I would like an opinion on taking Akido. I'm looking for good Pros & Cons from people with experience.

Question

I'm wondering about the Martial Arts form of Akido. It looks to be alot of attack deflection and throwing. On some videos of it that I have seen online it almost looks as if it is very pratical in a real life situation where your attack doesn't do exactly what you'd like them to do.

From anyone that has taken Akido, what kind of excercises do they do? What do the warm ups & conditioning consist of?

Answer 1

A-I-K-I-D-O  that should be a good start

Answer 2

Well first off it's actually spelled Aikido.

And yes, it can be practical in a real life situation. Most of aikido's movements are based on using the attacker's force against them through several circular motions similar to judo. They also employ  a lot of joint locks to immobilize their opponent to avoid further fighting.

Aikido is a great defensive martial art. I suggest you take it. I enjoyed it a lot when i trained in it.  

Answer 3

Aikido (Ai - Harmony Ki - Life force/energy  Do- the way) techniques can all be broken down into four basic steps:

1. avoid the attack

2. Move to a safe place

3. Take your attacker's balance

4. throw

Aikido was designed by Morehei Ueshiba to be effective without requiring strength.  There are no attacks taught as part of the art -- stylized generic attacks are taught as entries for the various defensive techniques, but they are not techniques in and of themselves.

Aikido has a wide variety of techniques.  Some of them are simple and very effective.  Others I enjoy because they broaden the spectrum, but I doubt I would ever try them in a street fight. Part of all Aikido techniques is the idea that you do not want to injure or destroy your attacker.  People who are hurt in Aikido often hurt themselves by resisting a technique.  It's very effective for controlling and subduing an attacker.  For this reason it is required for all Japanese Police officers to be proficient in Aikido.

A normal class begins with 10 minutes of stretching and warm-ups.  This may include some rolls and falls.  Part of the art is the conditioning that comes with it.  It's a very aerobic sport, and I often come off the mat looking like I did a 5K run.  Just last Wednesday I was training with Sensei (5th Dan), and I was almost getting dizzy I was working so hard and was so tired. Expect your upper, inner thighs to get stronger, as you learn to drop your center without bending over.

Aikido is much more difficult than other martial arts to master, and proficiency comes slowly.  Your first year or two you should not worry about your throwing technique, but concentrate on becoming the best Uke you can be (Uke is the one who is thrown).  This will help protect you, and will help your partners train more effectively.  If you have a reputation as a good uke, people will seek you out to train with.  When you get hammered by a YonDan as hard as he can, and are able to come back without being hurt, THAT'S a good feeling!

Answer 4

its great for redirecting an attack,and subduing your opponent. It and tai chi are like "cousins" if you will. Aikido has a distinc way about it. It does ahve weaknesses like all MA's. It dosent work on groundfighting or great striking methods. Its a very defensive art. If your looking to KO people this isnt the style for you. Granted, it has devastating throws and submissions. Dont expect to throw any side kicks or elbow strikes.