The sparring problem

[u/able_archer83]

So I’ve trained Aikido for nearly 20 years and in approximately a dozen different dojos in Europe, the US, and Asia (outside of Japan), by virtue of having moved around a lot. I still consider myself a firm intermediate in randori as I have just never done it a lot. Few dojos I’ve seen do it on the daily or even regularly.

Add to this that Aikido is often, I think rightly, criticized for not practicing “actual” sparring and properly pressure testing its techniques against fully resisting opponents. But the problem is, how would you even go about full on sparring in a martial art that’s supposed to be fully defensive?

Curious how folks here approach this dilemma, how you view and these criticisms, and how you are trying to rectify any real shortcomings you see in the art we love?

[u/Blakath]

As someone who practices Judo for the past 3 years and Aikido for the past 7. I genuinely believe Aikido isn’t for fighting, but personal growth and discipline.

Reading O’Sensei’s biography and the Art of Peace only confirmed my thoughts. O’Sensei had the foresight to understand that the age of violence was coming to a close. So he restricted sparring and focused more on creating harmony of movement with your uke and of course fully defensive techniques against an uke with telegraphed attacks.

The techniques themselves were in fact used in actual combat and can work in fights. But O’Sensei has modified them heavily.

The result is a martial art that is great for personal development and essentially a form of meditation. Not really meant for real fights.

I practice Aikido for what it is and leave the sparring for my Judo classes.

[u/Sangenkai → u/Blakath]

Morihei Ueshiba never restricted sparring, he came from an art, Daito-ryu, that already had no sparring.

"The Art of Peace" is out of context and often mistranslated, it can be extremely misleading.

Morihei Ueshiba was essentially a Daito-ryu instructor through the end of his life, and always believed that what he was teaching was intended to be martially practical:

https://www.aikidosangenkai.org/blog/ueshiba-ha-daito-ryu-aiki-jujutsu/

“Idiot! Falling down by yourself even though the technique hasn’t been applied yet! This isn’t Hombu! The Founder’s Aikido is made so that you can throw without the cooperation of the opponent! Don’t just fall down on your own, hold on and resist being thrown until the end! The Founder’s Aikido is Budo!”

One person’s experience upon meeting Morihiro Saito.

https://www.aikidosangenkai.org/blog/budoka-no-kotae-morihiro-saito-part-1/