Saturday 29 May 2010

Articles Blog ~AIKIDO in MMA / CAGE

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See Item 5 for " Aikido in MMA " article.

Rik Ellis a student of Aikido and a MMA/ Cage fighter offers his thoughts on Aikido in MMA...Dojo Aikido should stay there - To be applicable as a self-defence you need to be able to adapt...few can !...
Visit the Rik Ellis Blog - Click ->Rik Ellis BlogRik Ellis Blog.

Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido - Classes @ Aikido Bracknell & Basingstoke Dojos - Visit -> Dojos Dojos

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The Kenshiro Abbe 50th Memorial Event May 14th 2005.

This movie slide-show offers an indepth look at this very special day of Budo.Narrated by Henry Ellis.


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British Aikido Origins from 1955 - Narration & Movie Slide-Show by Henry Ellis - Arrival of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei to the UK - Development of British Budo.



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USAF UK Air Base 1963 European Judo Championships

Earliest known UK film of a Public Aikido Demonstration 1963 - Henry Ellis - Derek Eastman - Geoff Goodwin...Taken at the " UK West Drayton - USAF Air Base European Judo Championships..The film is old and quality not so good - a piece of British Aikido History..A 4 star General presiding said he enjoyed the demo so much he asked for the demonstration to be carried out a second time.

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Rik Ellis Aikido-MMA vs Rus Dennis 6th dan Taikwondo-MMA
Another first round win in 46 seconds.

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Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido - Aikido Push-ups

In the early days of British Aikido with Kenshiro Abbe Sensei ``every student `` would do these Aikido push-ups.


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Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman 6th dan International BiranKai - AikiKai.. students of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei from the mid 1950s..Diploma's signed by ~ Osensei M Ueshiba No 349 ~ K Abbe ~ M Nakazono ~ M Noro ~ TK Chiba ~ Doshu M Ueshiba
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H Ellis ~ D Eastman & D Rogers co-authors of the book ` Positive Aikido `.Visit Positive Aikido & * Aikido Books Blog * Click >Aikido Books



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Article by Henry Ellis a pioneer of British Aikido - " Is Aikido a Martial Art ? "" Is Aikido a Martial Art " Read Click here


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Scroll down this page for the Rik Ellis article " Aikido in MMA "..

Rik Ellis article "" Aikido in MMA ""
Rik Ellis wins last three fight in the 1st round in 26 seconds & 47 seconds 62 seconds.
Nick Chapman Fighter ~ Cardio Coach ~ Rik Ellis.
<- The Lull before the Storm ~ Aiki relaxation before the fight.
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AIKIDO in MMA

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Rik Ellis Aikido & MMA Blog Rik Ellis Aikido MMA Blog

Rik Ellis Fight Video


AIKIDO in MMA by Rik Ellis

Just my personal thoughts on this often discussed subject.

AIKIDO IN MMA
By Rik Ellis

I am a MMA / Aikido Cage Fighter

Trained by Suleman Raja of Prize Fighters Gym Farnborough and the Fight Science Gym Aldershot with Nick headhunter Chapman. I have a strong background in Traditional Aikido. There has been a great deal of interest in the transference of Aikido technique and movement into MMA with the influence of the action movie actor Steven Segal with his strong dynamic style of Aikido which is similar to that taught to me by my father Henry Ellis a pioneer of British Aikido from 1957.

Modern Aikido

Modern Aikido receives a great deal of criticism from the public and fellow martial artists, the ridicule is often justified. I too have been vilified for my involvement in MMA by some Aikidoka from the safety of their computers.

Steven Seagal

I admire the Aikido of Steven Seagal for the Aikido in his early videos showing a positive traditional style of Aikido, a man who shows Aikido to be a martial art, there are many in the Aikido community that dislike Seagal Sensei saying that he portrays Aikido in a violent light and would like to see the bad guys beat him up to show that his Aiki is love.
Allow me to explain my thinking on this issue.

