In the part of this video where I suggest channels, not only did I butcher the names of several, but also somehow forgot Chris Hein's channel. These are all properly represented in the description and accompanied by links. Happy viewing and thanks for watching!
Long time viewer here: I’ve always loved your channel because my our philosophies on martial arts are super similar, and because you cut through all the bullshit and show up authentically. Good on you for continuing that and taking the channel where you want it to go! My own Martial journey is mirroring yours closely so I’m very much looking forward to seeing your progress in 2025 ❤
Great stuff! Nailed it again! I’m especially fond of the “fucking vain” quote, the remarks on ukemi, and the overall righteous position that one should practice (or not practice, for that matter) in a spirit of joy. I remember when starting aikido, I had to hold down my impatience as I waited my turn to be nage, and now it is pretty much reversed. Nothing like experiencing a little hang time while being thrown across the mat. It’s basically kindergym for adults (“eldergym”?) and the set and setting of aikido make rolling around on a mat more than an empty physical endeavor. Yep, it gives me great joy, hopefully till I’m 100, which gets closer every day. And thanks for the extended set on the imperialist backstory of aikido in the previous videos. It’s a bit hard to take, but it makes a huge amount of sense, and is way better than the airbrushed hagiography that has for so long been the “company line.” Good luck with the new direction in 2025!
A few anecdotes that aren't really educated opinions, but I think are relevant to the video. At one point I was a bjj white belt with a lanklet physique. I got paired up with another white belt who was a gym bro that was about mid-twenties and around six inches shorter than me but weighed thirty pounds more to do to a positional rolling exercise where we tried to get the underhooks on each other. He was really explosive, and won the first two times, but after half a minute or so he gassed out and I won every time afterwards. It stuck with me that this guy probably spent years in the gym and juiced, but apparently never bothered to do any cardio. He steamed out even faster than the fat guys do. I've found that for insomnia constant body weight training throughout the day as well as daily cardio helps the best. Strength wise it doesn't beat the gym, but I think there's something to be said for being physically active throughout the entire day. Obviously, this is easier to do if you work from home. And also, I'm somewhat of an on again off again meditator, and I consider someone that doesn't meditate essentially having an unexercised brain. In my experience if you can get a good hour straight of meditation in the morning (which I currently don't but have in the past) it just becomes a different life. There are certain high stress things that I personally don't think I can even do without it.
Next video, tengu teaches chi blasts! Jokes aside, glad you're putting some serious thought into the longevity and quality of life aspects of fitness. Some of the most impressed I've been in any sport context, and especially martial arts, has been when I see folks in their 60s or 70s moving like they were 20 years younger. My first coach was still doing channel swims and triathlons well into their 60s, and there's a few folks I practice with now who are pushing 80, but still go randori. It's really cool to see
Your channel is brilliant, and i say that about very few people. Its my hope you'll expand more on how you've come to know the things you've come to know
It's gonna be fun to watch this channel grow beyond what it already is, I'm here for the journey! Thanks for the lovely shoutout as well, best of luck 🥋🔥
I just have to say that I really admire your decision to change the direction of the channel. Often, when people talk about something obsessively, it's because there's some unsatisfied need hiding in there, and you can see plenty of creators on youtube who fall into the trap of going back to the same dead horses over and over again, both for the views and to scratch that itch. The act of saying all that you wanted to say and moving on with your life is, well, just mature in a very refreshing way that you don't often see on the internet.
I appreciate it. From the “creator” angle, it can be a bit scary, but at the same time I don’t really do this for views. I’ll still talk about stuff in the same sphere as before, but I don’t think I need to keep hammering home the “Aikido could be martial” tagline. The Aikido 2034 video is up and I just recently did that historical context series. I think I’ve mostly covered my more personal views on it in stuff like the tier list… there just isn’t a whole lot more to go over there except perhaps some really minor things here and there. The channels I listed too are in a spot where they can better act on their ideas than I can at the moment. It was just time for me to move along.
I think CTE studies are going to change competition sparring a lot. Not sure what most striking arts will do in the long term, but grappling styles seem to be mostly in the clear
The issue with most grappling styles seems to be chronic issues more than anything. While comparing these to CTE isn’t really fair, I know quite a few grapplers who have just worn down their joints and live in a constant state of ache. Again, that is obviously still better than CTE, but I know of some videos out there that will declare there is absolutely zero cost to grappling in terms of injury and that’s not entirely accurate in the long term. Similarly, you can always run into some goober during an open mat who decides to be an asshat. The whole Martial Arts Journey leg injury recently is a good example of that. Although I wouldn’t suggest grapplers live out their career constantly afraid of that one dumbass who is going to do something illegal to you in a match, just that it could and does happen.
