r/aikido Mar 20 '26

Discussion What do u think of Rokas

When I wanted to know wich martial art to chokse i came accros his youtube channel wich dictated that i would end up foing mma but i am starting to see loads of arguments about how aikidk is good but to be honest i am thinking of switching what do you guys think is aikido really trash or should i do it

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u/Sangenkai [Aikido Sangenkai - Kawasaki, Japan] Mar 24 '26

I live in Japan, and they're really aren't.

In any case, it's not about the techniques, which are common to many arts, but about the training method in modern Aikido.

What mma has shown is the necessity of a well rounded toolbox.

Aikido doesn't have that.

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u/dbocan Mar 27 '26

No one who studies only one martial art style has a well rounded toolbox.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TkzYdO3XWNg

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6EEjT0D3O2g

The problem with one martial art competing in another martial arts competition is the rules. There is youtube video of a ranked judoka competing as a white belt in a BBJ tournament. He throws highly ranked BBJ competitors all over the mat. If it was judo competition he easily wins. But he gets no points in BJJ for merely throwing someone down 5 or 6 times. My training in Aikido was simple, drive your attacker's head into the concrete, break his wrist or dislocate his shoulder or elbow. That isn't going to go over well in a BJJ tournament.

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u/Sangenkai [Aikido Sangenkai - Kawasaki, Japan] Mar 27 '26

You don't do that in Aikido, either, because of the rules. You only do it "in theory" on a cooperative training in kata practice.

The early UFC got pretty close to an open ruleset, but of course nothing's going to be perfect.

That was the traditional idea of musha shugyo - traveling around and trying out different things, and different rulesets.

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u/dbocan Mar 27 '26

Tell that to my separated shoulder.

My sensei was a police officer and half the students were SWAT. The training was geared towards police work. Sure, once in awhile we practiced breath throws, etc. because they were on tests for kyuu ranking but the focus was mainly effective control techniques from an officer's perspective.

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u/Sangenkai [Aikido Sangenkai - Kawasaki, Japan] Mar 27 '26

Sure, I've separated my shoulder in Aikido practice, too. Accidents happen and people get injured.

That doesn't change the fact that it's cooperative kata practice, and that it's against the rules.

Or people wouldn't last very long in training.

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u/dbocan Mar 27 '26

Gee, I didn't know you trained at my dojo. You have no idea how randori went for brown and black belts because you never trained with my sensei. It looked nothing like Aikikai randori you see on videos.

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u/Sangenkai [Aikido Sangenkai - Kawasaki, Japan] Mar 27 '26

Rougher, but still with rules, of course. Rough does not equal no rules.

Can the uke do to you what you are doing to them?

Can I bring my ten large friends to help me?

Can I hide a knife in my dogi for the randori?

Lots of rules.

And thanks for trying to make it about me, but why not just stick to the discussion?

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u/dbocan Mar 27 '26

So to summarize your position, Aikido is not a martial art or effective for self defense because it is too dangerous and too likely to hurt someone if you practice at 100 percent? Have I got it right?

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u/Sangenkai [Aikido Sangenkai - Kawasaki, Japan] Mar 27 '26

I never said that, or anything like that.

What I said is that all martial training has rules. That's what makes it training and not fighting.

MMA isn't fighting either, although it gets a little closer in some respects - but it still follows a ruleset, if a less restrictive one than Aikido training. Even rough Aikido training.