Kicking & Punching in Aikido

I have studied Traditional Aikido with my father Henry Ellis 6th dan Aikido – AikiKai Hombu International Birankai - I began at the age of 5 years. My father taught me the art of 'Traditional Aikido' as taught to him by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei in the 1950s and 60s. The modern misguided Aikidoka say "there is no kicking or punching in Aikido!" Believe me, there is in my fathers Aikido! (See my photos and fight films). These same sad people bleat on my video comments, " I don't see Aikido." The reason they don't see Aikido is because they are looking for their stylized choreography dojo Aikido where two people are harmonizing with each other.
Anyone who has had to use Aikido in a truly hostile situation will tell you that it looked nothing like the training in the dojo, one needs to be able to adapt him/herself and their technique to any situation. For me, my Aikido is in my mind and my body.

The need to Adapt

I make no pretence of offering myself on a plate to my opponent / assailant with a stylized Aikido posture, the biggest mistake in the cage or street is to offer your opponent your leading leg or arm, you will be down before you know what has happened and all your Aiki love will be pounded out of you.( welcome to the real world ).
Most students of Aikido have their favourite uke to practice with and that goes a big step further with senior teachers who travel across country or even abroad will take their personal uke with them WHY ? My father told me that when Kisshomura Ueshiba came to Britain many years ago , he insisted that he have his assistant with him, this was at some additional great expense, yet there were many high grade teachers on the seminar to make use of.

Aikido - Ego and the Birth of the Plastic Samurai

Make no mistake, I respect Aikido and its principals. I do not respect the people who over the years with their inflated grades and ego's have tried to change what was once a martial art into some quasi religion to suit their own needs and purposes. These people use this BS to avoid a real situation or a conflict where they may one day need to apply some of the vaporized BS they have been harmonizing and teaching for years. If a student has a strong spirit they are often condemned as having ` a fighting mind ` . I believe it was Confucius that said “ You build your house or dojo with bullshit it will eventually all fall in on you “

As real as it gets.

Your opponent in the cage is for real, he is as real as your street assailant, the difference being the MMA guy is a professional fighter who has no intention of trying to harmonize with you. You will not see me turn my back on my opponent, I will, and do, apply wrist locks and arm bars, but you will not see any large circular movements, if you open your closed Aikido mind to some reality, you may just see a fighter who is "very" relaxed before and during each fight. Look a little closer, you may just see some very condensed body contact techniques - irmi nage or an irimi tenkan and other techniques which turn my opponent either into or off of the cage wall.

Effective transferable technique

In ground work training I have often submitted my opponents with Kotegaesh ~ Nikkyo and Sankyo very effectively. My father, who came from Judo to Aikido, says that the best of the early Aikido masters came from Judo such as K. Abbe, T. Abe, M. Nakazono, TK Chiba, the first British student of Aikido was Ken Williams Sensei who was a 3rd dan Judoka! These teachers know how to apply their bodies to maximum effect in tight techniques. Judo is one of the basic foundations for MMA.

Ring a Ring a Rosies

If you think that your pure mind and body will help you in a real `street situation' you are going to be sadly disappointed. You don't have to believe me, just wait, whether you want it or not, trouble is never too far away in this day and age, just ask my father who has been teaching `"Traditional Aikido" since 1957. If you are a student of Ki Aikido don't wait around for your assailants to all fall down before you touch them, they don’t know they are supposed to do that ! and please don't tell your street opponent that Aiki is love, when you wake up you will realize what a really stupid mistake you made.

AiKiKiDo - Hug a Tree Today

Why is it that Aikido now attracts so many of the tree hugging types, Aikido to music and the bizarre example of Aikido movement demonstrated with multi coloured ribbons and strobe tubes complete with music. Ki Aikido students being taught to breath through their toes.Ki students trying to knock apples off each others heads with the power of their Ki. They believe their fantasy technique is real and claim " The first duty of an Aikidoka is to protect their attacker " are they so deluded to believe they can totally control any hostile situation ?.. What I find so odd about the Ki fanatics is their techniques will only work on their own students.

It is strange that in the early days there was Aikido, Ki being an inclusive part - Now we have AikiKido - just doesn't make sense.

