In Pursuit of an Aikido Fitness
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
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Martial arts helps me stay fit because it helps me bully myself into keeping fit outside of class so I can do technique correctly and not get winded. It gives me context for why being fit is important for me.
I stopped aikido in high-school after I started weight-training. After maybe six months of a 16-year-old dicking arpund in the gym without any program any idea what he was doing, I had unlocked a secret internal power source that made me outwrestle pretty much everybody at my dojo (apart from the one guy who crosstrained judo). Sinne I truly understood the true essence of ki, I decoded to devote myself to it and stop wasting time with trying to make Nikyo work.
Soon after that I found beer and decided to devote myself to more spiritual side of things, but that is a whole another story.
My tomiki teacher always emphasized that I should focus more on technique instead of power. I noticed that this helped me when I'm doing randori with other people and competing.
Edit: My opponent at a tournament asked me if I even got tired. So I'm not saying I neglect the physical aspect.
Man i 100% agree.
3 things that aikido needs to change is that they need full contact sparring/competitions like in tomiki aikido, they need strength and conditioning and they need to change the way they approach some of the techniques or atleast train them with full resistance.
Yoooo, NGL, I saw a few videos of yours like a year ago and viewed it as a non-Aikidoka outsider looking in trying to understand it. My interpretation was you were at the base a Karateka who was dabbling in other arts. But I might have been totally wrong looking at your recent videos. I'm really liking your content, so much that I decided to subscribe! You are posting on a lot of topics and ideas in Aikido that many of my colleagues and I talk about. And they're not that dissimilar. But if anything sparks my desire to discuss and contribute, it's Aikido. So much to unpack and say, good and bad, after practicing it for 28 years. So be prepared for more engagement on my part, and thank you for adding to content on Aikido on YT! It seems to be diminishing by the day. Even on my part.
Having said all that, starting with fitness in Aikido. It's such a strange and obvious factor in training, there is obvious strength, speed, and stamina needed...so I would say at the most basic level, doing something *anything* outside of mat time would be to your advantage as an Aikidoka. And this isn't too far off from reality, many of my colleagues and friends in Aikido do a fitness activity outside of training to help their Aikido. Examples off the top of my head IRL: swimming, yoga, weight training, cycling, boxing, kickboxing. Just to name a few that I know IRL of dan level practitioners who do more than just train in Aikido on the fitness level. Cross training in other martial arts is also a frequent one I see as well, but that is not the topic on this video. I would also say that upper body strength is also an obvious need in most martial arts including Aikido, not just the legs. I think there's a reason for the legends/stories of Aikidoka having famous strength/upper bodies, ones that come to mind: Osensei's lifting ability, and Tohei's giant forearms.
I think there might have been some strength training to augment these features but maybe not told, and definitely done in a japanese manner instead of straight weight lifting. But my personal opinion on fitness for martial arts is start with general fitness in strength, speed, mobility, and flexibility....then later, lean into your specific strengths and use them in Aikido. Naturally, those with lean bodies will have an advantage with speed and flexibility, however those with shorter stockier bodies will do better with strength and power. This is a real generalization, but I find this difference in myself and the students I teach. Their physiology will change their techniques from mine, and that needs to be accepted. That they won't look like me at the end. Anyways, I'm sure there's more to go off on but hopefully this is distilled as easy I can offer on this topic. Thank you!
On the subject of physical fitness for Aikido and general health... Minimalist programs can be great. But do not confuse minimalist with easy.
1) walking is overlooked. 1-2hrs per day. Rowing would be another extremely useful alternative IF you have access to one.
2) Kettlebells: the best minimalist programs I've found to date are a) Simple and Sinister by Pavel Tsatsouline, eventually replace the swings with snatches b) Iron Cardio by Brett Jones.
3) Simple Mobility Method by Tom Morrison and some of his add on stuff does wonders for basic mobility and health.
4) Pure strength at home using calisthenics? Naked Warrior by Pavel Tsatsouline. Just add Pullups and Hanging Leg Raises and you have everything you need
A note about macebells... I would suggest heavy clubbell (indian clubs) over a macebell if the intent is sword work.
Systems I am doing or have done: Nintai Ryu Aikijujitsu, Judo, Karate, Combatives/RBSD, Kajukenbo... And lots of cross training with friends in parcs over the years
Thanks for the vid ! I practice Kung Fu, and sometimes I wonder why almost half of our training is body conditioning. Well, the reason is clear, but your video made it clearer even. Your insights are great !
