I Fought An Aikido Master (Real Sparring)

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Thanks for subscribing! 🙏 Who should I film with next? 👊

[@rishithakur7585]

I think you should practice kalaripayattu because it is the ancient martial ever

[@yashversion]

Jackie Chan

[@yashversion]

Orrrrr vidit jamal

[@pororo9787]

Chadi or Shintaro Higashi

[@adamhuk3624]

Gregmma, he knows the guy

[@shimoda3339]

He is absolutely right - there is no such thing as “cheating” if there are no rules; and in a fight for your life, there absolutely are no rules.

[@destrocrimson]

one of the worst hits i have even seen was a dude that straight punched a dudes throat that had a knife. That dude didnt live and he was gone from this world in under a minute. The worst sound of someone trying to breathe I have ever heard.

[@DavorBa]

@@destrocrimson yikes, that sounds disturbingly effective and I guess is the reason throat punches are illegal in sports.

[@dejanstamenkovski2607]

You know an MMA fighter or a boxer can cheat too. I have over 10 years experience in AIKIDO (AIKIKAI), so believe me, an MMA fighter or a boxer will murder an Aikidoka. What is stopping them to go for the eyes or the throat?

[@bryanwelsch1886]

The "I can't go for the kill shot" mentality is always the reason they don't do mma. All this stuff was allowed in early days of UFC which quickly debunked these traditional ideas. Looks fun, but would be destroyed by mma fighter

[@martinmirchev4948]

There are always rules! Most fights I've seen and been in people are not trying to kill each other. Eyes are not that easy to poke out, try to do it, scratch my face badly and see what happens when i have the upper hand.... there is escalation, bystanders, common sense and then there's the wall. I did aikido for 10 years when i was teen and in my early 20s. I prefer boxing these days.

[@koraegi]

Man this guys really good at explaining his concepts and articulating without useless fluff

[@ekay4495]

Literal pleasure to learn. He's got a passsion/gift for it

[@TerriblyNice_Not]

Except for all the stuff that is clearly fluff he made up on the spot

[@dragontailss9026]

@@TerriblyNice_Not hating?

[@AcadianBacon8]

@@dragontailss9026 Definitely.

[@Filmsource]

well said, totally agree!

[@Seishindo]

I was a professional Aikido instructor in Japan for more than 20 years. This is the first Aikido video I have seen that I feel good about!

[@gusthreshold2155]

that should say something about Aikido :)

[@slane9393]

LOOL@@gusthreshold2155

[@liveandletdie4233]

​@@gusthreshold2155That's not how that works.

[@coppercolors2463]

I think the same way wow👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@RK-um2bj]

Jesse would've killed him if they weren't playing

[@elmohead]

So in other words, bringing a gun to a fist fight is Aikido-approved.

[@Sombody123]

Rather, avoiding starting a fight in the first place, using lesser means to de-escalate/escape if applicable and reasonable, but still being prepared for the worst with a gun (if available) and being prepared to use it. Going to or starting an unsanctioned fight intentionally, whether with a gun or not, would be very un-pacifist and therefore un-aikido-like.

[@DoubleDrastik]

Lol. You know aikido is actually a self defense art thats based on protecting yourself when you lose your weapon

[@jeronimo196]

@@DoubleDrastik so, a secondary gun would be aikido approved.

[@DoubleDrastik]

@@jeronimo196 yes. As long as the main weapon is a sword

[@DZ1Explorer]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@surfinairwaves9284]

“It’s not a fighting art it’s a surviving art” lot of respect for that man, I learned a lot

[@Nostromo2144]

This is why most real fights are over within 3 seconds. All the others are MMA-style games and matches.

[@rgjs4537]

​@@Nostromo2144that why I always says that any MMA fighter would get bodied really quick by a real fight environment without any rules. And people like to fantasy about it and fool themselves thinking jon Jones would kill any real martial artist in a real fight lol

[@faizmiji5890]

​@@rgjs4537he would

[@BuJammy]

What an odd comment@@rgjs4537

[@mire_555]

⁠​⁠@@rgjs4537 you really think that this 3km/h punches and kick with 0 power and movement like a dead horse show something ? This is clearly just promotimg aikido as “useful”

[@LuisJimenez-pb3ge]

First ever Aikido practitioner that actually makes sense, I respect this man

[@FartInYourFace234]

It was like watching a samurai from feudal japan

[@matthewarms3786]

Quite similar approach to the quote attributed to Bruce Lee: "Keep what's effective, discard what isn't, add what works for you/your body"

[@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess]

No, you're an ignorant on the topic and you don't know what you're talking about

[@HowlingMoonCinemas]

What do you mean, "makes sense"? They ALL make sense. You just never paid any attention before. Seagal is one of the best known and one of the best in Aikido. Can't believe you never even heard of him 😂.

[@PAS2010D]

You mean the pompous bullshitter?​@@HowlingMoonCinemas

[@shankarsatheesan6846]

He seems a lot more active than most aikido practitioners. It's really cool. I believe his aggression and activeness in sparring allowed him to better deal with your attacks. I'd love to see more of his content.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Thank you so much! 😄

[@treadstoned9915]

Yeah at 8:15 when he stuffed that shot I knew he definitely does a lot of pressure sparring.

[@KOMONPEEPOL]

Merci Jesse. Not thanks to me but i was one of your French fans who suggested Leo Tamaki. I d really like you to share more of your talk about fighting. Thank you both, merc Léo de si bien représenter tes 2 pays.

[@J_a_k_e_]

The key point you mentioned is sparring. Sparring against all kinds of attacks from different styles to no style street type brawling. That's what gives one awareness of what is bullshit from what is effective. All martial arts have their merits.

[@vggm5750]

I agree with you. Finally a aikido master that explains things.....why fight is like this and not like that etc.. etc... every art is diferent but the most important is explaining why, why do they do it like that

[@nachofestino]

He has clearly achieved a really high level in his art, his thought proccess and articulation to explain and demonstrate everything he talked about... just AMAZING!

[@richardsackler7627]

No good in a fight but the art looks cool.

[@_Reddee_]

@@richardsackler7627 did u even watch the video

[@laaaliiiluuu]

​@@richardsackler7627I wonder if you would say the same if he actually fought like in a survival fight and not just for presentation.

[@joejo4549]

The question is more about whether it's as efficient as other martial arts ​@@laaaliiiluuu

[@doriand4348]

if you refer to aikido, he clearly not achieved high level in aikido. he just created a mix o martial arts. to achieve a high level in aikido, like O-Sensei Uheshiba Morihei, would meant to rich the samadhi (or satory, in japanese), at manipura chakra, like Ueshiba did. At that point, you feel the energy (or the energetic aura field) of the opponent and you actually work with that very easy. But Ueshiba also did a lot of meditation, like in yoga, which many people dont understand. They believe that aikido is just a set of techniques you need to learn mechanically. There's a video where few disciples tried to push Ueshiba and they couldn't exactly for this reason: he felt the energy and had a strong energy field around body. Is the only martial artist, who had samadhi, something which is know to occur only to yoga masters, exactly for this reason: he did a lot of meditation. People in the west don't like to do meditation.

[@FlyingGreenTea]

"It's not a fighting art, it's a survival art." By far, this is one of the best 10-minute videos on martial arts wisdom. Sensei Leo Tamaki is humble, knowledgeable, skillful, friendly, and his ability to articulate his words is next-level wisdom! There are some special forces in the world who use this type of Aikido, and history says that Aikido was actually modified for civilian use after World War 2. Before that, it was different from what we have seen for years, which was mostly about locks and throws. But I'm really glad Sensei Leo Tamaki explained it very well, and thank you, Sensei Jesse, for always providing us with great content. Please make a part 2 of this if you can! Thank you very much!

[@FreedomIII]

I'm not a dan-level practitioner, but I've always described Aikido to the curious as "something that might save you when your arrows are spent, your spear shattered, your sword knotched and broken, and you have an armoured and armed fighter bearing down on you". The best thing I learned, as with other martial arts, is "survival is paramount. The goal isn't to 'win', it's to live." The second best thing I learned is to never fight someone that becomes calmer than usual when a confrontation starts 😅

[@JeremyWamhoff]

Before Aikido there was aikijujutsu. I spent years trainning it and it can be far more brutal and certainly more painful to train but also more satisfying for me personally. I was interested in traditional combat not a philosophy of peace, the irony being once you train to a certain level you end up speaking the peaceful solutions. My feelings will aways be its better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardner in a war.