My father has said many times that he would never have studied the Aikido that he sees offered today. Aikido is a "martial" art.

My father would say “ Don’t come to me for spirituality – get that from your local church. Don’t come here expecting me to make you a better person – that was the chore of your parents and school teachers. If it’s the mystical your after, see Houdini. I am here to teach you the martial art of Aikido.

The Samurai spirit is all but gone.

Added with my fathers permission, a recent email extract from Jiro Nakazono Sensei the son of Masahilo Nakazono Sensei sent to my father.

I am 60; though I was too young to be a part of the "Pioneer Generation" of European Aikido, I lived right next to the warriors who at each demonstration they gave invited any challenger on the mat from the public.
When my father was invited to the Foreign Legion in Marseilles with Tadashi Abe sensei, they were met with two big soldiers hiding behind both side of the door with Baseball Bats... They were true Martial Artists, and their
students were aspiring to follow their footsteps. Some did, and some chose a more civilized way, which is today's Aikido.
I met Henry Ellis sensei on the mat for the first time in 2007, I believe he was over 70, and he gave me a Nikyo I felt for 4 months afterwards. It was a completely different generation. Jiro Nakazono ( 45 years in Aikido).

Rik Ellis

Click here Rik Ellis Aikido MMA
Click here British Aikido

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See item 17 for comments..

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About the Author
Visit my blogsite for a photo slideshow and videos.
Rik Ellis a professional MMA fighter and a long time student of Traditional Aikido from the age of five years. Rik was involved in the production of the book " Positive Aikido " with his father and Derek Eastman Sensei and the author Dave Rogers Sensei in New Mexico. His father is Henry Ellis 6th dan Aikido - International BiranKai. and a pioneer of British Aikido from its inception in the 1950s as a direct student of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei the legendary Budo Master.

Rik Ellis Fight Video




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>Rik Ellis ~ Aikido / MMA ~ Pre-Fight TV interview by Mark Carling featuring Nick ` Headhunter` Chapman & Rik Ellis ~ Followed by Rik's 27 seconds Fight win Footage from UK1 MMA on " WarTime TV " Click here Click for Fight Footage When visiting this site PLEASE click on ``Old Shows`` then ``screen 3`` ( with a guy sitting in a white gi ). This will then show the Rik Ellis interview and fight.........

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The demise of true `Traditional Aikido` and the `Rise of the Plastic Samurai `..

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Visit our new " Tadashi Abe " website -> Click here ~ Tadashi Abe Sensei

Visit the new Nakazono Aikido Blog Click here ~ Nakazono Sensei

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< Henry Ellis Admin....Kenshiro Abbe Sensei 1918> 1985.Ellis A direct student of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei from 1957 ~ Pioneer of British Aikido....In the right hand column you will find a list of various articles of interest. The `true` history of British Aikido is well documented from its inception in 1955 by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei 1918 ~ 1985...There are controversial articles such as " Aikido in MMA " by Rik Ellis...also " Is Aikido a Martial Art ? " . Articles on British Budo...There are articles documenting the appalling conduct of the " British Aikido Board " the crass governing body for Aikido in the UK.

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Scroll down for the controversial article " AIKIDO in MMA "by Rik Ellis

Rik Ellis a student of Aikido from the age of five years. Rik is also a positive fighter, visit Rik's blog above... See the short article " What is Wrong with Ki Aikido " ...Rik, as with his father Henry, are often accused of knocking Aikido, that is not so, they are knocking the idiots that bring Aikido into ridicule...


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Support the proud British Aikido history and lineage, left in our care by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei the father of all UK Aikido from its inception in 1955`. Not only for the students of today, but future generations of students..The only thing needed for the BAB & Jack Poole & their cohorts to triumph is that good men and women do nothing...

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Ex BAB Executive finally reveals the Shocking TRUTH !





Visit the " Aikido Controversy Blog " Click Click

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BAB Chairman Mr V Sumpter. BAB Secretary..Ms Shirley Timms.









