Aikido In Combat

The power of life and death is in everyone's hands. An individual decision makes or breaks the circle of life and death. If you decide to slow down when crossing the road you decide to live and if you make a dash in the face of oncoming traffic then you decide to take a risk of death. Then there is the alternate that most use which is to earn money by force rather than by honest means. You can be a victim of such people while retuning from work late in the night or maybe after a shopping trip.

The police are there to help but there may come a time when the police take time to reach and this is where knowledge of a martial art for self defense will help you. You may not be like Bruce Lee but at least you will be able to kick and punch and save yourself effectively.

Aikido is one such peaceful but popular form of martial arts. The idea behind Aikido is to disarm or subdue the attacker so that you can be safe. Aikido does not propagate injuring or killing of the opponent or attacker. Aikido is taught in dojos and these are found all over the country. You enroll and then as you learn you will move up in the order.

The first techniques that beginners are taught is like a square. Then as you master these you move up to a triangle and then to a circle. It does take months to reach the level of circle and you will need a lot of practice and dedication to get there. The final objective is to be able to use all the techniques effortlessly so that in case of more than one opponent you have the energy to deal with them.

It is not possible to compare the trained moves of grips, falls and holds that are done in the training center to what happens out on the street. Chances are that your opponent may not be trained in martial arts and so the moves he uses will be very different from what you know. Your training has to be such that you are prepared for anything. The best way to test your combat skills is to take part in the competitions that are held regularly by various dojos.

Practice sessions and competitions should be such that you reduce the tempo of the attack on the opponent. Use your speed and swiftness for the real battle out on the streets. You just may face an attacker also trained in the martial arts and here it will be the effective use of your mind that will ensure you come out safe.

Aikido has some effective secrets and it is these that will help you in a combat for life type of a situation. Try hand eye coordination, your wrist flexibility, speed and your breathing.

An old saying on the lines of there being no gain without pain holds very true for those learning Aikido. This is a given in Aikido because it is the one who has that extra competitive edge who will be the victor in any encounter. Guidance by senior students and the Sensei will ensure that the learner has faith in his own abilities and believes that he will be master of this art one day.

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