[@Celestial_Reach]

This was beautiful to listen to. He was catching him and preventing him from going down

[@ecopis]

Here we use an aikido technique for aquatic rescue

[@irlspecialgp4125]

I so agree.

[@kravmagaCDK]

"If you go to a boxing match with MMA gloves on your cheating. In the real world your just intelligent" That was 🔥

[@screamityeah]

I'm the real world an akido guy does have gloves or swords, also bigger gloves punch harder, and more importantly, street fights have rules, those rules are called the law, get cought killing someone you go to prison, if you have pepper spray that's legal and smart.

[@BSJDynasty]

if you go into an boxing match with mma gloves you're gonna get destroyed. Boxing match implies the boxing rules are still in place, so there's no benefit to using mma gloves at all, you will not get through the guard easily

[@hosrakkiham395]

@@screamityeah U realised that thre are some people that do not care going to jail right?

[@snotset2165]

@@hosrakkiham395I don't think that was the point he's making. Even in dangerous places people are unlikely to just stab or shoot you out of nowhere. Weither that's because of their morality or pressure for legal instances and teachings... And The real aikido guy would show up with a katana if his aim was to truly hurt someone. For everyone practicing aikido I really recommend also doing iado or attending some sword school if you don't already train it within the club (not every master knows or teach). it'll really put things into perspective being the roots of aikido

[@ThijmenTheTurkey]

Learn the difference between your and you're

[@marcelosinico]

I've never seem a master explaining the philosophy of self-defense so well before. Everything is greatly explained: Frame, intensity, asymmetric engagement, ritual fight vs survival fight, and the concept of Iai (being prepared for surprise attack).

[@Osmotic]

And even with just that brief demonstration, I really feel like I understood it better. It was obvious where he could've pressed an advantage to devastating effect.

[@jay8353]

Excellent explanation and demonstration thank you for that

[@silo3com]

Brilliant mind

[@frankhermansen243]

indeed

[@thomassuit7450]

Thus the art Iaido, which focuses on the skill of the speed draw and cut in one motion. That is what he demonstrated when he was talking about The Three Musketeers.

[@bloodboughtsaint777]

The deer vs deer VS deer vs wolf analogy was well defined. It really put everything else into perspective.

[@HateBear-real]

Natural Law is tooth and claw.

[@joelyoly5929]

When is the last time you saw a deer kill a wolf

[@Srymak]

@@joelyoly5929 dunno, when have you seen a wolf?

[@joelyoly5929]

@@Srymak on KZbin, killing deer and elk. Goon.

[@Oncewaslostbutnowimsaved]

Okay, first off first to resort to personal attacks shows you have already LOST the argument and since you cant attack his point with logic you attack the person with rhetoric. Secondly, growing up in the mountains and working on a farm I can tell you that he is not wrong. Deer, Cows and any other "prey" can, have and do attack predators. Even a mouse will attack a cat when cornered and while the odds are against them, sometimes they DO win. Ive seen Cows trample Coyotes and Deer kill foxs and dogs. In conclusion, you are both ignorant and rude which means you are probably a modern day Liberal 😂​@joelyoly5929

[@truthseeker6116]

I practiced Go -Ju Ryu for many years, which i always thought was the best form of Karate to learn. We used to have a high ranking Akido guy that had stopped training for several years but wanted to continue training but to try something different. I can honestly say his open-hand strikes were some of the strongest I have ever seen and felt. He was quite a big guy which helped obviously but when I held the pads it was like getting hit by a freight train. And yet for all his skill and strength when he sparred, he was the gentlest of all the people I trained with. I used to actually say to him to go harder but he never did. He really did have a philosophy of not wanting to hurt anyone but I know if he turned it on, he could do some damage. I always respected him for that. He was very similar to my own thinking but if someone turned it on, I was never afraid to match them. If he met someone who wanted to really have a go, he would step back, raise his hands and refuse to Sparr with them until they toned it down. I think he may have really hurt someone in the past and just refused to go down that path again. Sorry to bore you but watching this excellent Akido guy brought back some memories, thanks for another interesting video Jesse.

[@FredMaverik]

makes lots of assumptions

[@williamrodriguez9937]

I trained in rulan goju Ryu back in Florida while I was in middle school

[@eeoui0334]

not related but i practiced shorin ryu when i was a kid, and i always looked at the other guys practicing goju ryu and thought that they were full of finesse. the movements are so smooth

[@DAVID.WILSON-h9u]

OH YES. WE WANT TO SEE MORE OF. THIS. PRACTIONER OF AKIDO

[@BaldwinGodfield]

Lovely anecdote thank you for sharing

[@GLASSGHOSTHUNTERS]

Seems like a really cool guy. With that white hakama, his long hair and his critical thinking, he's like a cool modern samurai. He wasn't afraid of punches or kicks coming at him. He's clearly done a ton of live sparring.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Yes, he has lots of experience! I only work with the best 👍

[@iseptimus]

A really delicate balance. Trying to show what is possible but without taking the guy out (even by accident). Great content though and showed what was possible with Akido when applied correctly.

[@prvtthd401]

Give him a sword forged by the nordic, hindu and egyptian gods and he might time travel.

[@GLASSGHOSTHUNTERS]

@@KarlKarsnark LOL. You're funny. The clout trolls sure are hungry today.

[@greyngreyer5]

​@@GLASSGHOSTHUNTERSWhat did he say?

[@Painfullyshy5650]

I love this guy's energy. I think he legitimises both the philosophy and the art. He proves every martial art has common factors and, in the right hands can withstand any real pressure test when no rules exist.

[@aarkproductions]

This was eye opening honestly

[@petri2767]

He plays into peoples delusions, like here he pretended to be almost paralyzed to not embarrass the aikido guy.

[@RegisWilkins]

@@petri2767 Yea, the aikido guy would put you into the hospital. Of course you are a keyboard fighter.

[@neutrino78x]

@@petri2767 "ike here he pretended to be almost paralyzed to not embarrass the aikido guy." looked reasonably dynamic to me. Maybe be more open minded and understand that it's the artist, not the art. I take it you are under 25, still in that mode of "the only effective technique is the one I use"?

[@petri2767]

@@neutrino78x I am in my forties and only valid martial arts are one where real high level competition is encouraged, if you just do sparring and katas it is not worth doing. I would suggest judo, not perfect but pretty near perfect for most people

[@hsiaofhongtan1933]

The master explained more than just fighting; he explained the art of war

[@billycooper4530]

Indubadably, Indeed!

[@UnexpectedWonder]

Truly! 👊👊✊✊👏👏👌👌

[@ToejamDcheflok]

Wow I absolutely love that you ask further questions and not just nod like 99% of the other interviewers. "you have to use aysemtric tactics and"..."wait wait wait, what is asymetric tactics". I love that you don't pretend to know everything. Really really appreciacte this way of interviewing people who know their stuff and use words which THEY know but we don't.

[@neutrino78x]

"use words which THEY know but we don't." You don't know the term "asymmetric" as in "asymmetric warfare"??? It's what we (USA) used against the British, and non-state actors use against advanced countries. For example, traditionally, armies would square off, and just walk forward, and attack like "civilized" people, which is known as symmetric warfare. But in asymmetric, you disappear into the bushes and attack from different angles. The British thought we Americans were animals for fighting that way. A submarine is an example of using asymmetric warfare against surface ships....that's why a British Admiral said we submariners are very un-British and we're all "a lot of pirates"...so British submariners often fly the pirate flag lol.

[@automotive474]

He knew exactly what asymetric tactics were, he just sensed that the audience might not know and asked him to clarify. Also, I don't read minds but i think he really wanted to say: "Wait, asymetric tactics is just another word for 'cheating' isn't it?" and we had another great answer explaining that "If there are no rules, there is no cheating". A great interview.

