How Effective Is Aikido?

I would be a wealthy man if I had been paid for each time in the last 45 years I have been asked that question (or asked it myself). How effective is Aikido?

How effective is your car or truck when taking it on a trip in various weather conditions? How effective are you at cooking different types of cuisine? How effective are you at communicating with others in listening, empathy, drawing out the interest in the conversation and making others feel as if they are being listened to?

The answer is simple when you put time into thinking about it. The reality is that all situations are different. To be effective in each new one you need practice. You need to "be in the moment". You need to pay attention and ask yourself "what do I need here..how do I use it... and when?" If you can honestly answer these questions than you should know how effective your art is.

Aikido is certainly not MMA, Kickboxing, Kali or any of the thousand types of defensive arts one sees in the world of martial art. If you spend more time wondering about how Aikido stands up against these others, than you should most likely be studying these other arts to find out!

In martial effectiveness what matters is your timing, your perception of your opponent and your distance to him or her (or them!) and what tools you have at your disposal. Never forget that the single most effective martial tool is to never put yourself into a compromised position. This is followed by the second most effective tool: running away. Does this sound like cowardice or does it sound like living to fight another day?

In our dojo we do a lot of repetition. This builds muscle memory and increases response time. People watch Aikido and think "there's a lot cooperation in this." Yes, there is. Again, more repetition equals better response. Each attack is different each time, the distance, the lighting, the focus etc. Most intelligent people wouldn't think twice about the effectiveness of commercial airline pilots training on flight simulators. Why those same people wonder why we repeat techniques in different attacks over and over again is something I fail to see the difference in myself.

If you are drawn to Aikido and want to study it...then study it and focus on it. Train with sincerity and vigour. Live your life as if each day was your last. Treat others the way you would like them to treat you. I believe that if you do this, the question of "how effective Aikido is" becomes a moot point. And if you really want to know how effective aikido is...ask yourself what's it doing for you?