Your best yet! Thank you for contributing to, what I consider, a better world. Your eloquently presented content resonates with my experiences and a broad spectrum of other viewers judging by the varied and insightful responses you facility. I will continue to look forward to your new content and hope you can reach my age with your best self intact ; )
I agree with you for the most part, although I would like to add that for those of us that like historical aspects of martial arts, competitions make even mroe problems because if competition becomes a major part of the art, everything else slowly stops being practised. But then, if there is no competition, as a martial arts teacher, I face massive difficulties in getting students who are commited to training more than once or twice a week. Btw, what is the video you played in the background for the first five or so minutes?
That is true. The interplay between competition and what is practiced can be a huge issue; especially in arts like Judo at the moment. The video is cut from a longer Mifune Judo video--very famous online. If you just want this section, "Mifune Goshinjutsu" ought to bring it up.
@@TenguMartialArts Many thanks for the answer. Additionally, I am compelled to say that when I wrote the original comment, I wasn't fully done with watching the video, and now that I am, I can say that I never resonated more with a video than this. I have been watching your videos for a while, and sometimes I agree, sometimes not, but I appreciate it regardless. This video though, put my feelings into words much better than I could. I practise koryu Bujutsu, and while those arts being somewhat combat applicable in their own context, it is not why I do them. I do them because I enjoy them, and I feel like doing something for the sake of it, because you enjoy it is very acceptable in many activities like video games, or rather, media in general, even certain sports, but when it comes to martial arts, for some reason, a lot of people do look at it in the exact way you explained here. It is respectable only as long as it is self-defence art or a combat sport. It frustrates me to no end but I have no way to solve this issue at this point.
In some ways, what you are talking about is why I prefer, in the end, to stick to sword-based arts because it is extremely highly unlikely that I will EVER get in an actual swordfight... and I am ok with that 😝
Tengu, you sonovabitch, I'm in. ;) Even if we end up headed in different directions, it heartens me to see folk trying to try things with a critical eye and a creative spirit. Thanks for all the context; I'm looking forward to seeing what you shall do with it. (And also I will be eying your cinematography to figure out how you solve problems I will doubtless come up against.) ((Also-also, IFAK, emergency shelter and food plans/provisions, whatever you can do for hobby radio in your area, making emergency meetup plans, and making friends with your neighbors to band together should you need all this: all would be waaaay more useful than "bonk real good" skills should that fissile earthquake happen. Just fyi/psa))
Thanks! And yeah, I have this alright beginner camera that’s just been sitting on a shelf this year. I want to get out and use it, but I was initially worried because of privacy laws here in Japan. I think I’ve gotten a handle on how those work, although it doesn’t look outstanding for filming in dojos, parks are fair game. As for the earthquakes, don’t worry we have a plan haha.
At the age of 30+, I try to avoid Shiai session as much as possible, instead, I prefer randori (less likely to be injured compared to Shiai). Besides, in randori, the process of discovering new things while still remaining active makes me happy.
Exactly!!! I hate how certain people talk as if MMA fighter are the pinnacle of expressing fighting arts. As you said they are legit employees playing the status game.
I coach at a small local gym. Your comments about being asked about your fight record resonates with me. Very often these young, male, ufc fans come in and ask me if I have fought before. I develop my skills daily. I engage in pressure testing and sparring and games. I spend hours every day trying to improve my coaching skills with both kids and adults. I write lesson plans and essays about my martial arts. I don’t need to risk getting multiple lifelong injuries or TBIs for zero compensation to teach these beginners something cool.
It’s a very weird trend for sure. I think even less recognized is how few students who come asking those kinds of questions ever actually go on to compete in any real capacity. You keep doing you. The fight record thing is something professional fighters might understandably want to concern themselves with, but there is no reason a beginner should ever need to know, really. Anyone who has been in the space for any amount of time, by definition, should be able to teach new students something.
For sure. These students are typically transient. I appreciate your reply. I’ve been following your channel for a while and hope to do so going forward. I share your stuff with only the nerdiest of my nerdy philosophical martial arts friends.
