I have some questions about Aikido.?

Question

Hi

i am looking for someone at least with 1st Kyu in Aikido.

but if you are lower it is good too.

my questions:

1- I'm learning Aikido from "Aikido3D" software. it teaches me from 5th Kyu up to 1st Kyu. i want to know is 5th Kyu lowest grade in standard Aikido? because I've both heard 6th Kyu and 7th Kyu to be first grade in Aikido. does lower than 5th Kyu grades teach Aikido learners something or lower grades than 5th Kyu only are warm up grades? if lower than 5th Kyu grades teach something where can i find them in the internet?

2- I'm learning Aikido in home with "Aikido3D" software with a partner. i have covered floor with soft shield. i also do warm up and cool down.plus i have applied a good book about "what to do for exercise." according to my actions, is there anything that i should consider when learning Aikido?. because in my city there isn't any Aikido class and if be there it is very far and i haven't enough time.

is the site "www.aikiweb.com" enough?

Thanks.

bye.

Answer 1

I have "Aikido 3-D" as well...  

I study Aikido currently (my fifth martial art in over 20 years of training).  Some of my classmates and I have looked over the program with our instructor.  It's only a good reference tool, at most, for the Aikidoka already being trained in a legitimate dojo.

We found a few "technique flaws", which may be because of how the motion sensors were hooked up to the people when the software developers mapped their movements to the digital 3-D environment.

Out of the five Martial Art styles I have studied in my life, Aikido is by far the most difficult to master.  (Its probably even more difficult to find a truly gifted instructor who can teach the art well enough so that you can apply it to real-life, too!)

My advice -- Wait on the Aikido training until you can find a really good instructor.

Since you are too far from any Aikido school, choose another art to study that is located close to you.  I've wanted to study AIkido for years, but this is the first time I've been close enough to a really top-notch Aikido school.  My patience has paid off!

You'll never get anything worthwhile out of books or DVDs...  Sorry, but its the truth.

Good luck, my friend!

Answer 2

Are you getting rank via these videos ?

Answer 3

i am pretty sure 7th kyu is the lowest, one way you can find out is wikipedia and another way to train long distance is at flashmavi.com. also please let me know when you become a soke so that i can post it on my site and congradulate you for attaining this in the manner that you have. you are proving that one can learn from videos, books and now software.

Answer 4

I know you don't want to hear it but I'd be doing you a dis-service to say anything else........ You need a qualified instructor to learn martial arts.  You will learn bad habits that can get you won't even know you are making.  Books, videos, on-line lessons can't correct mistakes since they can't see you making them.

Besides if you do decide to join a martial arts class you will have an even harder time correcting the things you have learned wrong.

jjbeard926  mentioned something about aikido being more about fine points than other arts.  Well....... All martial arts about the small things/fine points.  The only difference is that with some arts it may be possible to make some errors and still make a technique work. Aikido is an art where small errors can mean the difference between the technique working or not working at all.

You mentioned that you live to far from aikido classes........ I suggest that you find an experienced instructor in your area and study what ever art he teaches. It is not the art but the correct application of martial arts technique that is important. Don't get hung up on a particular art. All are good if taught correctly and practiced correctly.   Been there done that!

Answer 5

enroll in class

no video or computer program can teach you what's really going on.

There's more to aikido than meets the eye

it is first of all a very technical art, you'll never get the finer points of the techniques if you don't get some one to teach you.  

plus you'll need to learn the finer things about balance, posture, using your internal energy etc

no video comes near the quality of a good teacher

Answer 6

Not to beat you over the head with the same response, but you will be better served with an instructor. This is nothing against you or the software that you have. As an instructor I can tell you that everyone that begins in any martial arts are going to make many mistakes. Many make the same common mistakes. The only way to properly correct those miustakes is to have a qualified person with you to guide you into doing the correct things. It could be things such as balance, position, taking the right angles, applying pressure correctly to the right nerves, etc.

You may learn many things from that or any other software, but you miss out on too many things without an instructor.

Good Luck

Answer 7

First and foremost learning without an instructor is a very flaky way of learning... well anything. I understand there isn't a school around you, but please be cognizant where your studies comes from and don't put too much stock in them.

OK now that's out of the way.

Some schools invent new ranks to make the student feel better about training. Most Americans are very impatient and require to see progression quickly, hence McDojos. Not calling the schools that added Kyus to their system a McDojo, but it is a sign of one. I would think that if you progress past those earmarks skillfully, you probably wouldn't need or all ready know what those levels hold.

Know that Aikido is probably the only self defense system developed purely for defense. Understand that it's your opponents energy you want to use, and not your own. Aikido uses that energy (kinetic) through the use of circles and circular movements, all tangential beginning with the movement your opponent gives you.

Answer 8

A friend of mine is an instructor in Aikido and I can tell you that more then almost any other art Aikido is all about the small details. This makes it extra hard to get quality instruction or to find your mistakes from software or video instruction. You really need an instructor to assist you. If there is no school in your area see if you can get an instructor to assist you through distance learning. With modern technology you could possibly set up a webcam lesson where the instructor could watch you do the moves and then correct small mistakes. This would give you the best of both worlds, a dojo at home and a professional instructor.

I'm going to email my friend a link to this discussion and ask him to post his 2 cents worth.

Answer 9

I can't answer these specific questions, but I must tell you that classes are ALWAYS better than software or DVDs. You can develop bad habits if you only practice with yourself or untrained partners.