Why I Closed My Aikido Dojo
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- Опубліковано 9 лис 2020
- One day I decided to close my professional Aikido Dojo that I was running for 7 years. There were many events that led me to this decision. In this video I share in detail what exactly led me to close my Aikido Dojo and how I did it.
For more stories like this, check my new channel Critical Thinkers here: • How Most Of My Martial...
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Welcome to the Martial Arts Journey UA-cam channel!
My name is Rokas. I'm a Lithuanian guy who trained Aikido for 14 years, 7 of them running a professional Aikido Dojo until eventually I realized that Aikido does not live up to what it promises.
Lead by this realization I decided to make a daring step to close my Aikido Dojo and move to Portland, Oregon for six months to start training MMA at the famous Straight Blast Gym Headquarters under head coach Matt Thornton.
After six months intensive training I had my first amateur MMA fight after which I moved back to Lithuania. During all of this time I am documenting my experience through my UA-cam channel called "Martial Arts Journey".
Now I am slowly setting up plans to continue training MMA under quality guidance and getting ready for my next MMA fight as I further document and share my journey and discoveries.
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Check the video "Aikido vs MMA" which started this whole Martial Arts Journey:
► • Aikido vs MMA - REAL ...
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#Aikido #MartialArts #MartialArtsJourney - Спорт
Sorry everyone for the bad autofocus 🙈 I promise to improve it for the next video!
For more stories like this one check out this playlist including the story of why most of my first generation Aikido students abandoned me: ua-cam.com/video/kLMD8RHk0h4/v-deo.html
Hi Rokas, i can understand why you are "done" with aïkido. Some people know why the technics are for or come from, but some other don't. Here is a VERY interresting video to see martial aplications of aïkido. Made by no aïkido master. But a mma guy looking for all technics that could work in martial arts and a french legion soldier. Mma guy doesn't like aïkido at all but realize that the technics of the Major are from aiki. Very interresting but sorry, in french, but you will be table to recognize the technics. Best regards. D - ua-cam.com/video/t0esWbSK6kw/v-deo.html
the truth is that MMA really teaches you how to fight if you are ever in a bad situation.
other stuff like dojos and all are only going to teach you fancy moves that wont work in a real fight.
I just got a light bulb moment brother. Looks like your aikido taught you critical thinking. You have some serious intellect. Maybe it wasn't just a waste of time.
@@de0509 in Serbia we had a guy who invented our very own martial art called Real Aikido. It utilises the wrist grabs for attackers with weapons, it has some wrestling and mma in it. I haven't trained any aikido, but I read a lot about it. In Serbia when someone says they trained aikido you usually know they aren't to mess with because it's almost like Krav Maga here. When someone mentions aikido here the first thing that comes to my mind is something like Krav Maga or Jiu-jitsu or something that has striking and wrestling in it.
@Martial Arts Journey Hi man. Firstly, thanks for the ultimate self defense championship. Loved it. I've watched a bunch of your videos about Aikido now. Its good to raise awareness of these issues. I did Tai Chi Chuan, which has superficial similarities, except that my teachers could knock me about if they wanted. (I honestly think it's a bad sign if a martial arts instructor can't - I'm not very hard.) Unfortunately, finding a good teacher outside of China can be hard. On the other hand, Ramsey Dewey seems to be making some of it work for him. I'd like to see you guys compare notes on these styles. Thank you again! :)
Deep respect to anyone who spent over a decade and is then willing to admit it’s not what they were expecting and is willing to start fresh at the bottom again
I did too. Very similar situation to Rokas. Best thing I ever did
I came to the exact same realization, but took a radically different approach. I didn't close my Kung Fu school, but rather slowly, painstakingly transformed it, and converted our then 250 students over a period of about 6 years. We only just officially rebranded to EMA in early 2019. Thanks for sharing your journey though, it took a lot of guts to burn those bridges and go all-in on UA-cam, and that decision was instrumental in helping me-and countless others-by sharing your experience.
Keep up the good work! 🙏
- Patrick Fulop
Thank you Patrick :) All the best in making your school rock! I'm sure you are doing a great job.
Howd u transform it?
@@sliderx1897 I started learning what works and got really good at teaching it.
- Patrick
That sounds so cool, man. :D Power to you and your school!
@@ShinFahima Thanks! 🙏
Good video. I trained karate for 11 years. Although the art was legitimate i still knew that I needed juijitsu when I first saw it back in 1998. I asked my instructor what would you do if someone was school yard mounted on you, his answer was dont let that happen. I knew inside that other martial artist had the answer. So I left, my instructor was understandably hurt. About a year later I contacted him and reminded him he told the class years earlier, I was a green belt at the time, that it was our own personal decision how far we took our art. I told him i will always consider him my instructor. He closed our conversation by telling me that i was his most 'sincere' student. I was glad to get that positive closure.