[@kaczok1985]

​@@neutrino78x The crossbow is the perfect European assymetric fighting tool. It allowed any peasant to kill a knight with minimal training. Unsurprisingly, it was called "the Devil's invention".

[@ajha100]

Jesse, you are to be commended. The quality of your questions and your respect for fellow martial artists is terrific. Also, this gentleman is doing a true service to Aikido. Awesome,e episode!

[@-Banoffee]

What's really cool in the demo here is that you can tell what he naturally aims for and what the violent version of the motion would be if he wasn't being nice. Haven't seen this with Aikido practitioners before. His whole vibe and outlook is refreshing.

[@JeSt4m]

Yup If he's doing this for real he already poked the eyes 5 times, broke ankle, wrist and groin once each. Probably capable of breaking the hip bone twice (dunno whether he let it go on purpose or he just lost the grip), and discombobulation to eardrum at least thrice. Each seems to be capable of closing the fight.

[@AverageVirgo]

@@JeSt4m Indeed, a lot of spare eyes etc. would be needed 😂

[@_davidboxing]

Yeah he was pretty badass 🔥

[@stevemeisternomic]

Honestly I can see the violent possibilities in every move, but somehow others just see a dance.

[@randypalmer2328]

@@stevemeisternomic The ones who just see a dance are also the ones who would pick a fight with someone with cauliflower ears.

[@clarkparker4860]

I love the humility. Your videos are never about boosting your ego, but educating us viewers.

[@fl260]

I am utterly speechless. How fascinating was that talk and those demonstrations. This man is a perfect representative of his art; respectful, truthful, honest.. Man! I wish the video was longer! I hope you have another one in queue with him, I really, really enjoyed it! And my background is BJJ and Muay Thai; not Aikido at all. Going to watch it another time now, that was too fun to watch!

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@shellingford7616]

There are also some interviews in English, but other than that most vids you’ll find are in French. But I’m sure there will be more with time, he’s starting to go international now😉

[@fl260]

@@shellingford7616 Hey, I happen to speak French, je suis parfaitement bilingue! Where can I find these interviews? Edit: Nevermind, found them in two seconds. Thanks for the tip!

[@akizaizayoi4763]

​@@shellingford7616oh nice. I'm learning French too and I was really about to look for some channels that are in French.

[@shellingford7616]

@@akizaizayoi4763 There's a really good and long one with Gregmma, but it's really not the easiest for a non native... I still struggle with some of what they say, but subtitles help^^

[@CLGriffin3538]

As a former (40 years ago) Aikido student this is bittersweet. I feel cheated and at the same time thrilled to see Aikido “done right” here! Thank you for making this video!

[@youjanitube]

Don't feel cheated. I think he put it well and said it was a surviving art not a fighting art. Aikido saved me more in accidents than in actual fights. I guess that tells everything.

[@CerealDust-nStuff]

Aikido "done right" isn't Aikido. The Founder, Morihei Ueshiba, took Japanese JuJutsu and dumbed the moves down and made them softer and less lethal, because (in his view) it would make the world a more peaceful place. Morihei Ueshiba became a pacifist after the war and unfortunately we have Aikido as a result. I took Aikido for two years before I finally switched over to the predecessor which is Japanese JuJutsu.

[@velveetaslingshot]

Same. We could never spar like this because it would have shattered our belief that the techniques were effective. So you went class after class never competing or sparring hoping that you werent a fool. Awesome workouts though!

[@TinyShaman]

I don't think you should feel cheated. At least not for this reason. Because there is no "aikido done right". Even in this video, all we hear is a big steaming pile of rationalisations and excuses. And all we see is some bullshit fooling around, of both parts. Compare it to literally any video from the same channel: BJJ, street fighting, anything. The difference is glaring. This "I've-got-techniques-that-are-too-dangerous-to-be-used-here" guy would be utterly destroyed by any MMA fighter, or wrestler, or boxer who is proficient enough in their craft.

[@bbrill9886]

@@TinyShaman SAY THAT THE ONE SECOND HE GETS BY YOUR GUARD AND GOUGES YOUR EYES OUT. OR HOOKS YOUR CHEEK AND RIPS AT YOUR FACE. PURPOSELY TRIES TO JAM YOUR NOSE AND BREAK IT UP INTO YOUR SKULL. CRUSHES YOUR GONADS AND THEN TAKES ADVANTAGE TO KICK AGAIN OR TRY TO DO THE PREVIOUSLY STATED . . EVEN BETTER LET HIM GET BEHIDN YOU AND NOT TRY TO CHOKE YOU OUT BUT RATHER CRUSH YOUR ESOPHOGUS. LAND A KICK TO THAT PELVIC BONE AND WATCH IT MAKE YOUR LEGS COLLAPSE CAUSING IMMENSE PAIN IF THE CARTILAGE COLLAPSES . AIKIDO IS JUST A FLOW TO BE ABLE TO POSITION YOURSELF TO EXECUTE YOUR PUNISHMENT. YOU MAKE IT SOUND LIKE PROFICIENT ENOUGH CAN BE EASILY ATTAINED. JUST CAUSE YOU HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO THROW A PUNCH DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE PROFICIENT ENOUGH TO PROTECT YOUR VULNERABLE AREAS. EVEN THIS FIRST DUDE KNOWS WTF IS UP. LOL AFTER ALL THEY DID SAY THAT SURPRISE WAS THE NUMBER ONE ELEMENT OF AIKIDO THAT THEY LEARN FIRST. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6DKepSfeMubY6s

[@outty77]

It's not a fighting art, it's a surviving art. That just about sums up everything I needed to know about Aikido. What an excellent lesson.

[@CUSELİSFAN]

it sums up everything about "aikido done right". i doubt that is what they will teach you at your neighborhood aikido dojo.

[@odytrice]

Exactly, He really articulated the difference between "Fighting" and "Violence"

[@emanuel5880]

It won't work tho, most street fights would ended up with both people wresrling, unless You could, You know, fight.

[@SwordWieldingDuck]

You can't learn to survive without hard sparring imitating what you trying to do... And that what aikido does not do. So my money in a fight between aikido master and literally anyone practicing proper martial arts (boxing, muay thai, mma) in a fight to death will always be on the latter.

[@vargsvansify]

@@SwordWieldingDuckOne could argue that if your aim is to survive, and you still somehow end up in a fight to the death, you’ve already made some serious mistakes.

[@carlday-jy7ct]

As a USMC veteran, I recognize these techniques in our close combat training. Open hands, palm strikes, quick & devastating strikes meant to kill or disable as quick as possible. Putting the opponent on the ground & using the foot strike or knee strike to finish the fight as soon as you are able. I watched Steven Seagal in Dubai & could see similarities in his techniques as well. I worked briefly as a close combat instructor training Marines in their CIT, but I am certainly not an expert in this field. I just noticed the similarities in USMC manual from the 80's and Aikido.

[@roderickmontgomery2673]

Absolutely

[@snowlipsism3674]

I love the Aikido master's composure and serenity. What a true gentleman!

[@emeraldspark101]

This guy is legit. Also i love how asymmetric tactics is a much more objective way to say "fighting dirty."

[@random.3665]

Asymmetric fighting, especially when talking about armies (his example), isnt just about fighting dirty. Its fighting your enemy on your terms, not theirs. your enemy is stronger with his punches than you? kick him instead. Your enemy has a focused mental state? try to distract him from it or make him lower his (mental) guard. Its basically about not accepting the concept of "let the best side win", because that side might not be yours. Many people for example consider ambushes a "dirty" military tactic, yet at the same time, every army in the world will teach you that, if your enemy vastly outclasses you in firepower, manpower and/or technology, your only way of fighting them effectively is by ambush.

[@Lemjanmusic]

You'd do anything in a life or death situation. I'd say aikido is better than mma if your goal is survival.

[@dr1742]

"Asymmetric tactics" is saying "Real fight."

[@porkypile]

@@Lemjanmusic Sums it up pretty well. Real life fighting as it's done is never about "fairness", no such thing exists outside the world of games.

[@BuJammy]

You know MMA can fight dirty too, right?@@Lemjanmusic

[@Wiseman501]

This is one of the best styles of Aikido that I have seen demonstrated and broken down. I am very impressed with this teacher. He clearly spars a lot, knows how to control multiple limbs at once, and has refined his movements to what works. No BS fluff. Love it. I wish his school was close to me so I could go spend some time with him.