The Steven Segal avengers theme thing made my day.
I started putting an Apple Watch on my upper arm during practice some years ago. As I've learned to relax muscles and practice more efficiently, the number of calories I've burned in class has gone down by about 25% from an already pretty low number. The people I train with who want more fitness ride their bikes to the dojo, and/or do intensive free practice after training so they can get up their heart rate for at least a few minutes. I don't think anywhere where I train believes that Aikido practice is good for exercise as it's practiced, but mainly for flexibility, coordination and health.
OMG greatest musical introduction of a character ever
if you want to get strong for martial arts, the cheapest way in japan would be to make yourself some ishi sashi, get some heavy weight resistance bands. and to buy some duffle bags and fill them with sand from a hardware store to lift.
Check out The Stone Circle for great info on sandbag, calisthenics, kettlebell and Resistance band training.
Check out the flowing dutchman for mace/heavy club/ishi sashi workouts and inspiration. Also mark wildman.
Renaissance Periodization is mostly muscle building focused but he has on great guests for strength training, and he has the best all around, realistic, efficiency based advice of anyone else in the youtube fitness community. very evidence based, very realistic, very honest. be warned, he's a bit of a weird guy.
I remember Ilan from Inside Fighting implied he ran into a Systema teacher than had some kind of actual internal strength. It was what you described with relaxing the muscles.
I also remember Joe Rogan suggesting that you should be doing conditioning before even considering jiu-jitsu.
But yeah, for me, conditioning is first priority, ukemi is second priority. and fighting is a really distant third.
Your list of priorities is basically where I’m at, as well. Although it took years of fumbling around to flesh out the list.
Some wrestler (who's name I forget at the moment) once said "Conditioning is your best hold."
Karl Gotch!
@stefangurguriev1047 Thank you!
I'm not an Aikido guy, but I dabbled in it in College and have practiced a lot of other Asian martial arts for a long time, and what you are citing is true. You need to develop a specific body foundation in the art, you will see this in Karate with all of their basic exercises or Yong Chun white crane or Mantis. However, developing the musculature is not everything as muscles atrophy and shrink over time. The point is to have skill even at an advanced age and extreme levels of efficiency at that age.
For instance, grips, very important for various grappling sparring styles, help set up very complex throws, but once you grab someone you can't use the hand for anything else. In a self-defense situation, I want to be able to immobilize someone and then have the ability to hit them as well. If you are allowed to do that at any rate, can't hit someone if you are working security in a club as an example. However, the point is that you instead want to use natural hooks in the hand to catch someone, those are very non-committal and you can immediately switch to something else if you need to.
An issue that you run into is that as you have the student develop their body, they develop a tendency to meet force on force. If you are older or a smaller person, you don't want to do that, instead, you want to be either outside or inside that angle of power. I know that the dude's weird and probably a douchebag, but Seagal's very good at this principle. He never meets force on force, he's always outside and he always goes for the vitals with hands that he's conditioned with makiwara training which goes back to your thesis.
The core of say Goju-Ryu or Uechi-Ryu is Sanchin, and sanchin is the key tool in the development of the body and development of internal power at least as as far as I understand it at the beginner level that I am right now.Say you take the technique where you clothesline someone an sweep the leg. Instead of just hitting the person with your arm, you do a vertical roll with the back, arc up with the arm, then down, while sinking with the body, pulling the tailbone in, and throwing the opposite arm in the opposite direction at the same time.
And you do all of that in real-time and you make it so small that no one can see it, that's internal power.
I have to admit that when I joined Aikido, I saw it as my fitness substitution for the gym which I found out the bad way that I was wrong. Then I did jogging on the side, and improved my cardiovascular resistance. Don't get me wrong, Ukemi as you mentioned in previous videos is a good cardio, but maybe not enough. I am looking forward to your side workout plan for people who want to do Aikido martially. I also wished that Aikido training also included stuff in order to condition yourself better on reaction time and getting into a position to perform your techniques, instead of techniques in isolation.
Core strengthening, body weight training, cardio training, heavy bokken training. I originally went from bodybuilding that caused me to become slow, rigid and lost range of movement. To becoming lighter and more agile. It made a hell of a difference. Ukemi is so much better.Survivability from injuries has improved. You get so much out of it being fit.
I also found doing shadow techniques with 4kg kettle bells in my hands, then slow down the movement processes so good!