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Shocking Revelations !!
British Aikido Board ex-executive reveals the disgraceful conduct of the BAB executive as they secretly conspire to slander the GOOD NAME of British Aikido pioneer Henry Ellis to protect the fraudulent claims of Mr Jack Poole and the BAB Revelations of a BAB Executive ~ Click here

Extract from the revelations.
Received from The (ex) BAB Communication Officer 6/9/09


Dear Henry,
I write this email to once and for all state that I am truly sorry for all of the distress caused to you by my email correspondence which contained information I now know to be complete lies and fabrications.
The basis for the lies came from various members of the then BAB Exec team. These meeting were held in both Solihull and Slough at the home of the BAB Secretary, Shirley Timm’s. None of the information discussed at these meeting was minuted in any detail with regard to you. It became apparent very quickly they were trying to recover themselves from a huge mistake they had made with regard to awarding Jack Poole an award for time in Aikido when he clearly had not been in Aikido this long. People turned against you in these meetings and started to bad mouth your good name and character with utter rubbish and fabrication. Shirley Timm’s was the basis and the main instigator in these lies with Tony Davis also adding false anecdotes and recounting tales which now quite clearly never occured. Sadly, I listened to these and believed them. I know now they are completely false.
With Regard,
The (ex) BAB Communication Officer ~ name witheld

Henry Ellis accepted the apology from the BAB executive. The main culprits Mr Sumpter and Ms Timms along with Jack Poole have not.......

Email provided by ex-executive.
"""Message to all executives, be careful what you enter in the minutes as Henry Ellis reads the published minutes ~ V Sumpter """ ~~~Why be careful if you are an honest group of executives ??

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Rik Ellis Aikido / MMA



Click image to enlarge.









Co-Main Event ~ Rik `Hammer` Ellis vs Chris Head


UK1 MMA / Cage Fight Night. Saturday November 20th 2010...South Parade Pier. Portsmouth. UK. ( Event SOLD OUT !! )

Click for `Rik Ellis Blog Site `




Latest Fight News !! November 20th ~ Rik Ellis wins first round in 27 seconds with knockout....Rik's previous fight also ended in the first round in 46 seconds.


Scroll down for Rik Ellis article " Aikido in MMA ".

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The corruption of British Aikido History.
<- The BAB = "Bad at Budo".
"" The corruption of UK Aikido - Budo history and lineage is all the more further saddened by the depths of the shameless disgusting people who knowingly and willingly offer their support for worthless grades and members"" ~~ Henry Ellis ~~


Protect British Budo History ~ visit the " Aikido Controversy " blog Click for Aikido Controversy Blog


Scroll down for Aikido Articles list." Is Aikido a Martial Art " Read Click here

" The Budo Masters "Click here

18 comments:

  1. Simple honesty. Thanks Rick

    ReplyDelete
  2. Does your father shares your "point of view"
    Because it's YOUR POINT OF VIEW nothing more nothing less, no one owns the truth :-)
    Violence gererates violence and i can only read violence and anger in your words.

    Greeting from a friend in portugal
    nuno

    ReplyDelete
  3. yoshiee
    Thanks for your comment.

    nuno
    It is my "point of view" !
    As with most father and son relationships we agree on most things but not all. So, becuse I speak openly and positvely my words are angry and violent ( in your opinion :-).......
    Rik

    ReplyDelete
  4. That is the future of Aikido. Jiujitsu, Muay Thai, Judo, Karatedo already does.

    ReplyDelete
  5. O-sensei was pretty adamant that atemi formed a large part of any fight, didn't he?

    Lots of variation in the various ki styles as to how seriously the martial aspects are taken. From 'hardly at all' to 'very'. Not all are the 'yoga-cise' type, although those guys sure are out there.