[@bg4097]

We who trained aiki-jitsu for real world understand this exactly.

[@mojojojo6400]

I agree. I would love to learn from him

[@TecnamTwin]

There's too much garbage aikido being taught that's more akin to Tai chi. This however was fantastic. I'd love to learn whatever that was.

[@ajgeorgoulis]

So do I. Fully agree

[@Mharriscreations]

@@TecnamTwin The funny thing is that actual combat Tai Chi is similar. It's actually a grappling art that borrows a lot from Shuaijiao and when practiced in fighting the techniques are also similar to Muay Thai Clinch Fighting and Judo, though moreso the clench fighting.

[@hypnokitten6450]

Fantastic video! Don't know why it just randomly suggested, but loved it. I had a Tai Chi instructor who was similar - or I should more correctly say I had a Taijutsu instructor who was similar. He talked about how pretty Tai Chi was, a nice workout, but how Taijutsu was all about real fighting and even killing in self-defense. He showed how a bunch of silly-looking flowery Tai Chi circles make a LOT more sense when you understand your hand is supposed to be holding a knife. Even the random-looking tapping your side isn't about making a pretty sound, its drawing a weapon and then putting it into someone's neck. Really fascinating how much of what today look like 'artistic combat sports' that could 'never stand up in an MMA fight' have roots in real soldiers fighting for their lives on very real battlefields... but which then got made 'pretty' to keep them publicly acceptable (and legal). Wish there were more teachers teaching the actual versions, get why there are not.. but I hope that knowledge never gets fully lost.

[@ironmikehallowween]

He brings up a good point: for example; the best gun fighters in the wild west were seldom killed in gunfights. They were killed when they didn’t know they were fighting; such as shot in the back while urinating, or ambushed when they thought they were meeting a friend. Sports are sports, real life is something different many times. Thanks for the video.

[@VTdarkangel]

Absolutely true. Bill Hickock was killed from behind while playing poker. It's story so similar to so many others.

[@chrisortiz8077]

The issue is that the point he's making also applies to aikido. Aikido is further removed from reality, and more ritual like than mma is. Mma encompasses all aspects of fighting, including striking and ground fighting, AIKIDO DOES NOT. It's a very limited art, I'm positive they're aspects of it that could be incorporated into a real fighting style, but if you only use aikido, you will likely lose, unless you're fighting someone with no experience. The reality is, if you take this guy, and put him in a cage, or any setting, against a trained mma fighter who has been practicing as just as long, this guy will lose.

[@legalmechman]

As a guy who was a prison gaurd, a security officer, and a practitioner of Aikido, karate, hapkido, and a tiny amount of taikwando, I've bounced my fair share of "mma" guys...2 issues I've come to see: 1) target focus...rarely will you only encounter ONE adversary, and 2) desire to fight on the ground. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm basically useless once I'm on the ground, but I've also never let someone take me there without back-up directly behind them. I attribute my "staying vertical" power to Aikido. Having said all of that, you prove your own point false (and your listening/comprehension skills lacking) when the entire point was that, sure, in a "fair" fight, in a ring, with a referee, the trained mma guy wins...but in the real world, I've seen a 90 lb, untrained girlfriend send a "semi-pro" fighter to the hospital by smashing a beer bottle over the back of his head as he "beat up" her boyfriend...rewatch the video. Listen to the words "asymmetrical warfare"...now look up what that means. It's a LONG way away from an mma fight. Plenty of videos out there showing pro mma guys getting rocked by average dudes...get cocky, get lit up...

[@henrijsleja103]

@@chrisortiz8077 And you know why? Because Aikido guy won't be allowed to break arms and necks which is one big part of it... It's like telling a boxer that he only can use one type of punch... If aikido guy is going full mode - there will be bodies - there's a reason why it's been incorporated in special forces trainings - the idea is to disable opponent as quickly as possible because there are most likely more guys - whereas mma or any other show type thing is all about spectacle for people... and that's the biggest difference...

[@lunelie7724]

@@chrisortiz8077 this guy will use is knife and the mma guy will lose

[@MMALAB]

Great thoughts here. I liked the frame principle he explained. Asymmetric warfare is something we've been taught in special forces during my service and I have great respect for this principle, and is great someone compares it, tweaks it, and applies it in martial arts.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Me too! Great concept

[@alexdeeprose2303]

I think this is the first guy I’ve ever seen that makes Aikido seem worthwhile. What a great teacher and martial artist!

[@free2flow]

If that’s how he fights, no need to Aikido. Just go straight to a kickboxing school.

[@exonymlive]

Jesse has a way of wanting me to watch the videos to the end. Always something to learn. Great exchange here. And yes, Jesse was obviously holding back because if he upped the intensity so would his opponent. It's like a 2 step sparring. Definitely get it. So much respect shown in this video from both teachers. Thank you ! Loved this one.

[@SirGalaEd]

After 9 years of serious Aikido, I am in love with the statement " Aikido is Irime and Atemi" such a clear and beautiful synopsis. And true in my humble opinion.

[@myleskennedy7733]

@@RPMcM09yes

[@lonniebeal6032]

@@myleskennedy7733 Boxing and wrestling would be the 2 fastest things to learn to protect yourself.

[@myleskennedy7733]

@@lonniebeal6032 nope How to shoot is the fastest thing 1 could learn to defend themselves. Bear spray techniques are also an option.

[@geoffreytasker2097]

​@myleskennedy7733 easy to say, but as someone who taught people how to shoot. As with anything, training goes out the window. Even shooting takes constant repetition

[@scottrackley4457]

after 30 years, all I want is your space.

[@mrdaniellee]

My former sensei used to say that aikido shouldn’t be viewed as a a complete system, but rather a mindset and framework when it comes to fighting. The joint locks and manipulation blend very well with other Japanese martial arts like judo, jujutsu, and even karate. I love what this guy speaks on in regards to the frame and accepting of rules.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Thanks for sharing!

[@_realone915]

Exactly! I agree! As a karate practitioner for 4 yrs I've been incorporating joint locks too my tool set. It compliments it perfectly even in certain katas these joint manipulation are found. Great comment btw!

[@AquilaChryaetos]

The thing with this, is that when it was first founded, the only ones allowed to study Aikido under Ueshiba were people who had a black belt in atleast one other martial art. It was never supposed to be used alone

[@BoulderingBear]

Yeah I get this, I did a version of Jui-Jitsu (not the MMA Gracie style) which was a little more direct than traditional Aikido. I've also put in the hours in Judo, Kendo, Iaido and Jodo. in all these they are not street fight ready but its the mindset and calm/discipline they teach you that.... you do not get into a street fight!! Can't respect Sensei Jesse enough but mostly for your Segal videos as you took such a genuine approach to your time with him, and it was because of that approach you were able to get some really experience and knowledge from him where most people just want to poke fun and dismiss. Jesse has a true aptitude to teaching and shows he can extract brilliant lessons from any source.

[@Siddhartha040107]

Think of it as an elective subject in a school setting. Ueshiba initially did not accept students who are not a black belt of any discipline.

[@aglass4930]

Léo Tamaki is a bit of an idol of mine. I'm from Judo and BJJ, and I don't necessarily agree with everything he has ever said, but I respect him immensely and I think he has a lucid view of what fighting is - hence why his Aïkido involves front kicks, arm drags and headlocks. He also stresses the importance of strength and conditioning and being in fighting shape in general. Léo is neither the usual Aïkido "master" who passes off dancing as fighting nor a man with an identity crisis who will essentially do MMA and call it "effective Aïkido" or something. He has very definitely chosen his art and he's aware of what it is and isn't, and more importantly he gives himself every chance of interacting with people from combat sports backgrounds and also exemplifying purposeful athleticism and a productive life hygiene. I'm so happy you met him. I stumbled across him on the street in Paris some months ago and I was slightly starstruck.

[@Virjunior01]

I think that's a special thing to be able to do... being able to see the faults or drawbacks in your chosen artistic endeavor and continue anyway. I did Tae Kwon Do for a few years, almost got to black belt. But from the beginning teachings, I understood... shit's literally just dirty Korean street fighting given rules and orthodoxy.