Agree, mostly. Aside, I think fascia shapes your muscles to optimize for your activities.
Personal fitness, at 56, advice. Remember how much time you spent when you were fit(er). I suggest 1 1/2 hours every day as a base level and at least 3 every second day. Core, cardio, flexibility and change it up around the basics without loosing intensity. Don't stay off the matts too long, it is more difficult to go back than you would expect. Try to have fun!
Ahy, Armwrestling comes up again. An armwrestler training seems like would fit Aikido. Very forearm and wrist stability based, pronation and supination, brachioradialis and shoulder stability. Both explosive and endurance.
Taking mind of different pressures at the same time .
A "pulling" and "twisting" physique. Even though i believe the footwork is very important. To me gripping with the feet is a is important to train.
Of course,grip strenght is worth its weight in gold.
A more limb dominant,rather than core dominant like standard wrestlers. This is on top of Calisthenics type exercise of course.
If Aikido is really close to fencing,Tennis may not be an enemy,but an ally.
It teaches grip,relaxed arm, good footwork, kinda like Kendo. It is a sport that seems to have leeway into Boxing and Fencing.
From a profane POV, i believe voice and throat training are fundamental to an Aiki body, to project voice is backside of good breathing ,and voice becomes another hand to grip. Curiously, Ueshiba was connected to Omoto Kyo, very invested in ancient Japan cukture,whose people spoke in Kotodama, supposedly.
To me,Aikido is a teal/azure feeling art.
About leg training, pelvic floor exercises could help. Core strenght is another hand,and pelvic floor is its fingers.
Aikido doesn't require a grip at all though. Judo and Jiu Jitsu does.
@@Liminal.Sanctuary Unless you are doing the internal stuff yeah it does.
@@maxpower8439 Is it really Aikido if you are not using "internal" principles?
If you are moving from your core and perform the techniques correctly, you shouldn't be "grabbing" at all. At least not in the way I have learned.
I also practice Muay Thai and Praying Mantis Kung Fu, which does use a lot grabbing and controlling. Many exercises for improving the grip. I'm familiar with this.
But when I began Aikido, the teacher had to correct me a lot because of my habit of using mantis style grabbing and pulling.
Maybe it is taught differently elsewhere. 🙏
@@Liminal.Sanctuary Yes it's still Aikido. Ueshiba in his old pictures still does grabbing.
My Praying Mantis teacher (this was back in the early 80s), who immigrated from China, would divide muscle into red (large muscle) and white muscle (tendons and ligaments). He emphasized that it was less important to focus on building said red muscle and work on the white muscle, that strength and longevity came from building and strengthening tendons and ligaments, as red muscle necessarily would catch up as needed. This takes much longer, obviously, which may account for stories "it can take 3 or more years to develop". Repetition, body weight calisthenics, flexibility, mechanics and dynamic motion (staying relaxed and loose as possible) were his go-to work. It's really boring stuff and doesn't produce visibly obvious increases (like gaining size) which might be why we don't see it very much. So many of my students are too lazy and/or busy to do the work. But, I really liked his approach and yeah, it's more complicated than that, but for me, it was a good starting point to explain what exercises I did and to realistically set long term goals. I'm 64 and still moving well, ymmv. 34:28
I'm of a similar mindset, I think, although perhaps a little bit less lucid with it at this point. I definitely think the "key" to some of the strength you see in a lot of these martial arts is something that either equates to or runs parallel to what is often called "farmer's strength." I can't speak to how other people interpret it, but I've grown to view it essentially as you describe here: tendon and ligament strength primarily with more 'traditional' muslce groups supporting. But, yes, this indeed takes much longer and, as far as I can tell, doesn't really come with the aesthetic changes either--at least not with the same definition as someone training to look a certain way. My suspicion is that the combination of it being "boring," pretty long term, and low in terms of visible positive feedback is likely what keeps this kind of training in the background.
@TenguMartialArts another often used term is "old man strength". Lol
This will be a good watch
16:30 many Chinese systems and karate schools advocate that internal power goes together with muscular strength. Northern Shaolin, Hung Gar, etc practice their internal training and breathing exercises with intense isometric contractions.
I know you are not into weapons training, however that is where the many benefits such as grip strength comes from. Also styles such as Iwama Ryu have more resistance than others which develops isometric strength.
Yea I will say I practice aikido and I think most of my grip strength comes from regular weekly bokken training for the past 10 years. I started cross training BJJ and judo recently and have not had issues with grip strength, I believe it's because of bokken.
