Aikido Philosophy

Series Summary

There are many types and styles of martial arts. Among these is Aikido, which though it might not be the deadliest martial art, it is a powerful martial art that excels at allowing the martial artist to redirect an opponent's momentum and attack. Learning Aikido will not only help you increase balance, hand-eye coordination, strength, and quickness, but will help you to defend yourself from an aggressor as well.

In these free martial arts training videos learn basic Aikido techniques from Aikido fourth degree black belt Gary Boaz. Gary will demonstrate essential basic Aikido techniques such as Ushiro Tekubi Tori Kokyunas, Kotegaeshi, and Sayunage. He will teach you Aikido pin moves such as the Kotegaeshi Pin and the Ikkyo Pin. Additionally Gary will share Aikido philosophy and demonstrate punch blocking techniques such as Munetsuki Kotegaeshi, Shomenuchi Ikkyo, and Yokomenuchi Kokyunage. Remember learning any martial art takes practice and dedication and Aikido is no exception.

Video Transcript

"This next section is going to cover the Aikido Rokkyo level test critera. That's our first belt, Rokkyo, which is sixth Q. We have six Q ranks in Aikido, and then our Don rankings. My philosophy on testing and rank has changed over the years. I've been doing this for seventeen years, and as I've been going though the years, my philosophy changes quite drastically. I really don't care about rank so much. Rank is a great thing to kind of show that you've been in Aikido for awhile, it kind of shows you a progression, a stepping stone, but just because you have a certain color of belt around your waist doesn't mean you're any better or any worse than anybody else. In Aikido, you always strive to become a better human being. Not become a better fighter, not become a better this, that, or the other thing. I'm not trying to be better than this guy over here. I'm trying to learn how to become a better human being myself. We do this with the physical Waza, or the physical techniques, of training hard, being put down on the mat over, and over again. I call that Shugyo, which is the way I translate, is blood, sweat, and tears training. Testing, for me, is a very important process. Not the resulting belt, but the test procedure itself. There is really no other way that I can put you under stress in Aikido. I can't take you and throw you into a middle of a gang fight, and say fight your way out of it and if you do then you get your belt. I just can't do something like that. So the only way that I can actually get to where I want you to be, is to put you under as much stress as possible in the dojo. I do that through the test. What you're about to see, is the testing level criteria for just our first one. That's just the basic level. I usually ask for more stuff than you're going to see, but this is the basic foundation. If all I had to do is regurgitate the things that you have memorized, that's not really a test, that's a demonstration. What I want to see, is if you can apply the principles of the techniques that I've thought you. Show me them, demonstrate them well, that I see that you have a basic understanding of them, and then learn to apply them, and the principles, in slightly different ways."