I ended up with mixed feelings of my own, through my experiences with martial arts.
The first style that I learned was sport Judo, in which I eventually earned a black belt in my late 20's. The second style I learned was Hakkaru Ju Jutsu. I earned a brown belt in that form by my late 30's. Simultaneously, I earned orange belt in Taekwondo. It may seem like I was training for MMA, but I actually wasn't. By this point I would be too old and out of shape to start on that path.
Every experience was unique. My Judo instructor took a "coaching" approach. Pragmatic, firm yet also emphasising a focus on learning the history of the art, itself. Each rank test included a verbal quiz by the instructor and a senior student of his choice, in order to pass.
My Ju Jutsu instructor was traditional in his teaching format but more practically minded in his training style. A gi wasn't encouraged, and students progressed through the ranks slowly. He taught me well and I probably learned the most through his school.
My Taekwondo instructor was egotistical and liked to act like he was an Army Lieutenant on inspection, with his adult students. Most of the other students at the highest belt I earned were children aged 10 or below, so I was actually spared most of that. Still, I was unimpressed and decided to leave that school.
I enjoyed my overall training experience over the course of three decades. Those examples are simply the instructors and schools that have contributed the most, and I am thankful for that.
Great post. I had a similar but not identical situation, where I trained under either bullies or massively egotistical teachers, a couple of ok ones, one very good one, and style after style including dabbling in Systema. To date my favorite was Judo, now at 65 I am not inclined to damage my joints any further. I found Aikido to be somewhat artificial, although it could be effective if devoid of the tradition and pomp and circumstance.
@@amramjose It sounds like you've had a very versatile overall experience in learning martial arts. Systema seems fascinating, too. On an interesting note, my Ju Jutsu instructor was from Tanzania originally and was also a practicing Muslim. He and the local Krav Maga instructor did not get along well, so I was initially reluctant to join his school as I'm a practicing Jew. I later learned that the difficulties between them had nothing to do with religion and I didn't regret stepping through his door.
Just FYI, the TKD instructors methods are very typical for TKD. It's part of the Korean culture of hierarchy and TKD tends to be very much like the military. TKD tends to be very formal, hierarchical and didactic.
I aways wanted to learn aikido bcs of Batman. I always liked that kinds of counter attacks where you twists (and maybe break) your opponents wrist, elbows and etc. It's cool asf. It's a shame it's ineffective in real life. Real life sucks...
😂 I'm with you
Combat Sambo is probably the closest to what Batman would be in real life. Basically MMA with a Gi and some very sick throws and holds.
I like your videos, as I studied a traditional martial art for 25 years, taught since I was 16, competed all over, the whole thing. (Tang Soo Do and Haidong Gumdo. I Also was a “leader” and teacher, armchair psychologist, spiritual teacher all that as you discuss through your videos.) In 2016, I started training in BJJ and a lot of things I was already questioning for decades shined a bright light on my martial journey. So I took off my fifth Dan and put on that white belt. It’s been great. Keep up the good work.
I love your channel and I look forward to future content!
🙏
I always like when he says grab a cup of coffee because the first time I watched one of these i was drinking coffee
Nice! Coffee buddies ☕
I'm going to make a coffee before watching
You are a courageousman. I appreciate this sharing.
The "quit Aikido" thing from Matt Thornton resonated with me. Went through a similar thing with Krav Maga whilst following your journey. Really appreciate your content!
🙏🙏🙏
Really? What was your problem with Krav Maga?
@@K4113B4113 there are a whole host of issues with krav, quality control, lack of sparring, big egos and resistance to change to mention a few. I was hoping to fix some things with the club I was at from the inside, working towards instructor qualifications and respectfully suggesting changes where I thought we could learn from other styles.
I talked a lot with some buddies I was training BJJ with who had nothing but respect for me, but when I suggested problems (with krav as a system, not just specific techniques), the best advice I got was to quit and leave it all behind. Same with how Matt Thornton to Rokas, it wasn't harsh or forcing me to, but it was just like "train what you want to train for the reasons you want to train". And I remember the first time I was supposed to go to a krav class and instead went to a Jiujitsu class and felt so at ease with my choice. It resonated a lot!
@@BecozPro What country are you in? The Krav Maga clubs in Stockholm are pretty good, with sparring and other forms of pressure testing. It's interesting because Krav Maga started out as mixed martial arts with a focus on modern warfare / extreme violence. So in theory Krav Maga practitioners should be very open to changing something that could work better since the whole basis for the style was picking what worked best from all the existing disciplines. But maybe Krav Maga kind of became its own style and became more dogmatic. I don't know. Probably different for different clubs.