[@ChrisP58]

Same here. I don’t necessarily agree with the “in mma you can’t do this or that (etc)”. Works both ways. In a real fight/street fight mma has no rules and is very dangerous. I did judo, wrestling and bjj. It saved my ass quite a few times. But I understand that competition method can hamper you in a real fight. So I appreciate his survival thinking method.

[@mkadoza]

@@ChrisP58 " In a real fight/street fight mma has no rules and is very dangerous." This is the misconception of effective mmas vs aikido. BJJ was literally cultivated in the energy of the sporting competition of "MMA". Aikido is about killing, ending the fight, incapacitating immediately with effective strikes, getting behing them and gouging eyes outs, actually snapping limbs and tendons. Every single one of these is outlawed in modern combat sports. The "pressure testing" is never a fight to the death, thus the most effective techniques of aikido are "outlawed". SPorting fights, ego fights, are not fights of life and death. Style doesnt matter. Affect does.

[@houseofaction]

just think of how more effective his Aikido would be if he actually trained in MMA, contrary to what he teaches, it's irrelivent that you can't use eye gouges, groin hits and kneck punches in MMA because you can't use it in Aikido either, he trains with a concept in mind, a concept of survival but he doesn't actually train to do eye gouges, groin hits etc. because if he did he would be blinding, and killing all of his training partners, which means he isn't actually training to do these techniques. so its just THEORETICAL.

[@mkadoza]

@@houseofactionDo you think you have to actually kill and incapacitate to practice the various techinique that are used to kill and incapacitate? 99% of militaries would like to have a word.

[@Anthranga]

Special thanks for this episode, Jesse! The techniques presented in the clip delve deeply into the philosophy of budo/bujutsu. It's interesting to see this pragmatic aspect, which is evident in the teachings of the old masters but was momentarily forgotten due to movies and entertainment culture. Keep up the good work!

[@thewhistlehasbeenblown]

This video really gave me a completely different insight into Aikido, and I think Leo is absolutely correct about asymmetric fighting and fights having no rules in the real world. As Lee Morrison from Urban Combatives always explains, in a dojo or a boxing ring setting, it's "your turn, then my turn" and each person takes turns because it is a match fight with rules, but in the real world (as Lee brilliantly explains) "It's my turn, my turn, my turn again, my turn again, and my turn again" until it's over and the other person is no longer a threat to you.

[@sirseigan]

Yea. There is an interesting bloke to see Jesse train with :-)

[@obiwanquixote8423]

Years ago I remember someone telling me "Remember, not even Ueshiba started with Aikido. People focus on the peaceful old man and forget what kind of tiger he was in his youth. To make the end work you have to start at the beginning. There are no shortcuts." I think that's very true for all the "gentle arts." They're almost all from people who had walked a long and hard road to arrive where they are. Ueshiba's pre-war techniques are very different from what was taught later. I think starting at the end state is like taking graduate studies without first doing all the foundations of high school and undergrad.

[@ehisey]

Best akido guys I ever worked with were all 3dan or higher karateka that had later moved to akido and earnd 4th or higher dan rankings. They all said the previous hard style training had engrauned the distance and kine sense required to make akido work.

[@gregoryyong3810]

100% that's why a lot of high level judoka practice aikido as well in Japan.

[@piotrd.4850]

Then came before-compassion Chiba Sensei and fixed a lof of this.

[@mikhaelis]

The older and wiser o-sensei got the more he understood about compassion and letting go of ego. He clearly stated that aokido was not a martial art it was the art of peace and the techniques were not made to hurt anyone but they were made to stop someone from hurting you and doing so with the only amount of force required to stop attack. The lesson was supposed to show that you could defeat someone who was intent on killing you causing them no harm and trying to teach them the lesson not to use violence.

[@minorityofone1510]

​@@ehiseyi think i agree... So far in my aikido journey i can see that to be 'gentle' you have to be skilled for it to be effective in stopping an attack. Beginners would struggle with this if they have no previous foundation in martial arts

[@pedromiguel3227]

This Aikidoka is clearly a master. An absolute pleasure to watch. Thank you.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Thank you too!

[@Bob.Roberts]

I wonder what this Aikido master thinks of Steven Seagal.

[@kingwilly8041]

I believe the ponytail says it all, LOL

[@boshirahmed]

Segal take, when it comes to weapons aikido is king. sport is a different matter, any trained fighter offering to fight is giving an opportunity to walk away. bad guys do not behave like trained fighters so a lot of these moves make sense. how many mma guys can use swords like segal or would know how to defend against one?

[@Juelz4ever]

This guy IS SO INSIGHTFUL and I'm not even practicing any martial arts. I'm amazed how deep his knowledge is!

[@pickleballer1729]

I took Judo for about 8 years and Tomiki Aikido for a couple of years. This is by far the most realistic protrayal of Aikido as self defense (survival) I've seen. Just acknowledging the difference between ritual and survival is very important when thinking about various martial arts against each other.

[@BenWeeks]

The survival angle I have heard used in Krav maga as well.

[@rangered_64]

He seems to have a more practical approach to aikido, which is something that is unheard of in the martial art. I might as well have a try with my friend of practicing the techniques shown in this video. This sensei already has my approval.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Have fun and stay safe 👊🙏

[@Priapos93]

Same. Would love to hear more

[@dbuck1964]

It actually isn’t that unheard of, it’s much more common than you think. It’s just very strange that the people who are actually good at this art get very little airtime, very much like how the legacy media works with regards to politics lol. 😂 💁🏼‍♂️

[@5styleFMA]

Thank you for posting this is very progressive and effective methodology of Aikido. I am a huge fan of your channel, Sensei Jesse, and always enjoy learning about other arts. It helps me to be a better teacher. Salute!

[@edtheangler4930]

Unheard? Are you dense? It was literally made to win fights and thats what it does

[@LesArtsdelaParole]

Leo Tamaki is an impressive man. He is the calm before the storm. All his moves are like an exploration of all the worst things he could be doing to you. His sparring with Greg MMA was amazing as well. I just love the humbleness and curiosity of you all masters forever learners.

[@FaceTheAshes]

This video completely revamped my (admittedly limited) perception of Aikido. From clarifying the difference between ritual and survival, to his nuanced concepts of engagement and acceptance of rules. I also think he illustrated perfectly why, while Aikido isn't necessarily an art that's fit for the context of MMA, it is very much a martial art and encompasses the very essence of self-defense.

[@houseofaction]

martial artist ramsey dewey has made videos proving it would be simpler to just use traditional judo, and jiujitsu. while this guy argues that you can't use eye gouges, groin kicks etc in mma the same is true about Aikido, you can't train these techniques without maming eachother so these techniques are only relevent as last ditch techniques that you would use if your opponent has the upper hand

[@bullshitdepartment]

groin kicks and eye gouges dont work in a street fight, it just doesnt happen. A liver kick is more painful and dangerous than a groin kick, by far, uncontested.@@houseofaction

[@emory0]

I never studied Aikido but that was already my conclusion about it: It can be a dangerously effective martial art when it's taught from that perspective.

[@random.3665]

@@houseofaction Actually you can train these techniques, its just requires a lot of protective equipment, and usually limits certain techniques to not being done full contact. And those techniques are really not so much "last ditch" as they are "fighting for your life". If someone comes at you with a knife, you are fighting for your life from the first second. Im not claiming ofc that (that style of) aikido is somehow supperior to any other self defense concept that goes for things like eye-poking, but its apparent why self defense and competitive sports just arent comparable on the question of "what is most effective".

[@brattwurst1979]

​@@houseofactionI mean like even if you can eye gouge or groin kick doesn't really matter if you're fighting a wrestler that can control or maybe even slam you to the ground before you can eye gouge and groin kick

[@cdgrantfilms9424]

Probably the best description of Aikido practicality I have ever heard articulated. Fantastic video!

[@seba_ksports]

A 10min masterclass! The concepts introduced so quickly-and clearly-by Tamaki were mind opening! Thank you Jesse. PS: I think anyone who knows about fighting will agree it looked really effective too!

