Is aikido effective for real situations?

[tanelaine]

How effective is aikido when one is attacked by a person in a fight?

Thanks.

[sandyRoe]

If they were much bigger than you and were skilled in it you'd probably be in trouble.

[jackthehat]

As with all combat sports.......any 'bout' is governed by both parties being equally matched an fighting using the same set of rules/techniques.

In a 'street-fight', the willingness to grapple, bite, rabbit/kidney punch and kick an opponent when they are down would probably over-ride any advantage Aikido gives in terms of technique and fitness.

[tanelaine]

What if the aikidoka is smaller and the attacker bigger but is not trained in any martial arts?

[tanelaine]

Thanks, Jackthehat.

Aikido is a defensive art, so if an untrained attacker makes the first move, it gives the aikidoka the advantage and ability to defend and disable him or her.

[jackthehat]

I would never assume that my Aikido training would give me *any* advantage over an 'untrained' but determined attacker.

[tanelaine]

Thanks, Jackthehat

Can I assume that you know aikido because you seem to think that aikido has no defensive techniques at all?

[jackthehat]

I didn't say that.
I said that it cannot be 'assumed' that knowledge of Aikido gives you an advantage in a street-fight scenario.

In Aikido, you are attacked (in a reasonably controlled manner) by another student of Aikido who will yield when you have disarmed/overcome them.

This is not necessarily true if you get into a ruck with a drunken yob of a Saturday night.....

[whiskeryron]

If it's of any help to know, I have a black belt in Origami, will this protect me in an unprovoked attack of Newspaper wielding Daily Mail addicts ?
Ron.