Did you give up on self-defense completely and just go with bjj for the fun of it or for competing? Or did you also start training some striking discipline too?
@@K4113B4113 UK. In my experience, if you mix stuff together without knowing the context, then every time you teach it, you lose a little bit. Say if a Judo black belt who is also a kravist teaches all his krav students osoto-gari with all the setups, movement gripping details. Then one of his krav students (who hasn't trained in Judo) teaches that but with a little bit less of the technical elements stressed which a Judoka would know are important. That cycle continues until you end up with a very mediocre version of the original throw. Alternatively, when you have krav instructors nowadays who get shown a move one time and think "wow that's good I should teach that" and they don't bother to learn all the stuff around it, you end up with a mediocre version of the original technique. This is how I've found krav. I think it's generally agreed upon that the best way to teach MMA is to teach boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling and BJJ as separate skills and then bring them altogether. The krav schools with dedicated grappling and striking instructors tend to just be MMA schools with krav.
Krav also got too excited patting itself on the back for being superior to other, non self defence styles that it forfeited its ability to adapt to change, because that would require admitted you were wrong, or at least admitting there are better ways of doing it. In my experience, kravists are very reluctant to acknowledge this but always happy to take the piss out of traditional martial artists and combat athletes.
My training is a little weird atm because of covid, but I train for fun and fitness and I'm almost entirely grappling based (BJJ with a bit of gi standup and wrestling and I take an MMA class with striking once a week). I've competed once in the gi and may do it again in the future, but it's not a part of my goals. I still watch some self defencey guys, but I never train anything with that in mind. Funnily enough, I think my current training has me better prepared for a self defence encounter than my krav training ever did (although that bar is not so high).
I love it when you talk about your life story. I feel like I can learn a lot from it.
One of the most sincere stories i've heard from a martial arts instructor...I guess you've got a good long way ahead of you young man. Really proud of such people because they listen to their inner voice and the journey pays off. One day we mite get lucky and talk about instructors and how the relationship can make or brake a student. Anyway : Long live and prosper man.
Terrific Video Rokas!
I can relate on so many different levels.
why is it that whenever we question anything, people instantly turn against us for seriously seeking the truth. Even if it’s a simple question.
damn bro, your world crumbled and you were strong enough to see it and move on, thats cool, you should make a video of what do you still "have /do" from akido
I just starting watching your videos more and wow lots of respect for how you transfer from a traditional martial art to more modern martial arts. I use to train wushu kung fu for 8 years and stopped to train more jiu jitsu and boxing but it’s still good you still train aikido to remember your martial roots and still find ways to use some that are helpful.
Great vid! Thank you for not using second camera, this is way better.
Thanks Peter! I've listened to the feedback and will not use it anymore. Now I just need to fix the autofocus :)
That's an interesting point of view! I have been watching your videos through your Martial Arts evolution and right now I'm on a similar crossroad. I resumed Karate a few years ago but is a style with barely no contact, more focused on kihon, kata and very coordinated, light-contact kumite. Right now I don't have so many choices at my dojo but I want to try Judo because I need some pressure testing, and maybe combine it with boxing or switch to Japanese Jiu Jitsu. I'm 43 and need that realistic testing more than ever. Thank you for your hard work!
Been following your journey for a couple of years. Can't say I fully understand it, but mad respect to you for questioning everything and not being satisfied until you found answers that made sense. I recently left my Kung Fu school for personal reasons and started training at a Hapkido school with my wife. And I absolutely love that as a beginner she asks our instructors questions I wouldn't think of. It gets my gears turning and looking for answers
Nice video man great mentality you have to recognize mistakes and get out of your comfort zone
I’ve been watching the channel for a very long time. I’m glad you have taken this journey. It is uplifting! I know you are are not full circle yet, but when you do come full circle you’ll even be better at aikido, because you will have real tools of fighting to implement the 5% of techniques in aikido that actually work. There is still truth there you just didn’t have the fight experience to really know how to make it work. But you will when you come full circle. Good Luck!
Fantastic video Rokas. I know we have spoke before and I've given you a bit of a hard time but It was a very similar situation to me. And it's been the best thing I ever did. In one way I wish I had done it sooner. The difference in how you look today physically compared to your Aikido days is incredible. You look lean, mean , athletic and fit with some great definition. You look healthy.
Thanks! Glad to hear about your journey!
Awesome content as always Rokas.
Thank you! 🙏
Much respect!!! ✊
Thank you a lot. Very usefull to me. I am in the spot as you a the time and is a eyes opener. Thank you.
🙏
The crazy thing is that I discovered your channel 3-4 years ago when I was doing aikido and wanted to learn more. And now you've changed so much, it's been really fascinating to continue learning from your journey. Keep up the great work.