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Awesome to hear 😁

[@RealVergilSparda]

It looked like basic grappling tbh, it worked so well because jesse isnt a grappler

[@affect2298]

⁠@@RealVergilSpardaJesse wasn’t really resisting either, seems like he wanted to give the dude space to demonstrate his work

[@RealVergilSparda]

@@affect2298 i feel like creating space and trying to go back to striking is jesse's form of resistance but i see your point

[@KOMONPEEPOL]

Leo Tamaki vs GregMMA (MMA fighter)… you ll see that Tamaki sensei is not ridiculous. He spoke also about Capoeira.

[@gmoney2667]

Fascinating video, thank you. I remember a friend in australia telling me that aikido was THE martial art to study for real life self-defense. I can see why now.

[@statesrights01]

"It's not a fighting art, it's a surviving art." Pure gold!

[@bverji]

I have been making this point for decades. There are just a lot of people that don't understand the difference between fighting and self-defense.

[@da-wicked-ninja]

Best akaido teacher ive heard very honest n straight forward take example

[@thebrownbaldy]

"It's not a fighting art, it's a survival art." Love it. Either way, channels like this make martial arts fun to learn.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Music to my ears! 🎉

[@lslewis]

Yeah, that was BARS^^.

[@Mike-mo1gq]

Jesse you are an absolute class of act. Not only a great martial artist, but also a great interviewer, you condcut yourself with in a such respectful way!! It's really refreshing.

[@frankright4454]

As an Aikidoka I'm happy to see a sensei who actually understands Aikido. 90% Atemi. What most people don't understand is many of the original students of Aikido came from other martial arts and came fairly proficient in kicking and punching so it it was not necessary to teach that but it doesn't mean it wasn't an important part of the art. Thank you sensei Jesse for putting this together. Love your channel.

[@AikiBudo22]

100% agree Frank. I too am an Aikidoka - Yoshinkan style - the stuff the Tokyo riot police are required to take. We used atemi in many techniques and frequently would 'lead' attacks. In other words, attack first. Far too many people, including those practicing some version of this art do not understand it.

[@rainmaker6970]

I got my first black belt in TKD before even finding Aikido and training for 9 yrs helped me understand balance and harmony which helped my in countless ways in business- and taught me the most important lesson of all ; the best way to win a fight os to be balanced and harmonious enoughnin your life that you are not getting into fights. A bit of Sun Tzu how to win without fighting :))

[@frankright4454]

@@AikiBudo22 The angry white pyjama squad. LOL!! I love it. Very insightful book.

[@raydaras]

Excellent point.

[@patataboy]

Somebody finally put some sense back into Aikido. If I had this teacher in my teen years I would probably not have stopped Aikido for Shotokan (or maybe I would have done both). Oyama sensei gave karate it sense of fight back. Tamaki sense is doing the same for Aikido. Traditional Kungfu has to go through that mental revolution too

[@zaberfang]

Probably because the current generation is more into becoming so arrogant that they tend to pick fights once they pick up the skills.

[@wocilradixmahakamdwinov3699]

One of the best episode of this channel, in a philosophical way. Surprisingly refreshing and debunking.🎉

[@KenNakajima07]

This guy is golden!!! Thank you Jesse!! you´re the best, always open and respectful to interact with all kinds of masters.

[@Zenith_Of_Chaos]

The depth and intelligence he showed in the conversation was mesmerizing. He speaks like a true expert, a master of his craft.

[@rodrigoshimonishi]

My father was Japanese, and learned Gojyuryu in Brazil from a master who always mentioned that karate is just one art of the various of a complete fighter. What he meant was that jiu-jítsu, judô, aiki, kendo are all complements of one another. Nice to see the respect you have!🙏🙏🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@caioteixeira1541]

Couldnt agree more

[@misterringer]

More this guy, less Segal. This guy presented it honestly and even sparred in good faith, knowing he couldn't show the real potential of his art. hats off to him.

[@nubee2bee580]

Jesse did an interview with Steven Seagal. Seagal described Aikido in much the same way. Jesse and his cousin seemed impressed with Seagal's skills. Media propaganda makes it trendy to pick on certain well known figures.

[@casla5571]

Steven Seagal also learned Wing Chun from Sifu Randy Williams (he was also his bodyguard) then continued learning Wing Chun from GM Samuel Kwok... there are the videos where Seagal and Kwok are doing together Aikido and Wing Chun seminars

[@Turco949]

I am not gonna go practice Aikido anytime soon but I have total respect for this master. I also agree with his comments, you should only fight as a last resort which would typically be in a situation where your or your loved ones' lives are in danger and at that point, it won't be a fight with a style or rules. I also respect Jesse's open-minded and unbiased approach to any style. Well done, Jesse!

[@alitaimoor1482]

Man, this is what I love about your videos the most. You always talk to the masters who know their art inside out. They are not just warriors, but intellectuals as well.

[@DesilateLamprophony]

Damn. That gentle sparring was very enlightening. The Aikido teacher was able to counter everything in layers, he could catch the strikes, return several strikes, throw him off balance and move into a defensive position while keeping head control...very impressive.

[@hellfrozen9971]

It's not always about a martial art being weaker than the other It's the rules that differ,you cannot expect to see a boxer fight an mma fighter in an mma ring with mma rules,as well as you will not see an mma fighter perform well in a box ring with boxing rules,in a street fight there are no rules,but street fights are not a legal sport for people practice so you cannot tell which fighting style is more practical in a real life scenario,yeah mma may seem well rounded in a real fight scenario,but in mma you will not fight 3 people at a time,you will not fight against armed opponents,there is biting,throwing,using of the surroundings,there are no rules and without rules anything can happen,but still doing a sport will give you an advantage over someone who doesn't,because your reflexes,speed,strength and resistance will be greater

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Well said

[@cubicinfinity2]

Also guns change the meta quite a bit.

[@krste3000]

This guy's aikido won't help with any of the cases you mentioned. Also, I'm pretty MMA fighters are aware of eye gouging, biting and dick punching, all of those techniques were literally used in the early UFC events with barely any success.

[@johnnytakamoto1909]

Or just study Muay Thai + BJJ and kick everyone's ass by default..

[@yvancvetkovic7494]

Just to point out that in-fact an mma fighter did perform very well against the heavyweight champion fury in a boxing ring under boxing rules, and boxer fought under mma rule back in early days of ufc .. its all subjective

[@DanDjurdjevicplus]

Another gem of a video. I have long argued that aikido was an art of survival, not fighting, and that its ritualistic expression was not intended to be applied in a cage or ring. But I’ll be darned if I could ever have explained it as well as this guy. Good on for all your magnificent exploration Jesse.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Thank you my friend!

[@เด็กพเนจร-ฝ4ษ]

I disagree with this. I think aikido was mostly made for when weapons were involved and that it doesn't have that much to offer for unarmed fighting

[@federocx1]

@@เด็กพเนจร-ฝ4ษ It actually does come from a time where it involved fighting armed and armored samurai's with a small weapon or unarmed. So I do think it is harder to see it applied in a cage match, as the Master says, it is not for fighting but for survival.

[@zaberfang]

​@@เด็กพเนจร-ฝ4ษLooking at the techniques used during their sparring, it definitely IS a survival technique.

[@cmdrdredd]

To me it seems like a modern interpretation of the hand to hand techniques that might have been used during the age of the samurai. Something they may have used to avoid drawing the sword and killing their opponent if it was not necessary or warranted. It’s interesting to envision it this way.

[@blender_wiki]

This channel is an absolute treasure. 🙏🙏🙏🙏 This is mind-blowing, he changed all the perspectives on how we see Martial arts.

[@nyrva2876]

Well if for you martial arts are what you see in movies, sure. Real prartionners with real teachers know what's all about.

[@georgem2452]

Jesse... you open the eyes of may all over the world. A big thankyou. This gentleman master explained what survival is... what it means to...fight

[@travisdawson3027]

This definitely changes my perspective of Aikido. It seems to be facing the same issue as a lot of traditional styles where people tend base its usefulness off what they see in sports/ games with out realizing that those carry rules for a reason because true uncensored martial arts is not something most people could never stomach.