@saki1001 Totally agree with you. Makes a massive difference.
Internal strength is very much connecting your movement to your waist through relaxation. So you move from your center of mass. It requires a strong core and strong legs to stabilize the "eye of the storm" as it should not be moving. At least that's my understanding so far.
Yeah there are some good videos describing Fa Jin now too!
If you want to use free weights, you can buy a small bench and dumbbells for about $100. Takes up about three feet of space.
You don’t even need a bench . Adjustable dumbbells are the way to go
I prefer a more classic (push up, Monster walk and water carry run)
Have you looked into Walther von Krenner’s books on aikido? He goes into conditioning, tactics, and other elements of first-generation aikido that have been neglected since then, and also has a focus on a practical approach.
Kettlebells - you don't have to leave the house, swings and Turkish get ups all you really need but there are a host of other exercises to keep the interest up. Goblet squats, snatches etc
This is what I was actually doing back home in the States. The issue these days is just space and eventually needing to transport them when we inevitably move.
I almost went back to them, but figured this a good chance to experiment.
@@TenguMartialArts resistance bands can substitute for weights if used creatively, and are much more transportable.
Don’t know about their quality but I do know that on the surface at least the Aunkai Bujutsu guys also emphasizes developing specific fitness and proprioception as part of the training they do. They are also Aikido adjacent from what I can tell so it may be worth taking a look at.
Awesome to see work of Tim Cartmell mentioned, amazing guy that’s worth anyone checking out that is interested in the balance of traditional and practical.
What’s the first video playing in the background of the doing hand / footwork drills?
Yup!
Type in Wang Shujin Bagua and it should pop up
Also I remember what you said on the Aikidoist podcast about how Judo is being done in the sense and quote you „first get jacked and then do the Judo. Maybe that seems to be the approach that Aikidokas would have to take to make it more effectively when it comes to martial self-defence then according to your video. At least to focus to develop specific muscles which I would assume legs, abdomen, and arms.
Calisthenics is completely fine for SC. Aikido specific training hardly would be any different from say wrestling or boxing. So push-ups (with a strict form), wall-sits, ab-wheel, pull-ups, lunges and pistol squats. High volume is required, like 5 sets of 20 with progressive overload, except for pistols and PU. Legs are the most difficult, you need insane amounts of volume to progress, like hundreds of squats. It gets insanely boring after awhile, but I got a pretty decent physique during Covid just with these.
But it is much more efficient just to pop into the gym, throw plates on the barbell and do 3-6 sets of squats. Except in Tokyo I bet. Yeah you might just start carrying the passes out salarymen to home, get an easier workout that way. Check out stone circle on UA-cam, weighted carries might be your cup of tea (with rocks or sandbags, if no salarymen at hand).
Get a steel rod the same dimensions as a jo or bo and do kata with it. Its a great addition to mace training.
This pivot to personal fitness sounds amazing! I've heard wushu peeps spam the "get fit for MA not the otherway 'round" too and I have a vague memory of some older japanese koryu gentlemen lamenting at how much time they had to invest of limited training hours to conditioning because kids these days and their video games and stuff...
(I dont think they were specifically calling out video games rather just focused on how beginners used to be more athletic in bygone days.)
Also as a side note I've heard tennis being used as an example of good basic tenouchi. Something about the fact that the grip is supposed to be relaxed but firm and able to fluidly change whenever. Explosively if necessary.
Yeah, I increasingly do get the impression that many martial arts have perhaps over-emphasized fitness to break into mainstream commercial viability.
While it is better than nothing, I suppose, it’s clearly not great in terms of Aikido. I definitely suspect we have reversed the order at some point.
Personally, I think we need to take a balanced approach, though. I’m not sure I could necessarily advocate for “full traditionalism” here where people need to swing a sword 1500 times a day or something along those lines. But simultaneously it’s clearly something that has to be addressed.
I could not agree more.
Stages of Aikido:
- Denial that there is anything wrong with Aikido
- Anger at popularity of BJJ and MMA
- Bargaining: if we just start doing strength training, sparring, competitions or innovative techniques we can make Aikido functional
- Depression when you realize it didn’t work
- Accepting and start training BJJ/MMA/Judo etc.
Yes we have Sensei Seagal!
one of the benefits of cross training with combat sports: making aikido trainings feel like a walk in the park
Hi !
Still love your content !
