• Is Aikido Effective in Combat?

    Aikido, Self Defense 13.05.2012 Comments Off

    In the Aikido martial arts, you don’t need to verify whether it is effective to use the techniques ( being taught by the sensei or teacher) in times of combat or real situation where you need to defend yourself against your attacker. As long you, study, learn, and understand and accept its philosophy, the martial art will help you all the way in times of crisis.

    If you are familiar with the its way of life, you will know that Aikido is a martial art of peace, unity, and harmony and does not encourage brutality, violence or inflicting pain towards your opponent during combats or competitions. Likewise, if you really want to live with the techniques of the martial art, you need years of practice to fully master several techniques that are being taught by your sensei in order for you to act and defend yourself during a real situation.

    A lot of people think that by not able to hurt your opponent is a disadvantage for them. But in fact, this type of martial art will be able to provide you tons of advantages that you can carry on for the rest of your life. Basically, the movements that are taught are simple yet logical in a sense that you’re going to protect yourself against your attacker by using his strength to turn down him in return. In short, it’s a matter of redirecting his full power towards him rather than accepting that power.

    However, in a real situation, though you are equipped with the knowledge and skills about various techniques of what you’ve learned in Aikido, once you are faced with surprises and unexpected instances rarely you would use a technique you practiced in the Dojo. Initially, your instinct would be to improvise something that would help you defend yourself. In a way, the way to practice the Aikido helps that much where in you learn to improvise, to create your own technique at that same moment.

    Obviously, these techniques can “be practiced” for reasons of security but one must know them heartily and with a sense of understanding so that in return they can able to use these techniques in a good way not to create violence towards the other people.

    Finally, whether the Aikido martial art is effective in combat or not, the point here is that it merely teaches us unique philosophy or way of life that no matter what the situation is, violence isn’t the answer for everything. You can protect or defend yourself against your attacker without hurting him or her in return. And this is what the martial art wants us to recognize, to understand its philosophy and to try to become a better person in the world we are living at the same time defending ourselves but not merely inflicting violence to others.

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • Benefits of Aikido Practice

    Aikido, Self Defense 26.04.2012 Comments Off

    The Aikido practice is an art of improving an individual’s physical and mental faculties and simply nurtures the person himself. It does not put a dominion over learning techniques about fighting but rather educates the authentic followers on how important it is to understand a sense of calmness and serenity within oneself. This way, the martial art can simply transform and improve a person’s personality and above all, his life in general.

     

    Aikido as a Form of Educative Discipline

    The martial art teaches individuals on various ways on how to live with a deep sense of well-being. With this discipline, this changes a person’s outlook from a chaotic idea towards a more peaceful way of living where there is balance between all aspects of oneself.

    Basically, the followers/students are taught in a calm atmosphere where they can do introspection so there will be both physical and mental harmony within themselves. The discipline does not merely teach self-defense techniques but also teaches on how to become better persons so they can respond positively to various aspects of their lives.

     

    Aikido as an Art of Self-defense

    The practice of Aikido is a means of educating the students without having to deal with rage, fear or grudge. Individuals must agree with the natural laws and use these very well in order to allow them to appropriately use the energy of the attacker to take him down without inflicting too much pain.

    According to the principles, the martial art provides them various self defense techniques but will only going to use these once there is an unjust or unpredictable attack occurs. Again, it’s important to remember that causing injuries to your attacker isn’t an option but rather neutralizing the attack to defend merely yourself.

     

    Aikido as a Discipline of Integral Development

    During the training, students are taught about the spirit of serenity, the rejection of violence, the non-resistance, and the utmost respect to all human beings. In other words, this develops the totality of a person doing the martial art. It provides balance between your physical (helps you to become flexible) and mental (helps you to attain serenity and harmony) aspects all at once within yourself and to other people around you.

     

    Aikido as a Way to Spiritual Life

    The Aikido practice  is the way to spiritual life since it purifies all the negative energy from the practicing individuals. To follow the discipline can lead each individual towards seeing a more deeper sense of goodness like appreciating better ways of living, by being sincere, kind, just and by being directed to good freedom.