🙏
Great content!
When your autofocus is hunting like a Sigma 18-35mm haha
Haha 😂 I promise I'll try to figure out the autofocus by next time.
@@MartialArtsJourney just giving you a hard time :P love your work oss
@@MartialArtsJourney Never, ever use autofocus.
Get rid of the autofocus please! Or are you running a podcast and we don’t know it? 😅
I practice Aikido for cultural purposes and self development (kyudo mentality), judo for fun and kickboxing for self defense. You dont have to abandon aikido, just have to be conscious and sincere when it comes to its purpose!
I like that you see the value of all the martial arts that you practice. I think you're right not see Aikido as the self-development side to your martial arts training. Ueshiba did seem to see Aikido as a reflection of his philosophical and spiritual beliefs. I've made a video about Aikido on my channel. Please check it out and let me know what you think 🙏🏾
Bruce Lee said it best, “Enter by form, exit from form.” I’m convinced you need some discipline with structure and forms/techniques to get to a black belt level. You will have learned discipline, regular hard work to get that far. Then the learning begins. You just need to find the path to exit the form and start your personal journey. I also found it necessary (for me) to have some full contact training/ sparring built into my development. Then years later when a fake martial art/teacher wanted to impress with some fast, zero power punches, I saw it for what it was - fake. He was like, “ha, hit you.” My response was, “So? Now the fight starts!” They always wanted to stop at the first “tag, you’re it” touch. When I landed a side kick to the ribs, they just quit, like that’s an option on the streets! 🙄
this is one of the best ways to approach it that Ive ever heard. well said lucas
I found your channel so late.
I used to be very interested in Aikido back in my university years.
Finally I had a chance to join the drilling from university's Aikido club once as a visitor (with other 3-4 friends of mine).
Their movements were very graceful indeed but it's not what I expected as they told me Aikido was 'Martial Art'.
The way they communicated with the black belts and the sensei gave very much 'cult' vibe to me.
Neither me nor my friends went back again.
We were psychology graduated program students so it seemed like we all sensed something about that club 😂 .
I commend you for doing that! Takes some guts to walk the talk.
You are a very ethical person. Respect!
Thank you for sharing your story. I studied Aikido for more than 10 years, and I achieved some dan graduation. After I graduated I felt I did not believed on it anymore, even though I really like the movements and philosophy. I really can not tell why I gave up, but I understand when you speak about hypocrisy. I felt alone on the way...
This really is courageous. Most people don’t have it in them. It’s not the only way you could have done it, but you responded your way.
This is a great video. In my opinion whatever you train should keep your values in mind and be able to work the way you want it. And I have to say there's a lot variables that go into making aikido work from what it seems if it can be used in a real life application. What makes it an art is if you can adapt it to any body type or setting.
It's sad but all out respect to you bro. Now that's a real trait of a sensei. 🙏
Your auto-focus reminds me of me when I'm super tired and my eyes start to close and vision begins to blur right before you snap yourself awake again -- then repeat.
😄😄 Good one. I'll be making sure it's fixed by the next video 😉
I really want to thank you SO much for this video. I was going to start aikido for self-defense and found your opinion bases on experience. I really loved your honesto and now I Will avoid doing a martial art that's not what I was looking for
I had similar Aikido journey, in my youth Aikido was the most important thing. The older and more experienced I became the more I realized that critical thinking wasn't part of it. Finally i quit. I am still interested in martial arts and movement but it is very hard to me accept any kind of Leader cult anymore.
They way you think and talk makes you a sensei regardless of the martial art.
Gl to you in your journey.
The malfunctioning autofocus turns out to be a perfect metaphor for your talk as your mind flicks back and forth between the world you imagined and the world as it is. The cognitive dissonance is matched by the focal dissonance. God bless you, brother. Keep growing.
Hi Rokas! I have been following your interesting journey and I greatly admire your generosity, honesty and courage to expose your experiences. I am grateful to you for the reflections you share. Watching some of your videos like this one (or the one entitled "How Most of my Aikido Students Abandoned Me"), it occurred to me to recommend you to look for the theme of "theories of action" (Look for the book: "Theory in Practice: Increasing Professional Effectiveness ", by Chris Argyris and Donald Schön, as well as all the vast work of these authors), which can help to increase your critical thinking and understanding of the interrelational phenomena (especially conflicts) caused by the clash between the agents' "theories of action". One way to get an introductory view of this and other interesting related topics (such as "double-loop learning" and "organizational learning") is to take a look at this brief overview of Chris Argyris and his work at: infed.org/mobi/chris-argyris-theories-of-action-double-loop-learning-and-organizational-learning/. At first you may find that this has nothing to do with your martial arts journey. A closer look seems to me that it has everything to do with many of the experiences and reflections you report. Best regards!
