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stav
25th September 2004, 01:58
Hi there, I'm looking to start training in a Martial Art and so far my preference is Yoshinkan Aikido. The only problem I have with this art is I'm unsure how effective aikido skills are in a fight.

I am not looking to get into fights, preferring to avoid them so it's not a huge deal. But can I defend myself and my friends effectively with aikido if I must? Also, I have watched many aikido film clips and have not once seen a reply to a kick which worries me.

The other style which interests me is Bujinkan, but the odd thing is I have never seen any mention of bujinkan outside of specific bujinkan resources. For example there is no bujinkan forum here. Why is this? I realise that there are ninjitsu forums here but bujinkan teachers seem quick to note that their chosen style is a lot more then just ninjitsu.

So this intrigues me. Is bujinkan considered a joke by the wider martial arts community. Is it just a not so widely available art to train in? It just strikes me as strange to see no mention of it on/in any of the general martial arts websites/books I've seen.

For all those that try help me with my queries I thankyou in advance! In the west martial arts is a field full of sharks ready to rip off the unwilling. It's hard to find a resource you can trust when making an important decision such as the art you wish to practise for the rest of your life. As a 20yr old I've wasted enough time and am ready to catch up on lost time!

Sillal
25th September 2004, 15:57
Can find Bujinkan forums at:

www.kutaki.org

Can't remember why the Bujinkan forums were taken off of here.


So this intrigues me. Is bujinkan considered a joke by the wider martial arts community. Is it just a not so widely available art to train in? It just strikes me as strange to see no mention of it on/in any of the general martial arts websites/books I've seen.

The Bujinkan is NOT a martial art, its a martial arts organization founded by Masaaki Hatsumi who teaches nine ryu that he is Soke in this organization.


So this intrigues me. Is bujinkan considered a joke by the wider martial arts community. Is it just a not so widely available art to train in? It just strikes me as strange to see no mention of it on/in any of the general martial arts websites/books I've seen.

If you use the word "Ninja" or "ninjutsu" even those who have been studying martial arts for some time still think of bad Hollywood movies, and can't shake that image from their heads. The same people would probably get offended if you compared Ralph Machio (sp?) movies to karate.

The Bujinkan is a legit organization under a legit teacher. Whether or not you will like a particular instructor you hook up with is another thing.

On a seperate note I studied Aikido before joining the Bujinkan as well, with similar concerns about Aikido as yourself. I enjoy training in the Bujinkan, but you won't know till you hook up with someone and train.

Any more questions I suggest giving Kutaki.org a try as its specifically a Bujinkan forum.

Matt Molloy
25th September 2004, 19:04
Aikido is very effective in a fight. It's also effective when you don't fight. It has no problems dealing with kicks. The style that you've been looking at, Yoshinkan, is trained in by some of the Tokyo riot police (see the senshusei course) so they must think that it has some value also.

If you take a look around some of the martial arts boards you will find that the effectiveness (or not) of Aikido has been done to death many, many times so you may find a certain weary attitude goes with replies to the question of its effectiveness. Nobody will mean this personally so please don't be offended.

If you take a look over at Aikiweb ( www.aikiweb.com ) then you'll find some of the recent threads have touched this subject and there are a couple of posts by George Ledyard that are particularly illuminating.

You could also try www.aikidofaq.com as one of the best resources on the internet on Aikido.

I've only come across a couple of people that have trained in the arts offered by the Bujinkan but they seem like a very competent lot and nice people to boot.

At the end of the day, the best thing to do IMO is to take a class in all the arts that are near enough to do so and then stick with the one that suits you the best. Remember, it's not the art, it's the artist.

Good luck and I hope you find what you're looking for.

Cheers,

Matt.

nicojo
25th September 2004, 19:43
Read the FAQs posted at the top of the Ninpo forum for why the Bujinkan doesn't have their own forum (and the Jinnekan, etc.) Nothing sinister about it.

Why worry about what other people think about your martial art? First, everyone that doesn't do one thinks we are slightly off. Second, every MAer thinks his or her own art is superior to others--that's why they stay with it, or they should. If Bujinkan or Aikido give you something you want/need/can use, you will forget about the perceptions, and never regret starting, whichever art it is. Even if you move on to something else, you will look back on your starting art with fondness, as it's the one that started you on the road. Some people think Iaido is a waste of time, others think Aikido is ineffective, some think Ninpo is a joke, some think Koryu is out-dated, some think Karate is Cobra-kai, one step above TKD....The list goes on with mis/preconceptions. Really, get over it and do some reading in the forums of arts that attract you.

20 is not too old, BTW. Many of us started around there, really. You haven't wasted any time.

stav
26th September 2004, 03:25
Thankyou for your replies, they were all very helpful and have put the worries I had at ease. The information on aikido and bujinkan that you have all kindly provided me has been extremely helpful and now it's just a matter of my choosing the one best suited for me.

I thank you for providing the information in a polite manner. I can understand there must be hundreds of people asking the same questions all the time and I appreciate the fact that it could get very tiring and annoying.

MarkF
29th September 2004, 03:02
20 is not too old, BTW. Many of us started around there, really. You haven't wasted any time.


Not only is 20 not too young, at one time that was the age limit for beginning Kodokan Judo classes. Shortly before that, it was 21, so actually, many teachers appreciate students your age. I know I do.

BTW: There is another one you can add to the list of ineffectiveness, just an Olympic sport, not budo, and a thousand adjectives and adverbs made up just for judo. And Ralph Macchio movies aren't all bad. Remember, he co-stared in an oscar-winning movie "My Cousin Vinny." No, he didn't get the Oscar.


Mark