     

    By and large, engaging in this martial art and practice the Aikido with  great sense of responsibility and acceptance will lead the individuals towards the opportunity on directing themselves into a more positive life rather than directing on negative energy while doing the wrong things.

     

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  • Aikido Success Blueprint E-books

    Aikido, Aikido Educational Tools 15.03.2012 No Comments

    The Aikido Success Blueprint E-books are innovative E-books by Tony Wilden. These are valuable and handy tools to enrich the students and practitioners in terms of their knowledge and skills towards the martial art while enhancing their attitudes to have a better outlook in life and way of living as well.

     

    It consist of six collections of Aikido e-books on various information such as strategies to fast track your skills, secrets of the O’Sensei, the principles, balancing your Ki energy and more. Similarly, the Aikido Success Blueprint and Aikido First Aid Kit are accessible through exe software e-books.

     

    The former is packed with innovative and implausible information where you can see a start-up screen with a background music that is so very soothing. Afterwards, you’re going to type in a password which is accessible once the e-book product is purchased. Initially, the first page is about the author’s introduction, chapter titles, information about things to avoid with, and every page has a quote from the great O’Sensei: Morihei Ueshiba who was the founder of Aikido martial art.

     

    Following the initial page, you can see the Table of Contents and as you click every page, there is always a  background music every time you read the e-book to help you grasp the information in a relax manner. The other topics which you can find in Aikido E-books Success Blueprint include how to choose your aikido instructor, removing ego from aikido, focus your mind on aikido training, aikido ukemi and breakfalls, analysing posture and form, learning aikido techniques, aikido pressure points, and studying aikido principle and many more. Subsequently, the e-book contains the summary, resources, and the e-book disclaimer in the final page.

     

    Similarly, the Aikido First Aid Kit is another e-book that comes with the Aikido Blueprint Success. It is a free bonus e-book once you obtain your very own Success Aikido Blueprint. The topics include on how to treat injuries, how prevent injuries, how to have a safe practice with your uke, health secrets related to aikido, first aid kit summary of the aikido e-book and more.

     

     

    Thus, you’ll surely learn more techniques and will shape up your skills, knowledge, and attitude if you’ll obtain the Aikido E-books Success Blueprint. So, what are you waiting for? Try these amazing and useful Aikido e-book products now.

     

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  • Strengthening Your Chi Energy with Aikido

    Aikido, Aikido techniques, Being Healthy 13.03.2012 1 Comment

    In studying the standards of aikido martial arts, it entails character building and mastering self-defense techniques while putting an emphasis on conquering the conflict within a person’s individuality. Apart from this, the martial art also focuses on strengthening the chi energy which is centered in the abdominal area in order to ascertain that you can suppress the attacks from your opponent.

     

    Specifically, managing your chi energy or the energy flowing within your body can help you counterbalance a number of attacks from your opponent simply be meeting them rather than blocking them. Most of the time, the art of aikido highlights the use of pressure points to press down an opponent without putting him or her at risk of any debilitating injury or death.

     

    So, the main point of mastering the energy flowing within your body is by freeing someone from various grips, pitching an attacker towards the ground with the use of leverage maneuvers, and afterwards immobilizing him or her by inflicting pressure on his or her joints.

     

    Normally, the students or practitioners in an aikido practice match their actions or movements to those of others in order to avoid conflicts. In this case, they can be able to discern each of their strengths and weaknesses thereby, building their chi energy at the same time mastering most of the techniques in the art of aikido.

     

    In addition, did you know that exercise has positive effects on a person’s physiology particularly in improving his or her health whether on the physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral aspect? Yes, this is true in some way but apart from this, the essence of an individual’s chi also takes part in his or her holistic health though it is something that we don’t see but merely feels it every day.

     

    Besides, our sense of well being including our emotions and attitudes are merely the influenced of our chi force. In fact, in the field of oriental medicine, the strong chi is best referred with having outstanding health along with a sense of mental clarity and physical vivacity.