Are you considering trying shiko training for training the legs ? Since I've heard about the closeness of aikido and sumo, and because I liked the netflix series Sanctuary to be honest, I've started trying out Shiko and I find progress in my leg strength with it.
Yep I’m actually doing some of that myself
Powerlifting def improved my fighting arts can def work on my flexibility more
Hahaha I laughed out loud, you're great, man!
“I know there will be people who twist themselves into pretzels.”
As a Tomiki Aikidoka as a young man I was fit because of the shiai and club Hikitategeiko.
As a lightweight I was very reliant on speed and fitness. We teach junior and youth Aikido Kakarigeiko features in the Junior practice. The youth practice both Kakarigeiko and Hikitategeiko. When training with the students from Waseda University Aikido
Club they are fit through their practice. After nearly 50 years of Aikido I think it is sad to see the condition of some Aikidoka. Not a great advert for the art.
I find it very sad that you reference MAXICK's Muscle Control approach, while ignoring Koichi Tohei's approach to mind-body coordination! The methods he developed using 'Ki-Tests' are direct empirical means of confirming that one is actually achieving mind-body coordination. And it is already thoroughly integrated into Aikido.
Now it is true that he pitched this approach as 'A Road that Anyone Can Walk.' And that probably set the bar too low for what you are after. But the groundwork for a straightforward way of incorporating 'internal power' into Aikido is already available.
I don't think you truly grok Mushin either, but that's another matter.
Tengu, you have the rare experience of training in a dojo full of dedicated athletes (5000 hours …).
How do you estimate those aikidoka’s fitness levels?
Is there a culture of extra fitness training in the university club or is it just “do more breakfalls!”?
It’s basically “do more breakfalls.” However, the fitness level was definitely better there than anywhere else I’ve trained Aikido and that was down to flexibility and cardio.
Separating dedicated physical conditioning work from martial arts practice ignores the principal of training specificity. No viable school "assumes fitness". The training curriculum must be built around cultivating attributes that complement the practice. That is how it's done in any effective striking style , that is how it's done in Japanese Judo
Of course, and that is what I’m advocating for here. I’d point out, however, specificity doesn’t refer to rigidly clinging to traditional exercises either. Judo is a fantastic example of how the art has always had specific exercises but now, for example, incorporates modern lifts (see Ono’s work out on this, several UA-camrs have broken it down).
So while, yes, specificity is king here, it’s also not really a synonym for “do ‘X’ traditional movement” which is often how people interpret it. Although in aIkido proper, there seems to be very little fitness happening at all-specific or otherwise.
@@TenguMartialArts I think Kyokushin has made a very strong case for a mix of traditional and modern conditioning, successfully combining traditional practices like bui-tanren and Go-form Sanchin kata practice with contemporary weight training
The specificity principle just states that you must do a thing with specificity to get better at it, it does not imply that you should ONLY do that thing to get better at it, someone that does explosive barbell lifts and sprints will always be a faster sprinter than the one that puts in equal time just sprinting. if the sprinter is not acting with specificity in their training block, and say, sprinted with weighted clothing, trying to do both, then the sprinter will be slower than both of the aforementioned
the specificity principle would not be ignored by separating physical conditioning from martial arts practice. in fact, it would be suboptimal not to do so. it's also a trap to look at successful athletic gyms/stables and assuming that they must be doing the best thing, for ages boxers and american footballers eschewed weight training, they believed excess muscle beyond what is built doing the task would slow them down, today no one relevant does this. but they still produced great athletes at the time, ultimately, even poor methodology will lead to great results with enough persistence, but that doesn't make it optimal.
Can you please cite and link all of the video footage used in all of your videos?
I think that bjj as a whole doesn’t push fitness and strength and conditioning. I’m not talking that we need to dedicate time in practice for pushups or something. But externally we should be doing strength and conditioning.
I’ve noticed that as well in my few adventures into BJJ. There are inevitably some very fit people on any given mat, but I’ve seen plenty of folks who has after one roll and can’t touch their toes, too.
@ I agree with you that hobbiest need to focus on fitness to prevent injuries. Especially as I get older I’m only 37 but the difference between me at 25 and now are apparent. Of course it’s a requirement. I run a bjj school and debate putting conditioning into the class because people come to do jiu-jitsu. I use the break falls and progressive drilling to avoid having a long warmup. The warmup is technique that primes students for the technique we are covering. Then we do the technique section followed by situational, positional and free sparring.