[@lordoffaiyum9727]

Exactly

[@gorilla-san]

Gladiator sorta stuff. I'm sure people could stomach it, as long as someone gives them an excuse for why it's OK to watch two people trying to disable each other for sport :D

[@Contradel]

Imagine 8:09 but with his fingers inside your eyeballs. It would be no fun sport but truly a survivor skill.

[@y_s4021]

Not to mention you'd run out of competitors pretty fast. Some would die, others would be blinded, others permanently disabled... would be hard to find new students today also.

[@minorityofone1510]

Martial arts evolved from the battlefield.... Too much evolution risks ineffectiveness of techniques. Master Leo makes the point about closed and ritual engagement - not wanting to hurt or maim. But being able and prepared to if required👍

[@Mjefferson001]

I never read Aikido video comments that show such respect until this video. very nice !

[@dienekes4364]

This is the way I trained with Aikido. It's almost impossible to find a dojo that trains this way. I also trained in Shotokan Karate when I was stationed in Okinawa. The 2 forms are very complimentary. I basically used Aikido for defense and Karate for offense. My group studied a lot about how Aikido techniques can be used to do some serious damage to an opponent in a street fight.

[@ruialmeida818]

Sadly, in the west, the styles that are most common are Aikikai dojos. However, if you find a yohsinkan or takemusu aiki dojo near you, you should invest in those styles. Bottom line, not all styles of aikido are the same, as not all styles of karate are the same, albeit the difference is much more irrelevant in the case of karate.

[@ajseastrand]

NGA is also a mix of effective Japanese self defense. ( Nihon Goshin Aikido). Just sadly not very common.

[@G0LD3NR0D]

Probably because the majority of Aikido Dojos (and especially in the west) refuse to actually test students under pressure. That one element makes them unsuitable for self defense, and they'll give you lots of excuses why, but ultimately even maiming and killing techniques can still be trained. If people can train to maim or kill in self defense with a melee weapon, including bladed weapons, you can absolutely train things like small joint manipulation and the like, all without actually having to hurt someone while training. All of it can be stress tested, you just need to invest in the right methods and if necessary equipment.

[@ruialmeida818]

@@G0LD3NR0D the lack of pressure testing, or even a honnest view on accurate technique while teaching, is common among aikikai. I think it is more a complacency that is established in the style, rather than 'the way it is taught in the west', although, aikikai is the most common style, so take that with a grain of salt. Regardless, Takemusu, yoshinkan and other styles tend to be more structured and accurate with their training/teaching processes.

[@dienekes4364]

@@G0LD3NR0D -- I could only "like" this comment, but I wish I could have ❤'ed it!

[@baronzz]

I don't like how people say aikido is not effective but right here you can see that it is

[@apcfelipe]

It's great to see a proficient aikidoka with a solid background like Leo Tamaki (who studied under the late N. Tamura-sensei for around 20 years) here. There are great aikidokas just like him in the aikido community but, unfortunately, they don't get that much attention/visibility. Thanks for this video!

[@KARATEbyJesse]

My pleasure!

[@martial-arts-academy]

The best Aikido video I ever saw which did justice to the art and made me think just how much experience the instructor has accumulated over the years...

[@battleoflegions]

I've done many years of Aikido, had the same doubt of its functionality and eventually turned to other martial arts. recently I opened the world of weapon's combat, and I found lot of the things I learned back then just pops up naturally. I believe Akido is definitely tied to survival fight, probably not designed for empty handed fighting.

[@mysticwolfjg6567]

The whole idea of survival is not to win the fight but to protect yourself, so the idea that everything gives make sense. Because someone that is a professional cage fighter in MMA, Kickboxing, etc, the rules themselves will be engraved in the way the fight. I have trained with Leo quite a few times and my own sensei has a similar philosophy for Aikido.

[@dorukgolcu9191]

I have noticed a lot of the techniques fit the situation very well if someone is trying to prevent you from drawing your sword

[@ironjavs1182]

Yes. When you add a weapon lot of technique have much more meaning in them (like why opponent grabs you hand... It's to prevent hit by tanto). Infact there is weapon training in Aikido (jo,bokken and tanto) every technique without a weapon can be made also with weapon, but it is also unarmed martial art.

[@edtheangler4930]

This guy literally had the change to maim jesse to the point he literally stopped before even grapping him and you are saying it isn't for hand fighting??

[@battleoflegions]

@@ironjavs1182 exactly, when both have swords, "martial art of love " doesn't mean "don't punch or kick", but "don't kill", then the technique makes perfect sense.

[@LotBD]

I absolutely appreciate this. My exposure to Aikido was coincidence of time and place. It was a completely different experience from Tae Kwon Do and blew my mind the first-time we did Randori. My first thought was 'Why didn't we do this in Tae Kwon Do? then 'More please?' I was only around the place for about a year and even at other Aikido dojos I found they were not engaging all the students in Randori or left it out completely. As someone who had been on the receiving end of multiple attackers prior it just felt like it was something that really needed to be taught and the free form nature in how we did it was undeniably satisfying. I have since exposed my self to any kind of martial art I get the opportunity for and so far Aikido and BJJ are my favs for various reasons but I feel like every martial art I've gotten a lesson on has been valuable.

[@Tentaisei]

He is just doing what a lot of Aikido people today are doing, slowly changing Aikido back into Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu.

[@albertotazon5134]

Comentario brutal. Nuestro aikido (llevo desde el 97) es casi más DaitoRyu que aikido. No bailamos, luchamos.

[@gregsimon3014]

More like incorporating Daito Ryo into it. Aikido was never a combat art as Ueshiba was never a fighter.

[@knowledgeofsurvival]

Which is all really just traditional jujitsu🙏🏾

[@wildwaymartialarts]

​@gregsimon3014 that's not entirely true. Ushieba wasn't a pacifist until after the war.

[@wildwaymartialarts]

Actually, there really wasn't supposed to be a difference at all. The flowery shit happened after Usheibas death. A lot of what we do see of him is him as an old man doing demonstrations. But in his prime, there wasn't really any difference. In fact he didn't call it aikido until much later in life.

[@FigureOnAStick]

I'd love to see more of this guy. He's got such an amazing way of explaining his knowledge, and the skills to back it up!

[@miks8]

Same! I couldnt get enough of it. Wished there was a whole series with this master

[@peterpoop]

Same.

[@TinyShaman]

He's got an amazing way of waving his tongue, that's true enough. Seriously, I've heard so many of these metaphors and analogies that I feel sick of them. When it comes to practice, he's got nothing to show for it, except for some more or less decent movement techniques. Jesse didn't even lay on him nearly as hard as what he does to everyone else. He was just plating around the way they do at any aikido dojo.

[@lindien1000]

All my respect for Leo who trained me long time ago. Beyond technique, I also witness his humanity

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Definitely 🙏

[@Arvind_R]

One of the best martial arts videos I've seen. The Aikido master is so wise, articulate and sharp. It just shows his depth and clarity of thought.

[@jamesw713]

A great interview, coaching Leo Tamaki into explaining the difference between his style and other forms of Aikido. And, the difference in the mindset of sport vs survival when winning.

[@billywashere6965]

This is one of the things many of the Joe Rogan/BJJ fans always miss out on, and something I have to repeatedly explain to them: Aikido isn't effective in UFC because almost all of its effective techniques are banned, as explained in the video. If people used it as it was intended in the cage/ring, the results would be very different (and deadly).

[@timmychonga4901]

It's always great to see practitioners that have a better understanding of the original "intention" of any art. I think so much get's lost or misinterpreted over the years. Aikido's concepts of the relaxed fluidity brings way more to the table than people give it credit, because it is a valuable piece of the puzzle that will help in making your preferred defense more effective. Easier to control a board than a chain. Well done interview.

[@AikiBudo22]

This sensei's adaptation of Aiki principles is spot-on. I'm an Aikidoka in Yoshinkan style - the stuff Tokyo riot police are required to use and I agree with everything he said, including the wimpy way most people I trained with were approaching this art. And the Honbu style was even more guilty of moving too far from the MARTIAL aspect of this art. Seagal Sensei's adaptation is also more reality based and adapted to current defense needs. So much misunderstanding of this art's principles and application. Frame is a great way of explaining it. Great video, Jesse! Thank you.