     

     

    In general, most of us were born with restricted amount of inherited chi however; we have the opportunity to cultivate it simply by choosing better way of life. So, the notion here is to have a sense of balance with various positive energies for instance, getting enough rest, eating properly, and doing exercise at the same time engaging in any recreational activities. These activities will surely enhance a person’s chi energy.

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  • Holding Sword Space Demonstration in Aikido

    Aikido, Aikido techniques 12.03.2012 2 Comments

    The sword space in aikido is the space around the body. It is called that way since when a student or practitioner strikes a sword, there is a part around him that is un-impinged or a part where he can called a protected area for himself against his opponent. So, when there is un-impinged area while doing any sword technique in the martial art, the technique becomes stronger because you’re utilizing your biceps rather than your body. When it comes with a sword strike, this may come very simple for the students or practitioners. So, what you need to do initially is to come straight down then in the center area where it is known to be the brawniest area in which you can do almost all sword techniques.

     

     Sword Space and Your Daily Life

    If you will relate an aikido sword space outside the standard of the martial art, if you happened to meet several acquaintances at a certain point of your life, you’re somehow maintaining a certain distance from them wherein you have limitations as to what you will share and not to share with them about your personal life. In this case, you are protecting yourself against them because you don’t even know them totally.

     

    However, I must stressed out that you’re building a sword distance or sword space not on your family but with the people whom you have work with or the people you don’t know very well. Hence, this is a safe distance that occurs around your body in a circle.

     

    Similarly, keep in mind that what you’re actually learning in aikido martial art can be helpful in dealing with your daily life along with the people around you whether at home, in school, in the working place, in the community and more. However, when it comes with a sword space technique, it is best if you will initially know the circumstance you are right now before using the technique.

     

     

    Holding a Bokken during a Practice

     

    The wooden sword or simply the bokken has been used constantly as a training tool in most Japanese martial arts such as Kendo, Kenjetsu, Ninjutsu and Aikido for many decades ago. It is made from solid wood but should not be puzzled with the Kendo bamboo sword or the shinai. Besides, this is usually formed just like a real katana sword (a type of samurai sword) however; this can be made in any type of length. It is usually consists of three major parts: the Tsuka or handle, Tsuba or handguard, and the Kisaki or the edge of the weapon. When handling the bokken, the students or practitioners should make sure to handle it just like a real blade similar with the katana.

     

     

    Any student who knows how to handle a training sword just like a bokken can easily learn various sword techniques where they can perform it rightfully while applying the sword space in the aikido practice.

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  • The Shihonage Technique in Aikido Martial Art

    Aikido, Aikido techniques 06.03.2012 6 Comments

    Creating movement from a static technique is quite difficult to execute in aikido martial arts. Most of the time, doing a type of movement is much easier because we have something to work with. However, students of the martial art should learn the Shihonage aikido technique as part of the training.

    Try to practice the technique by staying close enough to your uke or partner then ensure to have good connection. This static technique starts when you’re actually standing still and then your uke tries to attack you. So, what you need to do is to create motion in order for you to move and this is basically quite challenging to perform for those students who are smaller in frame.

     

    However, a smaller student who practices the Shihonage aikido technique wherein he/she needs to pass under his/her uke’s armpit without second thoughts simply means that he/she can focus on a number of details without fearing that the opponent is big.

     

    In this case, when you’re practicing with your uke or partner who happens to be bigger than you and tries to assault you, try to move his body when you got stuck and try to move your body against his biceps. To move his body, you need to push him so you’ll have enough space at the same time causing him to bend backwards and eventually lost his balance.

     

    You can get enough connection with your uke if you try to push him but try to accomplish it by using the center point of his body to destroy his stability. On the other hand, when you’re using a sword, in a way it will give you enough space to prevent yourself from bounding by your biceps. Likewise in aikido martial art, the use of sword can assist your connection and extended distance with your uke so you can perform the Shihonage technique productively.