Dope
I generally agree with your thoughts, but don’t think I do here. Surely the point of aiki is that it is manipulation without grip strength or big shoulders or strong legs? As soon as I try to overpower someone, that isn’t aikido. It may be more effective than aikido - I don’t believe aiki is a panacea - but to me at least the art is worthwhile because of this subtlety. And because of this, not “internal power”, but agreement with our partners energy, we can continue to practice and improve as our fitness inevitably diminishes.
While I understand where you’re coming from, I don’t think “Aiki” and more traditional strengths are opposite ends of a spectrum. That seems to be a more recent invention, mostly due to Aikikai branding.
We know, for example, that Takeda Sokaku-arguably the modern source of “Aiki” conceptually-was an avid amateur sumo wrestler. Nowhere is it stated that Aiki was somehow at odds with the power associated with that sport.
Similarly, Ueshiba was immensely physically powerful in his prime. As were many others such as Sagawa as noted in this video. There is also the issue of many, many early Aikido teachers preaching in the early days that one should always take the initiative and dispatch an opponent quickly. Shioda, for example, notes how a beer bottle to the head of an assailant is-I’m paraphrasing-“great Aikido.”
The point I’m trying to illustrate here is that Aiki today seems invariably colored by the passive, flowing branding of the Aikikai. Historically, however, it doesn’t seem to be at all at odds with more traditional depictions of power. In fact, prior to Takeda, it seems the term typically described two opposing forces in deadlock; a description of power itself, really.
I’d also posit that if we take the more modern interpretation of Aiki at Dave value, it’s very plausible that it’s a “higher order” of skill. In other words, to “graduate” to it, one needs to be physically fit first and once that fitness enables them to understand more traditional power, only then can they substitute in Aiki.
Having said all this, I have to at least anecdotally say that all the Aikido teachers I’ve been most impressed with over the years may or may not have “had Aiki.” But they were ex-military, or mountain climbers, or farmers, or power lifters and so forth. These individuals I’ve always felt-even in their older age-could break my wrists and arms at will if they wanted. Meanwhile, I’ve been taught by people of high rank directly from prominent Aikikai members with high rank certified through very official channels who I don’t think could open a stubborn pickle jar.
Even if I assume the latter group were better at “Aiki” than the former, it’s a question of what you’re training for. If it’s just to pick up this “Aiki” skill then maybe it’s worthwhile-although it seems like most teachers have a very difficult time articulating what it even means. But if we are looking at Aikido as a martial art that ought to stand next to peers like Judo, BJJ, Wrestling, etc. then it’s clear what we have going on is (on average) inferior in regard to fitness.
What's the background video at the beginning taken from? It looks like bagua practice to me, but I'm not an expert.
Yeah, it's bagua...some foundational two-person work for developing sensitivity among other things.
I second the desire for a source. Looks like an awesome video for Baguazhang
It is Bagua. Type in Wang Shujin Bagua and it should come up. The channel Essential Bagua has a few similar films as well.
Japan seems to have an interesting, if not quiet, Bahia community. At the very least, I’ve found a lot of film (even just training film, not professionally produced) from the 80’s through maybe early 2000’s. I haven’t been able to clearly locate where these folks are now or even if they are still training, however.
@@TenguMartialArts Very interesting. Out of curiosity, where did you happen to find the 80s films of bagua training? Also, your channel is a jewel. I've been watching for about a year and really enjoy your work, especially as a fellow martial arts nerd. I'm also working through many of the same challenges (in regard to training historical arts) that you describe.
Towel grip pullups.
hi tengu. Im a physical education teacher and currently doing High sport degree. I will like to talk with u about this :D
Sure thing, you can reach me at tengumartialarts@outlook.com
What do you think of Antony Cummins and his research on "ninjas"?
I think several months back someone asked me a similar question. I’m not really familiar with Cummins, but I am familiar with most of the work on ninjas out there. While, perhaps, he has broken the mold, I’ve read a lot of slop on ninjas more informed by modern pop-culture than history.
To be clear, that particular era isn’t even my forte either, but of the few academics I’ve discussed ninjas with they seem far more akin to the Viet Cong (relative to their era) than their popular depictions today.
I’d love to say I have an academic piece to point the ninja-enthusiast towards, but unfortunately I don’t think we quite have the myth debunking heavyweights for ninja that we fortunately find with samurai at the moment.