Thanks for sharing your story. I was training a more unusual martial art, when a fellow student said that 'this move wouldn't work in a street fight' etc. I didn't give it up, but I stopped looking at it in awe like some of the other students and teachers. I train for fitness and flexibility!
It's always good when you're honest with yourself. Practicing any art as long as it makes you happy and never make any claims about it that is not true (which alot of people who practice Taichi Aikido..... said they can fight and get beaten up)
Rokas, I like to propose an idea on testing the aikido for your next video. Teach the aikido move you know for someone who is MUCH stronger than you (in power, speed and stamina) in your MMA gym, and ask him to just use the aikido move to spar with you. Basically, he should not use any other MA such as BJJ, Thaiboxing etc. He can ONLY use aikido moves, but you can use any MMA skill you have since he is stronger. From that test, interview him what does he have to do to make it work if he is in that situation. It's a win win, he learn something for free, you make another interesting test experiment on a controlled variable.
I took the other route.
I evolved my club from Aikido.
I already had skills in other systems, so I relabelled it as Aikijutsu and started incorporating JJJ, groundwork, striking, trapping and sparring in various forms.
Almost nobody rebelled, and they began to enjoy the more realistic training and those that wanted it got the more combative stuff.
The only issues were that grades stagnated, due to the steep learning curve, and it got a bit harder to recruit new people into the scary group of shouty punchy people than it was with the beautiful flowing Aiki.
I'm glad you found Matt Thornton. Speaking from personal experience, the best feeling in the world is finding someone who knows exactly what you're going through.
You also gave up a position of authority, expertise, and financial security maybe forever, for the sake of honesty and what works. Not a lot of people can do that - props to you for making the hard choice.
🙏
Exactly this, but for me it's really easier to live as a poor man with confidence in myself than well-off but always in doubt, don't know if that makes any sense or if I'm articulating it right.
After watching some of your videos I walked away from Aikido after 8 years and just a month before getting my yudansha. I just couldn't make it work anymore. Now I have joined a local MMA gym with my adult son, where we train together, and feel like I am in a better place. Thanks for the inspiration. I have a lot of mixed feelings about walking away from so much effort, but also feel like I am going in a direction that can be better justified.
I resonate with your story. I too did Aikido for 2+ years. My moment of realisation occured when I went for a 1-day Krav Maga seminar. We were doing some pressure drills and in my head:" Shouldn't be too hard~ I've done randori a couple of times in aikido". Boy oh boy was I so mistaken. It came as a shock but I brushed it off. 2 weeks later I injured my lowerback during training and was forced to stop. It was during the recuperation process where I started to analyse everything that I've practiced. I started having burning doubts about the art itself. After I recovered, I went on to try Filipino Kali/Eskrima/Arnis (it is run by an ex special forces soldier) under the recommendation of a friend. It was there and then I realised the vast difference between the two (e.g. the sparring, pressure testing, reality of a fight like intimidation such as someone shouting at you). It was then and there I decided that Aikido was no longer for me.
Never looked back and never regretted my decision since 😊 Moving forward, I've made it a point to constantly review what I'm learning every 3 months, and if it's not working out for me anymore, I would go and find something else 🙂
Sorry for the long comment, just that I've felt very inspired and touched by your martial arts journey 🙂
Interesting story, thanks for sharing. Aikido and similar theory based martial arts should never be 'advertised' as self-defence. I saw some of these practitioners get badly hurt in real fights.
Absolutely agree.
I studied Aikido with two instructors, three years with one then moved to a new city and started three years with a second one. Never completed the black belt but did learn right away it was not for fighting. However critical thinking and situational awareness does stem from my Aikido training. Your journey sounds a lot like what many great traditional masters have done by putting their unique system to the test battling with other experts. Keep it up.
Enjoying your videos man. One word of advice: share your stories of your instructor or whoever but say "Someone I knew...". Gets the story across but without bad mouthing your former teacher. Keep going with making these videos man.
It would have been interesting to see you change your Aikido to a different way--your own Way, if you will. I don't know what you want to do in your future, but I guess you could not effectively change anything without first having had your journey. I train a different art, so I don't know if there are sound principles, but if so, things could get interesting.
This is a great video, thank you for sharing. I started training martial arts in my teenage years. I believed everything my instructor said. I trained at a Karate school with a huge following and a hub for its Organization. Many of the students looked at our head instructor like he was a god. They helped build and open his schools. The atmosphere was so weird. If you saw another black belt outside the school you had to bow to the black belts if you saw them out in public. Even if the black belt was 10 and you were 30. I was ok with because I bought in.
I was part of this club that believed they were mystic martial arts super heroes.