17:55 ok , slightly humorous observation about aikido , do you feel like describing aikido is like when you throw a baby on the bed (ua-cam.com/video/ct_mh3NgRTs/v-deo.html) but between adults ? it seems like that is the same root of enjoyment to me at least , and idk it's funny how no matter the age getting thown is still fun XD
I'm having similar views and realizations and mullings over Filipino Martial Arts so it's nice to hear someone ruminating on this so articulately and in a balanced way, out of love for the arts and exploring them (in their martial aspects, in their cool fun aspects, in their personal development aspects) without the zero sum either/or mentality of most people in these kinds of conversations or the low effort shock jockey ZOMG BULLSHIDO stuff we see everywhere.
Martial arts can be both a cultural vessel and optimized for skill development at the same time, however, the skill you want to practice is up to you (jump kicks). But the practice of any martial art is definitely a surplus-enjoyment endeavor.
To me it seems that you're able to say the right words at the right moment in the right contest with extreme simplicity. Thank you. Please, what's the last video?
The very last video is of a taijitsu style. The name escapes me at the moment, but it can be found here: ua-cam.com/video/G-bY59tLUOc/v-deo.htmlsi=qGOS5uvSLtQPua40
❤ I enjoyed your thinking, and you articulated feelings I've been failing to lay down for my son's edification. The time spent on self-defense probably is hundreds of time more than that lost to fatal or crippling street fights in USA, much less far more civilized countries.
PS. Your point about legal issues can not be over emphasized. What's the point of saving some skin only to spend years being buggered in a penitentiary by real gangsters under the loving guidance of prison guards cum supply monopolies.
Runkle of the Bailey channel is good on Canadian self-defense law, which Americans probably need to see before coming up for a visit. Japanese law is really different too, though the odds of needing self defense is next to zero.
Agreed with all your comments here. I get it if people are doing it out of a passion, but I don’t really advocate learning for self-defense if it’s coming from a place of wanting to feel 100% permanently secure. I don’t think there really is such a thing in life. And if there is, it’s probably on the other side of a ton of financial success as opposed to being able to fight really well.
But what if you need to face down the Omi Yakuza Clan at Millennium Tower? All you need is some poor guys unsecured bicycle, moped, or oversized traffic cone. (Only the real ones will get this reference)
Used to compete when I was in my teens. I was pretty good and won a handful of gold medals in local Judo tournaments but after a while training for the purpose of entering competitions got boring. I quit Judo and tried Aikido when I was 16 (my dad had been doing it for 19 years prior so I tagged along to one of his classes) and became completely obsessed with it. The skill to be able to put someone down without directly opposing their force or using physical strength (no matter their size) was intriguing, and I enjoyed the intellectual and physical challenges of learning. After 8 years I posted videos of my Aikido training and got MMA bros in my comments being hostile and challenging me to fights. I can't comprehend why people have this attitude towards other peoples practice, seriously just leave me alone and let me pursue something I have a passion for. I don't need to justify why I train in Aikido to anyone, i just enjoy it for it's own sake lol.
It’s a bizarre situation out there for sure. I agree with your position here, though. You love it-there is no reason for anyone to attack you over your passions (especially since you’re not hurting anything). To me, that behavior is sort of like me seeing a swimmer and challenging him to a fight like… what you do is ultimately an athletic endeavor. There isn’t any reason to go beating up dancers or snow boarders just because they can’t fight as good as people in MMA. I think this all stems from Aikido’s label as a “martial art,” which I’d assert that it is, indeed, a martial art. But I also do not believe most people think through what “martial art” really means.. future video on that coming soon. Long response short, keep doing what you love. Life is too short and if your passion is real-which it seems it is-you’ll be training long after those MMA bros call it quits.
@@TenguMartialArtsWell said. No one asks hobbyists of occupations outside of the martial arts niche why they do what they do. I don't get any grief for playing the guitar or riding around on a skateboard, but my Aikido for some bizarre reason, has to meet contrived "does this work against an mma fighter" metrics to be considered worthwhile. It reminds me of the Ip Man 2 movie where an arrogant British boxer is a disrespectful jerk to Chinese martial arts practitioners. And yes he is tougher than them, but the movies message was that it doesn't matter what you do, no single person is superior to another and that we should all respect each other. By and large, martial artists ought to take note of that and stop being so dismissive of other peoples training.
It’s served a similar function for me, too. Met one of my best friends and my wife through them. I’ve never been all that functional in “normal” social lanes.
@@TenguMartialArts dude I’m excited for the new direction of the channel! I get a lot as a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner from your content. Aside from causing introspection into my own Jiu-Jitsu journey I love the history that you’ve covered. Here’s to a successful 2025.
@TenguMartialArts I share the exact same motivations for training in martial arts. If you haven't, you might want to try Vinyasa or Ashtanga yoga, and you'll find it achieves many of those goals like nothing you've done before, plus it supercharges your abilities in martial arts. Not to mention preventing injuries, aiding recovery, etc.