@@TenguMartialArts Have you seen The Shogunate's 1.8M view video on ninjas? His seems to be one of the most viewed "myth debunking" videos for ninjas ones on UA-cam (he also works with Antony Cummins in that one).
I was actually planning on getting a macebell as my first aikido specific workout tool as well. I’ve been doing suburi with bokken and my kendo shinai, but I realized to pull off that cutting motion on other sumotoris I’d need a lot more strength. I still think the bokken is good for the snappiness and speed, I can get a decent cardio workout with it and really loosen up the arm/shoulder muscles
Always hilarious to hear people who wouldn’t have even heard of Aikido without Steven Seagal bash him for clout. Try doing half of what he did before bashing him.
Fitness and technique are inseparable. The first defines the parameters of the second, as your body is the thing doing the technique.
Important topic as developing the body is (intentionally?) overlooked in the modern practice of many arts.
Taijiquan is in a similar position as many will highlight the cardiovascular benefits. If you look at the studies, however, doing a taiji form has about the same benefit as a brisk walk. To be fair, I would guess the study participants probably did the form in a high stance rather than with thighs parallel to the floor.
If you are open to borrowing from other traditions, the workout plan you outlined is very close to the training of Indian wrestlers who do dands (pushup variant), baithaks (squat variant), and gada (mace) swinging. I know I've seen balck and white footage of Kimura training students who were doing dands. Might be an interesting reference for you.
Very disappointed in your Steven Seagal bit. Like, I don't like him as a person, but he was perfectly fit in his heyday, and he's hardly representative of aikido training in general, so you're literally just fat shaming.
There would be no need for shame if they were nothing to be ashamed of!
@@TenguMartialArts I have no idea what you mean, but if you're saying fatness needs to be shamed, where's the evidence that shaming leads to better outcomes for fat people? My mum has been ashamed of being fat for decades and all it's done is made her depressed and made her go on diets that haven't helped and have probably made her health worse. Americans are constantly shamed for being fat, and have been for decades, but has that led to better eating and exercise habits in America?
If you're saying aikido people need to be shamed into changing the practice, I agree, but my point still stands that mocking Seagal for gaining weight does nothing to help that.
Seagal in his early movies days was not that fit. Yes, he was 6'4" and bigger than his Japanese counter parts. But he was not that strong and not that fast. So very far from perfect. Michael Jay White would have been a much better paragon to look up to, and still is today. And since those heydays (in fact after his 4th film) he let his body go. You can call it fat shaming, or you can call it a reality check. People no longer associate him and aikido with that old body. They associate his current image, an out of shape and rotund man, as the face of Aikido. To be martial you need to be fit on top of being healthy.
As long as, in general terms, I agree on physical fitness and as much as I appreciate your contribution on the internet debate on aikido, especially for the critical and balanced approach, this time, sorry, you went sub-standard.
Showing a single study and to infer is not serious. Comparing random studies, again: not serious. This scientific compulsion of citing papers to give a patina of truth is a sign of times, let's accept that not every human manifestation needs the validation of an academic paper.
To jump on the bandwagon of the Segal's online bullys is frankly sad. Enough for me. Segal was a decent aikido practitioner, Segal is not aikido.
The internal power debate is arguing about aliens: we can't define the subject, no one will ever say a final word and yet no one (you included) has the dignity to admit it and quit adding words on words. Maybe some alien does exist and maybe we will never know, and yet it exists.
Looking muscular in these days is ambiguous: you can be muscular and unhealthy. You show pictures of athletes in their prime, good athletes, but paradoxically image of an obsessed culture with all the risks of the obsession.
So a lot of anecdotal considerations that I can do also: let's look at the health condition of the average 60 years old former boxer in comparison with a serious dedicated 60 years old aikido practitioner; let's compare the average 50 years old former BJJ or judo competitor, incapable of kneeling or closing a first without pain with a passionate aikidoka of the same age.
I know lots of aikido practitioners with a strong, healthy flexible body and a lucid brain. Aikido is a distance marathon.
The art is going through some changes, we all know, and this is to be considered when we make evaluations but I know for a fact that we as aikidoka didn't receive a bag of trash from our predecessors. And sometimes the parameters are simply different or the reality is to complex to evaluate.
To add a different point of view:
Why should we accept it without scientific validation while people are being lied to left and right, believing their practice is benefical in ways it isn't? Not everyone is whiling to put time into something that brings less significant results and scietific validation is a way to help us gauge that.
