How does Aikido work?

How does Aikido work? This video quickly outlines the structure of the system of Aikido- or in short how Aikido works. For beginners this should give you a structure to follow and logic out how you should be learning Aikido from Christopher Hein's approach to the martial art. Aikido is not about fighting, but about energetic harmony- something like a conversation. This video should help with beginners martial arts training at home. This is an aikido lesson for beginners as well as an aikido techniques tutorial for those asking the question how does Aikido work.

 This video was made "quickly" there are camera problems, and other issues. However we wanted to start getting things out to everyone who is quarantined at home. This is the first of many ( hopefully much better ) video's that explains our way of doing Aikido. Hope you enjoy

[TheIsaacharris]

At first I thought this was a joke, and then I realized this is the best explanation of aikido I’ve ever heard.

[ChokeArtist]

All martial artists of other disciplines should see this. Proper contextualization makes aikido much more understandable. Great job.

[kahuna]

This explanation is brilliant, thank you! Perhaps all these 14 yo internet trolls should watch this b4 saying Aikido is useless.

[loganwolf]

Absolutely brilliant. This is the best explanation I have heard or seen before on Aikido.

[bushido]

I can tell from this video that you are an excellent instructor. You are explaining some very fundamental and important principles here

[Brianpp]

Ive had an interest in Aikido for years. Ive never heard it explained quite like that. Awesome. Thank you

[burner]

This explanation blew my mind. I have never heard of Aikido explained this way.

[sswm]

I came here because some martial-arts friends on facebook were mocking the video.

In my opinion this is one of the best videos I've ever seen on the topic of martial arts, and it clarifies the meaning of decades of Aikido and Daito-ryu practise for me. Thank-you.

[arthur]

THANK GOD this channel exists. Aikido, when properly learned and applied, is a phenomenal martial art for effective use “on the street”.

[aikidoshi]

Aikido is kaleidoscopic and we see that here, where every action by the attacker presents new options for the defender. I like your idea about asking a boxing coach for solutions to a headlock. So many people get lost in comparing martial arts against each other, but they each deal with different problems and scenarios or rules, and they all have weaknesses. This focus on peaceful resolution and not hurting the opponent but instead making him regret his choices is key.

[sasoriko]

I don't practice aikido, but I've practiced with Aikidoka and one thing is that they are very aware of connection and balance. One of them is able to off balance me so well that if he can make contact before I start my technique I'll never be able to complete it. This to me is the answer to "It's outside the Aikido curriculum." Aikido addresses it by not letting it happen by interrupting the opponents balance before they move to a more advantageous position. Also I've heard that Aikido is 90% Atemi. So when my partners got in trouble with me they would do a quick hit or kick which was 1 to hurt me and 2 to reposition my balance so they were once again in control and a step ahead.

[scottzappa]

I think you can get the idea from the yielding, non-violent nature of Aikido to start out with, but the explanation of the goals of different martial arts was unique and cool. That is: The boxer tries to knock you out, the Judo man tries to pin you, the Aikido man tries to have a conversation. Brilliant. I tend to be like the person below, I don't like violence, and harmony is usually the best answer. IMO we need to get away from the tough guy, always wants to prove who's toughest mentality. It's a pretty poor method of problem solving. Thank you, arigato.

[TheBLACKSTARmovement]

Ngl, this is really inspiring me to take Aikido classes

[ShatteredZen]

This is such a good explanation of Aikido, clears up all the BS, thanks for making the vid!

[christiandelorde]

I think aikido might be my type of self defense. Especially since I abhor violence. I carry a firearm, but I really don't want to have to kill someone. I don't want that on my conscience or my heart. Thank you for explaining this to me. I don't much care for fighting sports. But deflecting and distancing myself from violence sounds wonderful.

[asengeorgiev]

That's really funny...I've never trained Aikido, but I've trained weapons (HEMA). And since then, I've understood the goal of Aikido pretty much exactly as you explain it.
Why? Because we noticed during sparring that a lot of Aikido-like (i.e. probably not exact) techniques started occurring. We didn't try to use them, they just occurred by themselves, because those were logical moves for someone in this situation who has at least a modicum of grappling experience (HEMA sparring generally allows grabs, though I guess it might be different in other schools).
Anyway, since then, I've been persuaded that Aikido started out as a complement to weapons training. (That thought was confirmed once I read a bit about the history of your style - the Founder was a really good master of the sword and the spear). Once you know how to keep yourself alive with a weapon, you need to make sure the weapon cannot be simply removed by a grab...or, sometimes, you might want to try using a grabbing move against an armed adversary. Because if you can take his weapon while retaining yours...well, people generally start trying to hold a conversation with you! (In European systems, his expected first sentence is to offer a ransom if kept alive).
Also, having the conversation is simply the logical thing to do when weapons are involved. In fact, any serious self-defense teacher would explain to the students that deescalation is always better than applying physical skills. That's double more true when weapons are involved.
And wow, the actual moves make so much sense when you look at them as weapons-based moves! I mean, one of the criticisms is that people wouldn't charge in and grab your hands, like in Aikido demonstrations. But have a weapon in said hands, and even people with a lot of grappling experience try to charge in and grab your armed hand before you can use the weapon in it!
...I think I had even explained this on Quora. Or at least I tried to, I doubt anyone paid much attention.

I guess that was just a long-winded way to say "kudos from Bulgaria, you got a new subscriber".

[mikelazure]

Made sense. Half way thru I realized you were describing something I did purely from "how do I survive" instinct one time on a train. Three guys started bullying some asian children. I let the verbal go but when one actually slapped a child I stood up, didn't think about it, simply asked them to stop and move on. (Conversation.) I surely did not want a fight. The three then tried to take to me. A train has certain advantages for one against three - narrow space down the middle of the train made it impossible for them to surround me. Its a blur but I remember trading a few head shots with one, then backing up, putting myself in a corner with railings I could grip and using my feet (Big feet.) to simply keep them away from me. It worked, the train pulled into a station and they all got off. Plenty of other guys on that train, they all just watched. Without any training or desire to fight I did what you were describing - tried to have a conversation, tried to keep distance, tried to make time for something to change, never tried to attack, just stay safe and hoped it de-escalated. Shook me up big time. It appears my personal instincts are congruent with Aikido - something to think about. Thanks for that frankly refreshing insight into one martial art in a world overflowing with martial arts that sell themselves as ways to dominate others.

[seansampson]

Ive been practicing bjj for two years now, and I've watched other channels either dissing or comparing aikidos effectiveness in a cage environment. I found your video truly insightful sir👏, I've shared your channel with friends, some of which have been doing aikido for years

[RomeoFoxtrot]

I trained Baguazhang for almost 14 years. Prior to that Aikido. You have captured the essence that is necessary. I've never heard this from an Aikido instructor.

[-NavalesMelvinC]

Thank goodness, someone is explaining it clearly. In my school, I'm the only one to explain this to my classmates (I proved to them Aikido works in fight/self-defense).