     

    If we try to connect the knowledge of the technique with our usual daily lives, if we try to engage or connect with other people, we can easily pick them up from their center point because we allow ourselves to get to know them even if it takes too long.

    Thus, the Shihonage aikido technique does not merely teaches the students the technique itself but also teaches on how to think clearly on how far they can connect with their uke so in return they can get them fall down not just by a mere push but together with the Shihonage technique during training or practice.

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  • Understanding Do (The Way or Path) in Aikido Martial Arts

    Aikido 01.03.2012 9 Comments

    Do (The Way or Path) in Aikido Martial Arts

    “Do” is one of the three kanji that makes up the word Ai-Ki-Do. The last kanji simply describes as the way or path where in one time in our lives we try to look for it to allow us to provide answers to all possible queries that constantly battled within ourselves.

    To fully understand the essence of all three kanji particularly the 3rd one, students of the martial art should have full commitment, discipline, and intelligence.

    What you need to do as an individual is to try to find what your heart desires and basically you don’t need to do any martial art just to find “The Way”. In this sense, individuals have their own path and to discover that path they only need themselves. Some may engage in martial arts like the Aikido while others may engage in practicing calligraphy or meditation so they can reach the path towards becoming better persons.

    Next is to stand up between the walls so individuals can recognize whether they should pursue in finding the right way or they will eventually give up because as you try to look for the path several frustrations and disappointments will come in your way to block your will to go on.

    The question here is how to react on these things? Can they go inward to condemn themselves to the point that they can’t even forgive themselves? Or just continue towards the path and do something good to retain the drive, motivation, and positive Ki (energy) within them.

    Likewise, it is best if you accept all the bad things that happened to you with grace so instead of blaming yourself, try to accept of who you really are and embrace the true comings so in the end you can find a better “Do” or path.

    In short, when face with bad experiences try to treat those as good experiences or from bad judgment to treat as a good judgment  because in that way you can learn the wisest intelligence that not all are given the chance to see that clearly.

    Individuals can now feel confident enough as they progress towards their path to success. It allows them to be molded to become better persons full of learning and positive Ki within themselves.

    Since the Aikido martial art lives in the founder’s principle which is the way of harmony, understanding “Do” in the marital art can lead them towards becoming better individuals.

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  • Basic Aikido Technique: Yonkyo

    Aikido, Aikido techniques 21.02.2012 4 Comments

    The Yonkyo aikido technique, the 4th technique, is a basic pinning technique that practitioners and students of the martial art should learn and master. This is quite uncomfortable to perform because of the pain it will inflict though some may exhibit high pain tolerance still for others this technique is quite painful for them.

    The Yonkyo is seldom practiced in just one place in the aikido curriculum but can mostly be understood and easily mastered as a standing technique. In addition, this is also one of the most powerful techniques in the martial art but sadly speaking not all sensei (teachers) favored this because it doesn’t follow on the principle of aikido which is a harmonious and peaceful way of art.

    Nonetheless, the Yonkyo technique must still be learned by the practitioners and students to harness themselves from all types of aikido techniques.

    Generally, the Yonkyo aikido technique is used to block the attacker’s balance and distract him or her by the use of pain pressure.

    Execution:

    1.     Initially, the use of grip is relatively similar with a sword grip where both hands are twisted inward and the grip power comes from the little finger.

    2.   Try to snatch the opponent’s wrist similar when you grab a sword to perform the technique correctly.

    3.   Remember that when performing the yonkyo pressure use the base knuckle of your front index finger. Again, continue on your little finger grip in the opponent’s wrist to prevent from lessening the effect.

    4.   Next, the base knuckle of your index finger should press the opponent’s wrist mainly the inside flesh then turning it outwardly to the lower arm bone on the thumb side of the arm. Remember, the turning motion is the main cause of the pain and not the initial pressure done.

    5.    Moreover, when the opponent’s arm is held you need to apply pressure so both the upper and lower arm are roughly at a 90 degree angle thus, making the wrist more susceptible to the tactic.