Aikido and Tai-Chi are pretty amazing in that there is very few physical sports most people can keep doing up until they are 90. There is very few people over 60 (or even 50) who play basketball or wrestle actively. Yoga, aikido, dancing and tai-chi you can do to very advanced age and keep reasonably fit. The are not seen as cool by fitness industry (that combat sports unfortunately have become part of) that serves for clientele of 15-30 year-old men with certain macho mentality. Thing is, bodybuilding, gymnastics, savate and probably karate and judo were meant to give quickly urbanising peoples access methods and equipment to keep themselves healthy and fit. You don’t need to be an expert on 19th C. European history to see how sickly places cities where and modernism ravages peoples health and well-being. In many ways martial arts are Zumba or whatever group HIIT is the trend at the moment, but for male clientele. That is amazing, and if you learn side control and how to block a punch is icing on the cake. The fact that people break their joints and spine for some regional competition or social media clout, not to mention steroids, is just damn shame.
Solid points. Modernism comes up in a script I’m working on as well, so trust me, it hasn’t escaped my eye despite my stuff mostly being more Japan-centered.
I think self defence also misses one of the key aspects : conflict resolution , The first objective in any situation in wich two people are angry is to calm both of them down , And if only there was a whole profession on how to de escalate situations ... Oh there is ! Mediators , diplomats ... These guys , they only use their words and manage much higher stakes situations between strangers ... I spent soo long training my body that i forgot that most of the times i am a fingers on a keyboard speaking into the void , or just a guy talking to another guy about fuck knows what really ... Learning pragmatics (the field of linguistics) , non violent communication , and mediation is imo infinitely more useful than knowing how to stuff a double leg takedown , just for regular everyday life ... And it's fun too , there are many "ah ah !" moments in wich you realize what you said wrong , or how you formulated what you wanted to say wrong , and now you know ... But yeah this is my two pennies on self defence
True. Language and how we use it is a massive deal. This is something I’ve become a lot more privy to learning other languages because stringing together sentences on them-at least early on-is such a conscious experience. I think a lot about how I’m presenting myself and that’s important in conflict resolution and de-escalation. I suspect a lot of self-defense encounters in more social places (clubs, bars, etc.) happen because of the lack of language/presentation skill.
How old is Tengu? I'm only asking because I'm 40 but I'm in denial at the moment. I'm able to compete against 20 yo's but I'm terrified of getting slower and weaker with age. How old is too old to stay competitive?
I’m 29 at the moment, 30 in a few months. To answer your question I think it depends on prior experience in a given sport and the sport itself. You can probably continue to compete in, say, BJJ against younger people longer than in boxing. Similarly, if you’ve been doing a sport for 20+ years, you’ll likely have built up a lot of unconscious efficiency that can keep you in the game longer. Anecdotally, I’d say most of my teachers (who have been training since they were kids) peaked in their mid-30’s. It was just the perfect mix of athleticism and experience. Having said all that, if you really love competing, most sports have a Master’s Division and don’t let people tell you that’s somehow “lesser.” It isn’t. Also remember that as a 40 year old person, you have a lot more going on than these 20 year old kids on the mat-age isn’t necessarily “degradation” it’s just a shifting of where your strengths are.
What is pure sport? Competitors already have to compete in minmaxing diet, work hours, sleep schedule, instruction quality. I also disagree with PED use but I don't think pure sport is a good position to argue from.
Silverdale Aikido is just up the coast on the way to Orewa Beach from Auckland. Yes I’ve watched a few of the videos but haven’t attended any sessions as I’m on the opposite West Coast surf beach side. Another great video Tengu, Kia ora from Baguazhang NZ.
I train in a koryu (a legit one) with all sort of interesting historical stuff, the kata have an amazing depth and whatever, but honestly, I train because I like the people I train with. If that were not the case I'd stop at some point.
I don’t think that’s uncommon. I’m sort of in the same camp. At the moment I just haven’t found a group I click with all that well in terms of training style and values.
![Aikido in Context [SUPERCUT]](/img/n.gif)
In the part of this video where I suggest channels, not only did I butcher the names of several, but also somehow forgot Chris Hein's channel. These are all properly represented in the description and accompanied by links.
Happy viewing and thanks for watching!
Long time viewer here: I’ve always loved your channel because my our philosophies on martial arts are super similar, and because you cut through all the bullshit and show up authentically. Good on you for continuing that and taking the channel where you want it to go! My own Martial journey is mirroring yours closely so I’m very much looking forward to seeing your progress in 2025 ❤
Glad to have you here!