    We've got to (try to, at least) live in truth!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fernando
    My father has said many times that he beleives that the martial arts will one day ``have to `` go full circle to survive....Thanks for you comment.........Rik

    grateful ape
    I had a comment recently " that is not Aikido, he is punching ".....Imagine you have trained in Aikido for several years and one day come face to face with ``real`` trouble, and you get levelled in front of your family, this happened to a 6th dan a few years ago......
    I teach Aikido not as a religeon, but as a form of self - defence.
    Thanks for your comment
    Rik

    ReplyDelete
  7. Rik

    Just so there is no ambiguity...I want to be clear that I agree with you. I'm not sure if that came across first-time.

    I'm probably the least-experienced person posting here..not even shodan yet..but I have met shodan, nidan, and higher from other organisations - people with double, treble my time in the art - who I felt would not deal well (if at all) with a typical hook or jab from a Saturday-night chancer ('not an aiki attack!'). Have been told by these people 'don't grab so tight, we don't train like that'...hmmm.

    The relaxation/mind-body coordination is in and of itself very useful and fulfilling, and I find it essential for navigating the quagmire of modern life. However, whilst I certainly hope I don't find myself in a real fight anytime soon, we train with that in mind. How else can you? That's what my 'live in truth' comment concerned. Otherwise we may just as well be doing yoga. That's not to say we need be animals, but we need to be aware that other people will be.

    On another related note, I'm surprised to see how many people don't believe any form of body conditioning is necessary in aikido...I mean, I'm not going to be doing hundreds of back-of-wrist press-ups anytime soon, but you've got to keep in some semblance of shape, right? I mean, do these people even do suburi?

    Again - with the caveat of my inexperience stated - I've often felt that the path to self-improvement (body and mind) is only hindered by delusion and a lack of self-awareness. And even with my short time in, I've seen and met quite a lot of people in various 'arts' who are quite clearly delusional to some degree.

    Best

    Ape

    ReplyDelete
  8. Rick
    I dont pratice aikido with the intention of defendig myself..........
    Nothing in life is secure........
    You can train to be the best fighter in the world, but you will never be safe from a kid with a gun.........
    Death is a part of live...........
    You just got to chose how to live yours.
    I choose PEACE.
    I know that i'm not safe from violence, but i can prevent to start violence from my part.
    thats the only thing we can train to control..... ourselves
    I train aikido to be a master of myself.....
    It's not easy to understand, but........ if you think about it.....
    Life will give back what you offer.

    again, sorry for the bad english, i learn it from videogames lololol

    from a friend in portugal
    (it's a very friendly country to visit)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I try my best to practice and study Aikido.

    The "practice" part is for self defense, this is the martial aspect of Aikido.

    The "study" part is the philosophical aspect that should help us be better human beings.

    My opinion is that this is the Art of Aikido as a whole, I think that dojo classes show you the techniques and some philosophy, but is up to the student to train and research more if you want to be good at it.

    In my case I try to read a lot about the Founder and about the spiritual aspect of aikido, but I also want to have an effective technique that can be used to protect the people I love or myself, so every now and then I go to a boxing gym or an mma gym and train a little bit more real and it has been a great help.

    I love Aikido, and I think only serious training can help you have a realistic and clear perspective of combat or defense, but this is not the only benefit of Aikido, it has a lot to offer (relaxation, control over yourself, keep good health) but a good advise for the people who ONLY go to the Dojo to be in harmony with the universe (nothing wrong with this, I do it too)don't think that this will be effective in combat or you'll find an unpleasant surprise.

    O Sensei faced situations where his life was at stake, his Aikido worked, he was a warrior and a gentleman, ask yourself if your Aikido (or any Art)works, if not train more.

    Combat arts are not magical you have to train a lot for any art to be effective, so don't think that for being part of a Dojo and going every day it makes you good at it if you are not aware of the reality of a fight, even in MMA, some people think hat just for being part of an MMA gym they can beat any other classical art practitioner but remember nobody is invincible and some people are very good fighters without ever stepping in a dojo, so just be clear about your goals, and train hard.