[@RobertDaCosta-uj8th]

I absolutely love Jesse Enkamp's expansive knowledge to open up so many venues of various fighters, Masters in all different styles showing wonderful techniques . Leo Tamaki is so humble and teaches his technique slow enough to see the moves. Bless this presentation from with these wonderful teachers ,experts and it is a pleasure to say a once in a lifetime experience. Thank You Jesse for opening this door to such knowledge. Keep them coming.

[@mariosebastiani3214]

I've been practicing Aikido for the better part of the last 19 years, and I love it. It's a nice practice in the dojo, where we are alearning, having fun and relaxing in a very safe way. The second it gets to a real life confrontation, it becomes aikijutsu. No rules, no compassion, economy and efficiency in movements, disable by harming fast.

[@DirectorHMAN]

Have you ever been injured while training?

[@mariosebastiani3214]

@@DirectorHMAN a few times, never too seriously though.

[@spiceweasel945]

You get it. Most don’t understand well enough to distinguish

[@mikepatterson1975]

It’s how you train and understanding an attack. He pointed out MMA fighters love to punch and love to be punched. This is not for everyone. However, anyone can learn to survive any attacker. Two different mindsets. Great demonstration!❤

[@mountbara]

This may be the best video I have seen you do. Even though I have spent my entire life in martial arts, I had no idea there was 2 styles of Aikido. I thought the ritual Aikido was all there was, and seeing this, I can see practical applications, and that he talks of it the way he does, I can appreciate this even more fully.

[@SBCBears]

More than two styles: Hombu (late Osensei style), Tomiki (sport style) and Yoshinkan (early Osensei style) come to mind. Heck, google it and you will find more, I'm sure.

[@AleksiBennettGuitar]

Best aikido content I've seen. I love that when he demonstrated, he didn't set Jesse up - he let him do whatever he wanted. It was like "aikido is for the streets" except he could actually demonstrate his skill as well. Would love to see him in the Self Defence Championships!

[@kmosheng]

what I most love about Leo's application of aikido is his use of straight lines and sharper angles. rotating that hallmark circular motion to a vertical plane showed itself nicely in sparring

[@Mark-sc4bu]

I trained in Aikido for many years, and everything this guy says is 100% correct. I loved Aikido but I was under no illusion that I would be able to defend myself against a serious attacker - it takes far too long to gain that level of proficiency. I'd have liked to see Jesse Enkamp really attack this guy because then I think we'd have seen a whole different dynamic. It's a shame that there aren't more aikido exponents like this guy.

[@neonjoe529]

If that's true, doesn't that mean that something else, like bjj for example, is a better choice for the average person(assuming some form of self defense is the goal)?

[@andrewthomas6269]

@@neonjoe529 Yes. Consider - does any military use Aikido for their unarmed combat technique? I can say that Army Combatives use a lot of BJJ. They cater to the lowest common demoniator(aka the slowest learning person), so if it works for them it'll work for the average person.

[@fotn5841]

@@andrewthomas6269 Years ago I heard a British guy explain that Aikido type stuff was used for running attacks in military confrontations, like for charges. That made sense to me. Trying to "Aikido" a guy who was not attacking toward you seemed hard. And I studied with one Ueshiba's (SP) top students back in the 80's. So there is a military application . . . Back in the day when most everything was up close and personal. Except arrows, of course. Got to soften things up . . .

[@divinesitcom9118]

@@andrewthomas6269police and bouncers use some aikido principles. Which now that I think about it makes sense in the context of surprise attacks. Having a “friendly” conversation and going into control or a takedown. Aikido is probably best used when stripped for parts and used as a tool to supplement striking arts.

[@luizfellipemariano1515]

There is a military and police aikido variation called Takenpol. It basically focus on defences against weapons (specially clubs and knives), take downs and wristle-locks (wich is an aikido speciality).

[@aaronsensei7637]

More coverage from this sensei would be great, if only to promote respect for an art that is often disrespected and disregarded. He poses some great concepts, things that I am aware of but many folk dismiss. I just love martial arts

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Always more to learn!

[@aaronsensei7637]

@@KARATEbyJesse yes absolutely, the pursuit and passion working hand in hand.

[@watahmaan5400]

Thank you for Putting the three musketeers and Musashi in context! It's self explanatory, but I guess i was blindsided!

[@watahmaan5400]

That explains really much.

[@michaellowe2559]

Much respect to Jesse as always. Thank you for bringing and sharing the many arts of surviving in their raw and unfiltered forms.

[@AlexisLK]

Leo Tamaki is one of the few today to have a truly deep and logical understanding of what martial arts are truly about.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

It seems so!

[@prometheus3396]

@@KARATEbyJessesee, but talking about how he can’t show you his full arsenal because to do so would open you up to serious injury very much feels like an opportunity to avoid proper stress testing. Eye gouging and groin shots are not part of any particular martial art in terms of their technique, it’s merely if they’re allowed or not. MMA doesn’t allow vital strikes because it would cause irreparable damage, and because it’s no demonstration of superior technique. There’s no special way to hit someone in the balls to make it hurt more, you just hit them in the fucking balls. If you remove the rule set from the martial arts then the martial arts that have higher success rates with the rule sets will beat out those that have low success rates sans the illegal moves. I fail to see how saying that removing a ruleset from a fight makes the art used more effective. By that logic I can bring a gun to a fight and say my jiu-jitsu was stronger than his aikido. I loved the vid btw, you always make great content.

[@wombat1178]

i love aikido, i used to practice it. in the recent ears it got badmouthed from every direction. i have to say i LOVED this video. this is really a practical point of view of how to actually use it and what it is meant for. "it is not a fighting art, it is a survival art". awesome. really loved it, thank you :)

[@DirectorHMAN]

Yh the UFC crowd has attracted a lot of baseless opinions. Their rigid thinking that the TV sport is anything like real life. In Aikido, there is no fight, there is either a break away or an end to it violently. People don't go 10 rounds with a knife wielding maniac.

[@FatherAntithetical]

Aikedo's kind of the definition of "when attached by a crowed, break whatever gets within reach. The next one will hesitate." @@DirectorHMAN

[@makokx7063]

@@DirectorHMAN Baseless opinions? Regarding skill acquisition? Play the air guitar your whole life you'll never be able to play a real guitar. Do katas your whole life you'll never be able to really fight. Have techniques that are "too dangerous to use" and you will never be able to actually use them. It's all bull shit. MMA is proven, Aikido is for 40-year-old Chūnibyōs.

[@makokx7063]

@@FatherAntithetical Aikido is the definition of thinking you're in a Kung Fu movie and have the Touch of Death only to get punched int he face once and realize you wasted 10 years of your life.

[@DirectorHMAN]

@@makokx7063 thank you for proving my point

[@kaanunal8899]

This video restored my respect for Aikido, gave me more appreciation for the art, gave me a better perspective and informed me better than most Aikido related videos. Thank you both Takami Sensei and Jesse Sensei. Also keep up the good work 😉. Nobody informed me better about Karate and other traditional martial arts better than you. Thank you! 😊

[@Philip89997]

This is sensational. I liked when he said that aikido is irimi and atemi. Many people think that there are only wrist locks. He also proved to be very efficient using it. Thanks so much Jesse, awesome content.💯👊

[@KARATEbyJesse]

No doubt!

[@nicozen836]

Thank you so much, Léo is so gentle and dangerous same Time, Always a delight to see and listen to him.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

True masters are! 💪

[@HakamasMaximus]

The most accurate and real-world description of true Aikido! There is also the spiritual side of this art as it is also a "Way" or "Do". He touched upon it with respect to the intention not to harm nor to be harmed. I much enjoy your earnest martial arts quest for a deeper understanding of all arts and styles. Much respect Jesse! Osu!

[@minimeiauw4]

Jesse being Uke. No Sparring was done that day

[@duc_le_photography]

My exact observation

[@SgForeverSg]

This Aikido Master gives me goosebumps. In a very good way. Nice yet real, honest and he understands the issues and is frank and clear about it despite imperfect English. He is very very convincing.