It wasn’t until I joined the marines that I realized it was all bull shit. After finding myself in a hostel war torn country. This isn’t a movie, thats what I think most of the martial arts schools and federations are living in a different Reality. A Fantasy where the instructors are the hero of the story. When I came home I went back to my old school and couldn’t do it.
I respect your honesty and self reflection. I also transitioned from Aikido. I still believe in some of the teaching and concepts, but agree its practical application is lacking. I believe this is not solely because the technique is flawed, but the way we train and practice does not allow for real world resistance. I loved my aikido experience but am glad I moved to other systems with more realistic training methods. Much respect 🙌 🙏
👊🙏
I started this form of self defence when I was 54 years old. The reason was my 6 foot 3 son who had a chop on his shoulder came to my house wanting a fight. He does boxing. I'm 5 foot 6 and have osteoarthritis. No way could I have a clue at how to defend myself. I can do this sport at my own pace and it suits my medical conditions. I would endorse this form of self defence to anyone that is in the same position as me.it would seem to me that the chap on here was looking for something with more aggression. Remember your roots son.
Well, did you win the fight? If not then it's actually not effective. Keep your roots somewhere
Sounds like somebody went looking for an easy solution and got sold one by one of the far too common misleading egomaniac traditional martial arts instructors in denial of the severe limitations of his chosen style and too invested in it and unwilling to change and lacking enough integrity to stop leading unwitting students down a dead end path of misinformation, ego maintenance, financial waste, and the eventual let down and disillusionment of learning the cultish control being held over him for all this time ultimately results in some mental, physical, and spiritual benefits but no closer to the main objective of being able to defend himself than he was on day one, and the bitter disappointment and regret. Your telling this man in the video that he needs to stick to his roots, essentially keep his trust in the guy who he has concluded, after much due diligence, is not what has has claimed to be, literally had no solutions to offer for totally legit concerns about shortcomings in his style, and stomped away from the discussion like a petulant child only to then constantly harass him and drag his name thru the mud out of spite. Sounds like sticking to his roots is the last thing he should do. And you should shake your cult leader’s voice out of your head long enough to watch the video again and really think in-depth about what he’s saying then contemplate with honest self evaluation whether or not your time spent in your current style has prepared you for that fight you were concerned about. If you conclude that it has, please do yourself the favor of sparring with someone who has a traditional background but has refocused trading in more practical styles...boxing, Thai boxing, BJJ.... see how you fair. I earned black belts in TKD and Hapkido before delving into boxing, BJJ and some Krav Maga that wasn’t thru a CrossFit gym. And my traditional trading was actually a lot better and more applicable than what a lot of people get. If you live anywhere near, I’d gladly help you out.
I trained in Aikido many years ago. And although I enjoyed the training, i began to question its street viability. I left and today i train jiu-jitsu and Kali. Kali has a really nice flow to it, but is extremely effective. I only trained Aikido for a year before leaving, so i cant imagine what it must have been like for you, having devoted so much time to it. Well done for having the courage to start over and for speaking the truth.
I see so much in common between my history in Martial Arts and yours that is just crazy. Just that I was deep into Kung Fu and not Aikido.
Even though I left my school I didn’t stop training I found a new and more realistic Martial Art. I started training BJJ. I felt it was more realistic and there was less narcissism. I still talk to a lot of the people I trained with at my old school. Most of them are so blind and are still living the Fantasy. I have been running my own academy for the last 14 years. I teach Jiu Jitsu, Karate and Kickboxing. I teach with the most realistic approach. I always tell my students I’m no better then you. You hired me! I encourage as many ? as possible. I think there is a little good in all martial arts. No martial art is completely flawless. If you enjoy what your doing and it’s a good environment keep doing it but know what is practical and what is not.
That's an excellent way of putting it. You do have to be realistic about your training. A lot of people, unfortunately, do have the blinkers on. They're happy to believe in their art as being effective, even though they don't practice in a realistic way. If someone says "I practice Aikido because I like the philosophy behind it. I don't see it as a method of combat" then that's absolutely fine and they deserve the respect for dedicating themselves to that. I've made a video about Aikido on my channel. Please check it out and let me know what you think 🙏🏾
Went to aikido once. Didn't take long to realize these people know nothing about fighting lol
I also did Aikido a couple of years ago it is sad how some techniques do hurt when done, but yeah they don't seem practical for self defense unless you got your eyes open many timed on real fights
Edit: even some the vast mayority of it won't work, i had to practice once in a while with a guy that weights around 230 pounds or so and i'm just around 140 pounds, they keep telling me to keep trying to get the trick but i just couldn't most of the time. Still it is a good martial art for health meassures and stamina
"Too dangerous for the ring!!!"