Great stuff! Nailed it again! I’m especially fond of the “fucking vain” quote, the remarks on ukemi, and the overall righteous position that one should practice (or not practice, for that matter) in a spirit of joy. I remember when starting aikido, I had to hold down my impatience as I waited my turn to be nage, and now it is pretty much reversed. Nothing like experiencing a little hang time while being thrown across the mat. It’s basically kindergym for adults (“eldergym”?) and the set and setting of aikido make rolling around on a mat more than an empty physical endeavor. Yep, it gives me great joy, hopefully till I’m 100, which gets closer every day. And thanks for the extended set on the imperialist backstory of aikido in the previous videos. It’s a bit hard to take, but it makes a huge amount of sense, and is way better than the airbrushed hagiography that has for so long been the “company line.”
Good luck with the new direction in 2025!
A few anecdotes that aren't really educated opinions, but I think are relevant to the video.
At one point I was a bjj white belt with a lanklet physique. I got paired up with another white belt who was a gym bro that was about mid-twenties and around six inches shorter than me but weighed thirty pounds more to do to a positional rolling exercise where we tried to get the underhooks on each other. He was really explosive, and won the first two times, but after half a minute or so he gassed out and I won every time afterwards. It stuck with me that this guy probably spent years in the gym and juiced, but apparently never bothered to do any cardio. He steamed out even faster than the fat guys do.
I've found that for insomnia constant body weight training throughout the day as well as daily cardio helps the best. Strength wise it doesn't beat the gym, but I think there's something to be said for being physically active throughout the entire day. Obviously, this is easier to do if you work from home.
And also, I'm somewhat of an on again off again meditator, and I consider someone that doesn't meditate essentially having an unexercised brain. In my experience if you can get a good hour straight of meditation in the morning (which I currently don't but have in the past) it just becomes a different life. There are certain high stress things that I personally don't think I can even do without it.
Next video, tengu teaches chi blasts!
Jokes aside, glad you're putting some serious thought into the longevity and quality of life aspects of fitness. Some of the most impressed I've been in any sport context, and especially martial arts, has been when I see folks in their 60s or 70s moving like they were 20 years younger. My first coach was still doing channel swims and triathlons well into their 60s, and there's a few folks I practice with now who are pushing 80, but still go randori. It's really cool to see
Your channel is brilliant, and i say that about very few people. Its my hope you'll expand more on how you've come to know the things you've come to know
Sure! If you have any specific suggestions on what to elaborate on I’m all ears as well. And thank you for the compliment. :)
It's gonna be fun to watch this channel grow beyond what it already is, I'm here for the journey! Thanks for the lovely shoutout as well, best of luck 🥋🔥
Appreciate it, bud. I’m still very much down to do a stream with ya, though, just toss my a line over on Instagram. Or I will!
I just have to say that I really admire your decision to change the direction of the channel. Often, when people talk about something obsessively, it's because there's some unsatisfied need hiding in there, and you can see plenty of creators on youtube who fall into the trap of going back to the same dead horses over and over again, both for the views and to scratch that itch. The act of saying all that you wanted to say and moving on with your life is, well, just mature in a very refreshing way that you don't often see on the internet.
I appreciate it. From the “creator” angle, it can be a bit scary, but at the same time I don’t really do this for views. I’ll still talk about stuff in the same sphere as before, but I don’t think I need to keep hammering home the “Aikido could be martial” tagline. The Aikido 2034 video is up and I just recently did that historical context series. I think I’ve mostly covered my more personal views on it in stuff like the tier list… there just isn’t a whole lot more to go over there except perhaps some really minor things here and there.
The channels I listed too are in a spot where they can better act on their ideas than I can at the moment. It was just time for me to move along.
I think CTE studies are going to change competition sparring a lot. Not sure what most striking arts will do in the long term, but grappling styles seem to be mostly in the clear
The issue with most grappling styles seems to be chronic issues more than anything. While comparing these to CTE isn’t really fair, I know quite a few grapplers who have just worn down their joints and live in a constant state of ache. Again, that is obviously still better than CTE, but I know of some videos out there that will declare there is absolutely zero cost to grappling in terms of injury and that’s not entirely accurate in the long term.
Similarly, you can always run into some goober during an open mat who decides to be an asshat. The whole Martial Arts Journey leg injury recently is a good example of that. Although I wouldn’t suggest grapplers live out their career constantly afraid of that one dumbass who is going to do something illegal to you in a match, just that it could and does happen.