    Good luck to everyone in their training.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think you are correct in stating that most aikido styles are moving in a quasi religious direction. I find that disturbing. When asked about the combative aspect of aikido many teachers simply act as if that is a foolish question. I believe that aikido can be a state of the art fighting style. But one needs to study judo, karate, and other arts before being able to unlock the benefits of aikido. One final thought. Aikido can be many things for many people. There are students that need spiritual guidance, and there are those that need real fight training. Fortunately, aikido can be all of those things. It is just a matter of focus.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Gonzalez
    Interesting reply, you make some very valid observations. I like your views on the subject.

    Rafael.
    My father has said to me often that people today are doing the Aikido of OSensei the old man.
    Rik

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hallo Rik,
    Rasim Alijagic 30 years old and i live in Arnhem Holland.
    I am practicing Aikido and MMA, respect what i see between figters in MMA Gym i just dont see in Aikido dojo`s(with few exceptions).
    O`Sensei was a fighter/soldier/martial artist what we are seeing now in dojos are aikidokas who are none of that.
    Training is just not dynamic,there is no aggresion and will to fight.
    In life you have love and rage,if u never felt rage u never loved!

    I wish you many succeses and good health,
    Rasim.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Rasim
    The tree huggers have taken over the majority of Aikido dojo's. My father often tells of the 1950s of an Aikido long before the yoga tree huggers.
    Good luck to you too.
    Rik Ellis

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Rick,

    This is my first time reading your blog, and it has definitely given me some things to consider.

    From what I've read, O-Sensei was not a soldier (though he certainly trained many), and while his early life was certainly more martially-oriented, his later life was more focused on the spiritual aspects of what became known as Aikido.

    I definitely understand your perspective, in that you participate in pre-arranged fights (that is, the two people in the ring have agreed to fight each other), and the goal is to win. In real life, if someone is aggressive towards me, and I return that aggression, what have I done except perpetuated that aggression? If I have an opportunity to neutralize that aggression, and I don't take it, I am no better than the person initiating the aggression. There is no winner there, only survivors.

    O-Sensei's goal was peace, and one cannot beget peace with violence. I agree that one must be prepared for "non-aiki" attacks; I also think that the philosophy cannot be ignored for the sake of expedience, otherwise it makes the art shallow - simply another method of kicking the crap out of someone. For example, when I practice as uke, and execute a shomenuchi, I fully intend to hit that person. That being said, I do so because I care about nage, and want them to learn how to defend themselves. My goal isn't to hurt them, but to help them prepare to handle someone coming at them.

    All this being said, I fully recognize that these are my own perspectives, and just like a certain other body part, everyone's got one.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi,

    Interesting article. I am not a "hippy tree-hugger", nor am I aching to kill someone. I am aware of my surroundings, and pay attention to corners as I walk around and pass them on the streets. I guess one could say I have a martial mentality.

    That said. I respect the spiritual/religous aspect of Aikido. However I am also aware of it's bujutsu roots. My Sensei and my sensei before him were aware of this as well.

    So. That said, I'm wondering about this Aikido-dance-ribbons business Rick. Seriously I am. I'm wondering if your speaking of a demonstration my current Sensei did back in the 70's or 80's

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  16. Back again after reading other comments.

    Though I've only studied at 2 Dojo's, I still find it strange that a few people are talking about schools that don't touch on the killing aspect of Aikido (Aiki-bujutsu). Just yesterday I was working with another student who lost control of me during shiho nage, I ended-up behind him. My Sensei kept exclaming at me "Finish him, elijah! Finish him!"

    Kinda funny, huh?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Replies:
    Matt Middleton.
    I agree that we must not damage each other in practice. My father always says " Remember we all have to work and train tomorrow" .That does not mean we have to train without purpose.
    You saythere are no winners only survivors, just make sure you are one of the survivors......
    Regards Rik
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    Elephant
    I have no idea who your Sensei is, nor do I wish to know, so I cannot answer your question. The article section ``Bizarre `` has a link to the Ribbon movie...The one thing I stress is to adapt an to be aware, you seem to have that.
    Regards

    Rik

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Rik!
    Great article,nice pictures.
    Im rokie in aikido and those tips are very useful.
    Thanks for the information!

    Tal

    Martial Art Training

    ReplyDelete

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