At this point people who go to aikido for fighting is just ignorant since there are so many cheap alternatives like boxing wrestling
People do go there for japanese art & culture
@@To0t at least it compensates for lack of practicality/usability in a fight with that mental and cultural aspect
@C H most people pick a martial art believing they will learn actual self defense techniques, that's why bullshido is a pandemic and potentially dangerous, it gives people a fake sense of security
I only did Akido for several months. I liked the balance and body awareness aspects. But hated the 'philosophy/spiritual/ cult' vibes of it. Also the whole dojo seemed like an elaborate giant ego feedback loop for the Sensei.
I think anyone could get a big head in such a position.
Oh...also, not a genuine self defense sport imo.
Really glad to hear that you were so observant. Many people ignore/don't notice that and stay in for years.
Not opinion, but fact
What's wrong with the spiritual and philosophy of it? Why didn't you like that? I think the philosophy and spirituality fits me. Now it's not for you that's okay I understand
@@MartialArtsJourney but you can cross train Aikido, with other martial arts which almost everybody does anyway.. I like the defensive philosophy of Aikido when it comes to defending against punches and kicks. And the straight line charge attack
@@ralphmelvin1046 i didnt like it because i didnt sign up for that
I’m currently training in a self defense class that teaches traditional tang soo do, some tai-chi for balance and breathing,aikido techniques,judo,wingchun techniques,boxing, and kickboxing with jkd principles applied. I enjoy it , because we learn all the forms and then are encouraged to modify them for realistic application for whatever best works for each of us.
Rokas, i was introduced to Christopher Hein by you and i really like his approach. Could you make a video exposing your opinion about Aikido functionality after being in touch with Hein's Aikido concepts?
I recorded a really good talk with him. Just search for Rokas and Christopher Hein :)
Respect
Looking good, Rokas! ^^
Thank you 😊
I feel your pain brother
I have already passed the test for kyu 4. And boom.. I see your video :
Hello Sensei Nathaniel here a fellow practitioner,i had that awakening years ago within my very first school,I have learned that life is Fluid like the wind and water but the elements dont fight each other they co exist and still manage to be unique and serve there purpose Martial arts is just like anything in life you learn over time you learn to take from experiences what is useful and put away what isnt useful depending on the time and need,The absolute structure of most Martial arts is the problem they do not flow in the everyday form of life ,but are useful primarily in specific situations no matter how much philosophy is applied to them in there practicle theory,No one can grab the WIND and say ok move this way or that to affect this out come,but when man tries to express the understanding of the force He puts it back into a Box that makes him comfortabe and feeds his EGO,BUT the WIND always seems to Contradict his assumed understanding to be the Master of all he surveys.What i learned is things should flow learning is not about levels or belts or pride those things lock us in a box and limit our ability to freely express and share for the sake of life and experience and fluidity of understanding without being locked in a box.
sincerity with yourself is the true martial art
I also gave up aikido and went my own way.
Namaste
👊
@@MartialArtsJourney rather, aikido was another stage in my life
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thanks for sharing
Hey Rokas I'm from ireland I recently moved to Portland to train at SBG I'm a blue belt in bjj when will you take your next mma fight?
I would also like to add, that in my view Aikido is not a martial art, but an art of movement, a beautiful system, and after having practiced aikido for 18 years, I agree with you that it should not be considered as something 'martial' or a sport for self-protection. I was lucky because my teachers (including 'first-line' senseis from Japan) never told me that I can use aikido for self-defense or combat. So for me, it was pretty clear that I do not practice aikido for that purpose. That is why I still love it, try to develop more and more, but I am absolutely aware of the fact that it has nothing to do with a so-called real fight. This is not a problem for me, I do not wan to fight with anyone :)
It’s rare you see an “how I closed something” video
That's a courageous - and morally correct - thing to do, especially for a relatively young man, seems to me.
It takes a lot of courage to recognize you've been wrong and need to change when there's a whole group pressuring you to just go on pretending youre doing the right thing. Most people dont have that kind of courage. Congratulations for making the hard, but correct, calls. Here's a hint: it's a good story, it might become a good book.
I would be interested to see you get competent in mma then integrate aikido into it
He was right! Invest time wisely, I'm ADD so this is hard for me lol
Aikido is a magical art that opens the mind to a dimension greater than sport. For example, returning hostile energy to the sender, or learning to let go, or understanding that you are one with your partner or the universe, understanding that without contact there is no confrontation, etc...
Having said that, I can understand why many people are offended by the practice and effectiveness of aikido.
But at the end of the day, no martial art protects us from violence, and no martial art is truly complete. That's why fighters looking for maximum efficiency in combat sports (UFC) practice all disciplines, mixing boxing, muy thai, judo, wrestling, BJJ and so on.