I love your content, and it’s probably because I have the same motivations as you to practice martial arts (specifically, Aikido for 20 years.)
Your best yet! Thank you for contributing to, what I consider, a better world. Your eloquently presented content resonates with my experiences and a broad spectrum of other viewers judging by the varied and insightful responses you facility. I will continue to look forward to your new content and hope you can reach my age with your best self intact ; )
I'm now even more interested in the channel.
I agree with you for the most part, although I would like to add that for those of us that like historical aspects of martial arts, competitions make even mroe problems because if competition becomes a major part of the art, everything else slowly stops being practised. But then, if there is no competition, as a martial arts teacher, I face massive difficulties in getting students who are commited to training more than once or twice a week. Btw, what is the video you played in the background for the first five or so minutes?
That is true. The interplay between competition and what is practiced can be a huge issue; especially in arts like Judo at the moment.
The video is cut from a longer Mifune Judo video--very famous online. If you just want this section, "Mifune Goshinjutsu" ought to bring it up.
@@TenguMartialArts Many thanks for the answer. Additionally, I am compelled to say that when I wrote the original comment, I wasn't fully done with watching the video, and now that I am, I can say that I never resonated more with a video than this. I have been watching your videos for a while, and sometimes I agree, sometimes not, but I appreciate it regardless. This video though, put my feelings into words much better than I could. I practise koryu Bujutsu, and while those arts being somewhat combat applicable in their own context, it is not why I do them. I do them because I enjoy them, and I feel like doing something for the sake of it, because you enjoy it is very acceptable in many activities like video games, or rather, media in general, even certain sports, but when it comes to martial arts, for some reason, a lot of people do look at it in the exact way you explained here. It is respectable only as long as it is self-defence art or a combat sport. It frustrates me to no end but I have no way to solve this issue at this point.
I have another video in the works you might like then, it kind of elaborates on this idea a lot more :)
@@TenguMartialArts Looking forward to it!
Wisdom!
Cool, looking forward to it.
In some ways, what you are talking about is why I prefer, in the end, to stick to sword-based arts because it is extremely highly unlikely that I will EVER get in an actual swordfight... and I am ok with that 😝
Tengu, you sonovabitch, I'm in. ;)
Even if we end up headed in different directions, it heartens me to see folk trying to try things with a critical eye and a creative spirit.
Thanks for all the context; I'm looking forward to seeing what you shall do with it.
(And also I will be eying your cinematography to figure out how you solve problems I will doubtless come up against.)
((Also-also, IFAK, emergency shelter and food plans/provisions, whatever you can do for hobby radio in your area, making emergency meetup plans, and making friends with your neighbors to band together should you need all this: all would be waaaay more useful than "bonk real good" skills should that fissile earthquake happen. Just fyi/psa))
Thanks! And yeah, I have this alright beginner camera that’s just been sitting on a shelf this year. I want to get out and use it, but I was initially worried because of privacy laws here in Japan. I think I’ve gotten a handle on how those work, although it doesn’t look outstanding for filming in dojos, parks are fair game.
As for the earthquakes, don’t worry we have a plan haha.
At the age of 30+, I try to avoid Shiai session as much as possible, instead, I prefer randori (less likely to be injured compared to Shiai). Besides, in randori, the process of discovering new things while still remaining active makes me happy.
Exactly!!! I hate how certain people talk as if MMA fighter are the pinnacle of expressing fighting arts. As you said they are legit employees playing the status game.
I coach at a small local gym. Your comments about being asked about your fight record resonates with me. Very often these young, male, ufc fans come in and ask me if I have fought before.
I develop my skills daily. I engage in pressure testing and sparring and games. I spend hours every day trying to improve my coaching skills with both kids and adults. I write lesson plans and essays about my martial arts. I don’t need to risk getting multiple lifelong injuries or TBIs for zero compensation to teach these beginners something cool.
It’s a very weird trend for sure. I think even less recognized is how few students who come asking those kinds of questions ever actually go on to compete in any real capacity.
You keep doing you. The fight record thing is something professional fighters might understandably want to concern themselves with, but there is no reason a beginner should ever need to know, really. Anyone who has been in the space for any amount of time, by definition, should be able to teach new students something.
For sure. These students are typically transient.
I appreciate your reply. I’ve been following your channel for a while and hope to do so going forward. I share your stuff with only the nerdiest of my nerdy philosophical martial arts friends.
