I doubt very much, however, that this sort of performance competition by itself will be enough to satisfy those who call for training reforms designed to give aikido techniques “teeth” so as to render them effective in a realistic selfdefense situation. The sort of “friendly competition” this approach has spawned seems to encourage performers to intensify their practice at least in preparation for these events, My impression is that aikido purists who frown at the Tomiki approach are not particularly concerned by these forays into competition by the Yoshinkan and Ki Society since neither conducts matches or bouts that pit two opponents against each other. ![]() Winners receive awards at the end of the event much as in other sports. Both the Yoshinkan Aikido and Shinshin Toitsu Aikido organizations conduct demonstrations where participants are graded on their performance, based on the execution of technique, balance, ability to blend, and other such criteria. Two other widely-practiced styles of aikido have embraced competition, albeit to a limited degree, in conjunction with demonstrations. Because of this fact, Tomiki Aikido remains to a certain extent isolated from more mainstream approaches. The Tomiki method has come under attack from proponents of other aikido schools who hold that the principle of competition itself runs counter to the central principles of aikido. ![]() The results of this continuing experiment with competitive aikido have been mixed, and even within this system there are those who prefer to emphasize more traditional practice methods and forego matches altogether. Tomiki Sensei experimented with various modifications to his system and, since his death in 1979, his senior students have carried on under the banner of the Japan Aikido Association, There are perhaps one hundred or so schools and clubs that follow the Tomiki system worldwide. In addition to matches, this system of sport aikido includes kata competition. The roles are reversed after a specified time and points are tallied to determine the winner. Matches in this style consist of one opponent armed with a mock knife while the other acts as the defender. Kenji Tomiki, a prewar disciple of both Kano and Morihei Ueshiba and a successful judo competitor in his own right, devised a sport system of aikido which was launched via the aikido club of Waseda University in the 1950s. The most prominent example of the concept of competition applied to aikido has been the Tomiki system, which was philosophically inspired by the thinking of Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo. For example, who would come out on top if fifth dans in judo and karate were to match skills? Is taekwondo superior to kung fu? Can an aikidoka with no cross-training in another art hold his own against an exponent of any of these more combat-oriented martial arts? Such speculation is endless and has failed to lead to any sort of consensus. The argument is often framed in such a way that the measure of a martial system is based on how exponents fare, or presumably would fare, in a match situation. Various improvements have been proposed such as teaching attacking skills, incorporating liberal use of atemi, adding self-defense techniques, etc., all with the aim of making up for aikido’s perceived technical deficiencies.Īnother of the most frequently advocated solutions to this thorny issue is the introduction of competition to add a realistic dimension and provide a quantifiable way of measuring one’s skills against an opponent. ![]() This having been said, how specifically to go about adding a strong element of “realism” to aikido is altogether another question. I still believe that practice against lifeless, “ceremonial” attacks without the application of atemi and convincing finishing techniques leaves one highly vulnerable in a life-threatening situation. I have frequently added my voice to this chorus and maintain that the casual nature of practice in many schools today leaves students with unrealistic expectations of what they can expect to accomplish if their skills should ever be tested in a real-life encounter. While the art has earned much respect for its ethical tenets, the techniques of aikido are often criticized as being too soft and impractical to be of any real use in an actual engagement. The martial art of akido has enjoyed a steady growth since its quiet introduction in Japan following World War II and subsequent spread abroad. ![]() “I seriously doubt that the would-be “samurai” of the twentieth century will find a satisfactory solution to their quest for ultimate combative effectiveness through martial arts competition.”
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