There is no such thing as a good or bad martial art. For Aikido practitioners, I'll add boxing and judo.
I am learning English with you haha.
Like my old Sensei, he forsook Traditional Aikido after 10 years and started Yoshinkan Aikido, a world of difference.
the Loony bin was the Aikido Federation head quarters in Mark for Ki-Aikido, everyone there thought or thinks that they were indestructable.
I did one Aikido class. When I was a kid I just wanted to do something! Anything. Just wanted to be a martial artist. Then I found a free non profit school and joined. Went to one class and never went back lol. It's good for artistic mental aspect, but not what I was expecting.
Rokas, what do you think about Keysi?
Very moral young man I would have suggested adding daitio Ryu aikijitsu or military combative. Rather than quitting MMA is still rules oriented but I get it.
Manual focus wins. Guessing this was filmed on a canon?
Nikkon actually :/ 5300. Read online that its autofocus sucks. I'm not very good with cameras either though :D
@@MartialArtsJourney just set the focus and then leave it on manual. I am no pro either, although i do use cameras as part of my job for the last decade. Manual focus for the win.
I personally believe that, while not equipped for combat situations, Aikido serves as a very good personal meditative Martial Art, along with Tai Chi and Iaido. Your thoughts?
I took my first Aikido class today and I had to go in front of the class to express why I was there. I said ‘I want to learn self defense tactics’ and my Sensei said ‘it’s more of a self awareness ‘ practice. The entire class - the tumbling and grabbing the wrists just seemed so frustrating to me. Like I felt like I was doing a hypothetical choreography of movements with my partner ? I don’t know if I should go back
Im in 22: still study in naritine acadeny and did intership oin some marine company
All my sincere RESPECT SIR for daring to EVOLVE, I have a similar path with Kung-Fu, as for your ex teacher his ego is his poison and for himself only to taste !, let's keep evolving towards freedom and magnitude of self-expansion !
You can add some aikido move to even MMA be open for all style your skill Will be better
What I would have done is teach traditional Aikido but spar with others from different disciplines. So uphold the traditional curriculum but add into it sparring so students can pressure test it and make it work. I went through almost a similar thing in my TKD training. Some of the ways we trained wasn't realistic (doing drills punching away from a person's face with no intent). We got a new student from Israel who told me to really try to hit his face. I said what if I hit you? He said then that means I wasn't blocking correctly. We changed the dynamics of the whole school and we trained more realistically from that point on and I got into a lot of fights on the street so I knew what worked anyhow. When I ran drills, did forms, etc., it was pure Taekwon-do; when it came to sparring it was stuff from other arts and what I learned on the street.
What do you think about aikijujutsu?
I hope that every thing worked out for you in the end?
I don't know about aikido, but other martial arts has some "defence technics" against an opponent with a knife. Some of them I learned. But what you really learn is to believe that you can win a fight against someone with a knife, in most cases you can not. And it can be fatal to you.
Everyone wants to learn how to fight. I practice weaponry out on the porch for the kids to see. I also play blues harmonica.
22 is a very young age to be a aikido teacher i think, very hard!
This guy discovered his martial art was bullshido and closed shop.
That is some next level stuff.
I bet most people just find a way to lie to themselves and keep taking the money.
Once ANY system does not allow one to question, it's a cult. Religions, MA, Crossfit, etc, does not matter. Few ever question, what they are taught as you have and take that journey. I learned that young too, started to questions the "facts" I was being taught in nutrition for example, and saw the closed minded views, ignoring data, cognitive dissonance, and so forth. Good on you. On Aikdio, I took it for a time and enjoyed it, but also realized 90% of what I was learning would not work as self defense. It's a wonderful art, and compliments other MA too, but it's close to useless as a fighting art.
It takes a hell of a man to do what you did. I got duped into a fake martial art in gojuryu karate, at least the way it was being taught to me was pajama tag. it's really embarrassing when you realize you have gotten worse at fighting than you otherwise would be
Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, actually also questioned his teachers and what they taught so he wasn't very liked by the different teachers that he had so he up and went to create Judo
right or wrong, works or not, martial arts are a way of life. most people who attached themselves to one, find something in it that they like or identify with.
Rokas: *closes dojo*
his students: 🥺
You coulve turned it into an mma gym with spiritual teachings on top of that.
Or start teaching again. From your wideos you clearly are a good teacher and it would be a shame if the world looses such a driven passionate mentor
Its his personal decision but I thought well in about 8 years he'll be teaching jits.
@@jitsroller "its his personal decision"
I know that. You know. Just sharing my opinion and complimenting his personality and passion
@@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522 I wasn't in disagreement I was agreeing with you. : )
@@jitsroller well then sorry and thanks
(Not my first language)
@@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522 at least you speak two i can only speak one.