17:55 ok , slightly humorous observation about aikido ,
do you feel like describing aikido is like when you throw a baby on the bed (ua-cam.com/video/ct_mh3NgRTs/v-deo.html) but between adults ?
it seems like that is the same root of enjoyment to me at least , and idk it's funny how no matter the age getting thown is still fun XD
I'm having similar views and realizations and mullings over Filipino Martial Arts so it's nice to hear someone ruminating on this so articulately and in a balanced way, out of love for the arts and exploring them (in their martial aspects, in their cool fun aspects, in their personal development aspects) without the zero sum either/or mentality of most people in these kinds of conversations or the low effort shock jockey ZOMG BULLSHIDO stuff we see everywhere.
Martial arts can be both a cultural vessel and optimized for skill development at the same time, however, the skill you want to practice is up to you (jump kicks). But the practice of any martial art is definitely a surplus-enjoyment endeavor.
To me it seems that you're able to say the right words at the right moment in the right contest with extreme simplicity. Thank you.
Please, what's the last video?
The very last video is of a taijitsu style. The name escapes me at the moment, but it can be found here:
ua-cam.com/video/G-bY59tLUOc/v-deo.htmlsi=qGOS5uvSLtQPua40
❤ I enjoyed your thinking, and you articulated feelings I've been failing to lay down for my son's edification.
The time spent on self-defense probably is hundreds of time more than that lost to fatal or crippling street fights in USA, much less far more civilized countries.
PS. Your point about legal issues can not be over emphasized. What's the point of saving some skin only to spend years being buggered in a penitentiary by real gangsters under the loving guidance of prison guards cum supply monopolies.
Runkle of the Bailey channel is good on Canadian self-defense law, which Americans probably need to see before coming up for a visit. Japanese law is really different too, though the odds of needing self defense is next to zero.
Agreed with all your comments here. I get it if people are doing it out of a passion, but I don’t really advocate learning for self-defense if it’s coming from a place of wanting to feel 100% permanently secure. I don’t think there really is such a thing in life. And if there is, it’s probably on the other side of a ton of financial success as opposed to being able to fight really well.
But what if you need to face down the Omi Yakuza Clan at Millennium Tower? All you need is some poor guys unsecured bicycle, moped, or oversized traffic cone.
(Only the real ones will get this reference)
😂
Used to compete when I was in my teens. I was pretty good and won a handful of gold medals in local Judo tournaments but after a while training for the purpose of entering competitions got boring. I quit Judo and tried Aikido when I was 16 (my dad had been doing it for 19 years prior so I tagged along to one of his classes) and became completely obsessed with it. The skill to be able to put someone down without directly opposing their force or using physical strength (no matter their size) was intriguing, and I enjoyed the intellectual and physical challenges of learning. After 8 years I posted videos of my Aikido training and got MMA bros in my comments being hostile and challenging me to fights. I can't comprehend why people have this attitude towards other peoples practice, seriously just leave me alone and let me pursue something I have a passion for. I don't need to justify why I train in Aikido to anyone, i just enjoy it for it's own sake lol.
It’s a bizarre situation out there for sure. I agree with your position here, though. You love it-there is no reason for anyone to attack you over your passions (especially since you’re not hurting anything).
To me, that behavior is sort of like me seeing a swimmer and challenging him to a fight like… what you do is ultimately an athletic endeavor. There isn’t any reason to go beating up dancers or snow boarders just because they can’t fight as good as people in MMA.
I think this all stems from Aikido’s label as a “martial art,” which I’d assert that it is, indeed, a martial art. But I also do not believe most people think through what “martial art” really means.. future video on that coming soon.
Long response short, keep doing what you love. Life is too short and if your passion is real-which it seems it is-you’ll be training long after those MMA bros call it quits.
@@TenguMartialArtsWell said.
No one asks hobbyists of occupations outside of the martial arts niche why they do what they do.
I don't get any grief for playing the guitar or riding around on a skateboard, but my Aikido for some bizarre reason, has to meet contrived "does this work against an mma fighter" metrics to be considered worthwhile.
It reminds me of the Ip Man 2 movie where an arrogant British boxer is a disrespectful jerk to Chinese martial arts practitioners. And yes he is tougher than them, but the movies message was that it doesn't matter what you do, no single person is superior to another and that we should all respect each other.
By and large, martial artists ought to take note of that and stop being so dismissive of other peoples training.
Martial arts is the only other way outside of the military for me to make friends.
It’s served a similar function for me, too. Met one of my best friends and my wife through them. I’ve never been all that functional in “normal” social lanes.
@@TenguMartialArts dude I’m excited for the new direction of the channel! I get a lot as a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner from your content. Aside from causing introspection into my own Jiu-Jitsu journey I love the history that you’ve covered. Here’s to a successful 2025.
