Expert: Judith Warner - 8/25/2009

Question
I have taken a few classes of Aikido locally and was a little discouraged at how technical and complicated it was. My main reason for study was for self-defense but proficiency seemed to be to far into the future and i became quickly discouraged. Also in a self-defense situation isn't the main goal to be able to counter a surprise attack which doesn't seem to be taught,at least early on in training.

Answer
Hi Luke,
If what you are looking for is how to respond to a surprise attack, then I suggest you look into a local 'self defense' class - one designed to show people some basics of how to respond when grabbed, etc. These are often offered through local Ymca's, community centers, etc. and are not tied to a specific art.

Proficiency in aikido or any other martial art will take time - it is unrealistic to expect the results you are looking for early into your training. In aikido, you are basically repatterning years of responses to stress and conflict. You are also learning basic moves, which if done slowly at first and practiced consistently and correctly over time, will allow you to respond quickly and effectively under attack.

Sorry you had a frustrating experience. I wonder if you shared your concerns with your instructor. Most instructors, I would hope, would at least demonstrate how their art applies 'off the mat in real attack situation' so you could see more of what the art offers in the long run.

Best of luck!

Judy