hospital in your own country.  

With Aikido you learn to take them to the ground without harming them by twisting their joints - ending up in a safe pinning technique.  It's more difficult to do this them to punch someone... who would probably punch you back.

For self defense the surprise of  having aikido used on you is one of the strengths.  People not in the know have no idea why they're on the ground and how they got there.  Against an unsuspecting aggressor aikido is pretty good.

Aikido doesn't train to defend against kicks or groundwork fighting.  And if the aggressor knows his vulnerable points are his wrists and elbows (s)he can make it difficult to use aikido.  But aggressive drunks and desperate addicts don't think about this.

So it is worthwhile.  Your local aikido sensei knows hundreds of ways of taking somebody down safely.

Answer 4

It is deadly.......one of the deadliest art there is.

Answer 5

well i think its more of stoping attacks....yes i think its worthwhile