    6.   Finally, make sure that when doing the Yonkyo technique  don’t rely on the pain you’ve inflicted to take down your opponent but instead use it to block his/her attention and balance. Once balance is broken, that’s the time you push and take down your opponent on the floor.

    To give you a bigger and clear picture on how to execute the Yonkyo aikido technique you can check the video above.

     

     

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  • Aikido Rolling Technique

    Aikido, Aikido techniques, Self Defense 18.02.2012 No Comments

    The martial art is founded on the idea of using life energy or the energy flowing within oneself to perform a blend of movements that will take down an opponent without injuring him. In short, it’s more on a defensive kind of art rather than an offensive one. In Aikido, there are various techniques which are taught to practitioners and students and one of these is the aikido rolling technique.

    Aikido practitioners should know initially on how to fall and roll appropriately and in fact, just by knowing the technique will serve as a starting point towards mastering hundreds to thousands of techniques written in the history of the martial art.

    How to Start Aikido Rolling Technique

    1. Commence in a sitting position just like an Indian sitting style. So, one of your feet should come up in the thigh while the other one come out and toes are pointed out. This position will prevent your feet being locked and stuck at times you need to defend yourself. Specifically, if someone hits or pushes you, the ability to move easily is possible with this kind of sitting.
    2. The first principle of the rolling technique is to stay in the sitting position to help you fall correctly while keeping you safe from any injury.
    3. Afterwards, you need to roll back while letting your feet come about.
    4. Extend your hands for support while keeping your cheek, neck and chin in place and lock.
    5. Try to create as many bends as possible back and forth. Keep this more softly and calm because this will help you perform the technique correctly.

    However, while doing the rolling movement can somehow put extra resistance with mild pain sensation at the back of the body.

    Overall, it is recommended to practice it in a therapeutic way rather than learning the aikido rolling technique solely to keep you from getting injuries while falling in the ground.

    To fully grasp on how to perform the technique correctly and precisely view the video above.

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  • Aikido: Various Weapons and Techniques

    Aikido, Aikido techniques, Self Defense 16.02.2012 1 Comment

    Despite the fact that this martial art is founded on the main philosophy of Morihei Ueshiba (founder) which is the essence of unarmed combat, he still sees the need of being skillful in using various Aikido weapons and techniques as a form of self defense.

    Generally, majority of the techniques with or without using weapons are incorporated with movements that are more defensive rather than offensive. In fact, all students are being taught about stopping the attacker solely rather than injuring him. This is the main reason on why weapons are rarely utilized in the martial art. However, there are advanced Aikido practitioners who still opt for understanding and mastering the craft in using all types of Aikido weapons.

    However, the greatest weapon most practitioners used in defending themselves against an attacker is merely their mastery on the Aikido defensive techniques.

    To get in touch with several weapons used in the martial art along with various techniques used in handling them are described below.

    1. Tanto Or Short Sword

    The Tanto is one of the most favored weapons by the samurais since it’s extremely useful in close quarter combat particularly in daggering through an opponent’s armor and it’s considered as a secondary weapon which samurais carry most of the time.

    1. Jo Staff

    The Jo Staff is considered as a Japanese wooden staff made from hardwood. This can be utilized in kata or along with other Jo and somehow has historical linkage from the famous Katana. Moreover, Jo Staffs are mainly used by a lot of martial artists because these are designed with simplicity and sophistication. In fact, Ueshiba had tailored the Jo (so-called Aikijo) just to teach all the Aikido principles to his disciples.

    1. Bokken Sword

    Finally, the bokken sword mastery can lead most practitioners towards katana mastery as well. This is quite a pricey Japanese wooden sword which is use as an alternative from a real sword in most martial arts training curriculums such as Kenjutsu, Kendo, and our very own Aikido.

    Likewise, a bokken sword closely resembles a katana but sometimes can be like other swords such as tanto or wakizashi.

    These are a few of the most popular Aikido weapons to date but there are in fact, a lot more to know about all the weapons used in this martial art so better research more on this matter to fully equipped yourself with all the needed information you wish to know.

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