@TenguMartialArts I share the exact same motivations for training in martial arts. If you haven't, you might want to try Vinyasa or Ashtanga yoga, and you'll find it achieves many of those goals like nothing you've done before, plus it supercharges your abilities in martial arts. Not to mention preventing injuries, aiding recovery, etc.
Aikido and Tai-Chi are pretty amazing in that there is very few physical sports most people can keep doing up until they are 90. There is very few people over 60 (or even 50) who play basketball or wrestle actively. Yoga, aikido, dancing and tai-chi you can do to very advanced age and keep reasonably fit. The are not seen as cool by fitness industry (that combat sports unfortunately have become part of) that serves for clientele of 15-30 year-old men with certain macho mentality.
Thing is, bodybuilding, gymnastics, savate and probably karate and judo were meant to give quickly urbanising peoples access methods and equipment to keep themselves healthy and fit. You don’t need to be an expert on 19th C. European history to see how sickly places cities where and modernism ravages peoples health and well-being. In many ways martial arts are Zumba or whatever group HIIT is the trend at the moment, but for male clientele. That is amazing, and if you learn side control and how to block a punch is icing on the cake.
The fact that people break their joints and spine for some regional competition or social media clout, not to mention steroids, is just damn shame.
Solid points. Modernism comes up in a script I’m working on as well, so trust me, it hasn’t escaped my eye despite my stuff mostly being more Japan-centered.
I think self defence also misses one of the key aspects : conflict resolution ,
The first objective in any situation in wich two people are angry is to calm both of them down ,
And if only there was a whole profession on how to de escalate situations ...
Oh there is ! Mediators , diplomats ...
These guys , they only use their words and manage much higher stakes situations between strangers ...
I spent soo long training my body that i forgot that most of the times i am a fingers on a keyboard speaking into the void , or just a guy talking to another guy about fuck knows what really ...
Learning pragmatics (the field of linguistics) , non violent communication , and mediation is imo infinitely more useful than knowing how to stuff a double leg takedown , just for regular everyday life ...
And it's fun too , there are many "ah ah !" moments in wich you realize what you said wrong , or how you formulated what you wanted to say wrong , and now you know ...
But yeah this is my two pennies on self defence
True. Language and how we use it is a massive deal. This is something I’ve become a lot more privy to learning other languages because stringing together sentences on them-at least early on-is such a conscious experience.
I think a lot about how I’m presenting myself and that’s important in conflict resolution and de-escalation. I suspect a lot of self-defense encounters in more social places (clubs, bars, etc.) happen because of the lack of language/presentation skill.
How old is Tengu? I'm only asking because I'm 40 but I'm in denial at the moment. I'm able to compete against 20 yo's but I'm terrified of getting slower and weaker with age. How old is too old to stay competitive?
Most fall off 40-55. Very good timing and a healthy body could spar into early 60s. Any consistent head contact is really bad
I’m 29 at the moment, 30 in a few months. To answer your question I think it depends on prior experience in a given sport and the sport itself. You can probably continue to compete in, say, BJJ against younger people longer than in boxing. Similarly, if you’ve been doing a sport for 20+ years, you’ll likely have built up a lot of unconscious efficiency that can keep you in the game longer.
Anecdotally, I’d say most of my teachers (who have been training since they were kids) peaked in their mid-30’s. It was just the perfect mix of athleticism and experience.
Having said all that, if you really love competing, most sports have a Master’s Division and don’t let people tell you that’s somehow “lesser.” It isn’t. Also remember that as a 40 year old person, you have a lot more going on than these 20 year old kids on the mat-age isn’t necessarily “degradation” it’s just a shifting of where your strengths are.
you’re the anti-rokas
😂
What is pure sport? Competitors already have to compete in minmaxing diet, work hours, sleep schedule, instruction quality. I also disagree with PED use but I don't think pure sport is a good position to argue from.
Silverdale Aikido is just up the coast on the way to Orewa Beach from Auckland. Yes I’ve watched a few of the videos but haven’t attended any sessions as I’m on the opposite West Coast surf beach side. Another great video Tengu, Kia ora from Baguazhang NZ.
I train in a koryu (a legit one) with all sort of interesting historical stuff, the kata have an amazing depth and whatever, but honestly, I train because I like the people I train with. If that were not the case I'd stop at some point.
I don’t think that’s uncommon. I’m sort of in the same camp. At the moment I just haven’t found a group I click with all that well in terms of training style and values.