I agree that Seagal is not Aikido, but want it or not, he's the face of Aikido for the vast majority of people that ever heard about Aikido. I see it happen all the time, get an Uber to go to the dojo, the driver asks what I practice and, the moment I say it's Aikido, he talks about Seagal.
And I yes, he was a decent practioner, I believe even now he's got something in regards to knowledge and experience, aside of all memes and internet crap. But nowadays he's a controversial figure and directly associated to Aikido, that's his image.
I think you got it wrong about internal power. The main reason why he talked about internal power is because he was pointing out that people have a tendency to avoid physical training using internal power as an excuse, and that it seens to be more prominent in Aikido. His other point is that existing or not, it doesn't have much credibility and, also, that there aren't many able masters (in this regard) coming from Aikido to demonstrate results and justify using it as a replacement for physical training in our art.
Again, I believe you misunderstood about body conditioning. He didn't say the goal is to look muscular, he only cited the words of Sagawa about how body conditioning is important for Daito Ryu, and it wasn't about LOOKING muscular, but becoming strong. For instance, the reason why he mentions it's important to have tick thighs is to enfatize the strenght of the legs. So yeah, it has nothing to do with the image obsession.
I don't understand the reasoning behind comparing elderly people from different backgrounds but, I don't think it's as distinct as you propose. Yes, I also know 60 year old people with great body conditioning, some even better than the young ones in the dojo. If you take Japan as a basis, I would think it's even more prominent; it's the image I get, at least, never been there. But I think it can be true for any art and, also, most of those elders that are in good shape also practice other arts. Half of the elders in the dojo where I train are also black belt in different styles of Karate and Judo, for instance.
Lastly, I'm honestly not sure about what changes in Aikido you're referring to but, I agree that the fundamentals are in place and needs to be adapted to our reality.
@@punymagus Thank you. Maybe I was wrong. Anyway I do agree on being in the best shape that one can be in order to practice the art.
Stopped listening at 1:20; FYI; there is no other sport practiced in America that focuses on fitness to nearly the same degree as wrestling. To say nothing come close would be an understatement.
I think that’s pretty unfair. I’ve seen swimmers, marathon runners, and competitive lifters all in fantastic shape. Similarly, I think this downplays how much even amateur boxers put into their fitness routines.
I’m not suggesting Aikidoka overtake wrestlers in regard to fitness. Im suggesting we should be in the conversation.
@ my concern is that if the rest of the video is based on the false premise that wresting in the US does not emphasize fitness; then I call into question any conclusions drawn from that. It’s like starting a car video with “given that cars a powered by ravenous squirrels…” I can stop there. No useful information about cars can result from that. BUT if you were going to say something along the lines that Aikidoka need to emphasize fitness more, then Im on board.
Gymnasts? 🤸♂️
This is a very strange take. What data are you using to support this argument?
He literally never said that wrestling in the US doesn't emphasize fitness. How are you going to only listen to a minute of the video, and still not have been paying attention for the the duration of that minute? Your cited reason for disregarding the rest of the video was based on something you literally made tf up.
The cardiovascular benefits are from learning zen breathing. Strength is gained through tendon strengthening (quarter squats, horse stance etc).
Also, you’re not on Seagal’s level even at this stage of his life.
Seagal's "level" is halfway down a drain pipe at best; that'd be true even if he WASN'T doing weird fascist apologia for funds.
@ but he’s still better than you. In spite of anything else you can say about him, he’s achieved more in martial arts than anyone posting about this video.
@@JasonAsh-p4h do not confuse fame on the big screen with actual martial skills. I have trained with people better than Seagal, or at least that has been my experience. And do not confuse my comment as saying he was shit, he wasn't at the time. But I have trained with better both before and after...
@ Steven Seagal trained Haruo Matsuoka, Craig Dunn and Larry Reynosa. If for nothing else he, deserves respect for that.
Coming back to this fitness question, have you looked into Isometric/Isotonic exercise, Isometric stretching for tendon strength to any extent? ....I recommend it.... No equipment necessary other than a Jo, stick , piece of rope or/and a strong obi for extension... I've been told I have a very strong grip... My occupation was as an electrician & other artisan skills which involved using hand tools daily for many hours... This is my explanation for so called "inner power" many harp on about in the aikido world.... I've been an adherent to this kind of exercise since my teens... I still practice daily now at 71 years of age... Free to anyone who takes an interest ua-cam.com/video/pojJxPFHMbM/v-deo.html&ab_channel=TonyWagstaffe