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Hi I don't know aikido is good for street defending or not!!
Hello Mehdi.
You've asked a difficult question - it's not one I can answer with a simple yes-no answer. I'll answer this way:
Now, people will tell you Aikido is great for street defense; others will tell you it isn't. They're missing the point - because no martial art is good for street defending. Or all of them are. It depends - because it's not the art that's doing the defending; YOU are. If YOU are an effective defender; then you will be able to use whatever skills you have learned; whatever the art. If you are not a good defender, then nothing you learn will help. Street defense is not about martial arts or any individual techniques one might learn; it's about how well you keep your head, keep your feet and keep your options open. It's about using your head - not your fists - in potentially hostile encounters.
Think of martial arts and defense training sort of like a toolbox. One martial art may teach one aspect, one may teach another. There's no art that teaches everything; just as there's no tool that does everything. No matter how good the tool is, unless you become good and experienced with using tools, they're not going to help you much.
Specifically though, if your interest is in learning street defense; Aikido is excellent at teaching certain aspects crucial to your own effectiveness. It teaches balance, stability, understanding the way bodies move in conflict and the way they can be destabilized and immobilized. It doesn't have all the answers, but it has very good answers for the areas it covers. Many experienced defenders learn aikido either - as in my case - as their primary defensive art or as secondary training to their own primary art. In either role, it is excellent. Just never assume that there is only one art or skill that provides all the answers.
I hope this clears some things up. :)
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Answers by Expert:
David R. Organ
Expertise
I can answer any question relating to Ki Society (Shin Shin Toitsu) Aikido and to the application of Aikido towards defence in real-world hostile/violent encounters. I certainly don't have all the answers, but I believe strongly in research and will study all answers before replying.
Experience
I have studied the Martial Arts for a little more than 25 years. Barring an all-too-brief but enjoyable foray into Tai Chi, my studies have been restricted to Japanese arts and Canadian Forces Unarmed Combat; a course I both taught and employed for several years. I am a retired soldier (Infantry) and veteran peacekeeper, with several tours of duty. I have also served as a security guard, bodyguard, repo man and bouncer - jobs which involve a high degree of risk for little personal gain. I teach Aikido, formerly as Sempai, now as Sensei of my own school here in Westerose. Many of my students are cops, soldiers and EMTs, who come to me because of my experience in dealing with violence and high-risk situations. I'm currently writing my first book on the subject which (at the rate I'm going) ought to be on shelves sometime this millenium. :)
Organizations
I am proud to be a member-in-absentia of the Ki Society. I have not yet taken the plunge and formally aligned my dojo - Great Wave Aikido - with the Ki Society; that will come once the school is firmly established. I also hold a CTM designation with Toastmasters International.
Education/Credentials
My formal education is limited to high school and post-secondary technical training (I hold my journeyman's papers as an offset printer). Despite that I have an insatiable curiosity and spend my meagre quiet hours studying a variety of subjects; from physical science, to saurian palaeontology (a subject that has fascinated me since I was 10) to my personal favourite, ancient history and mythology.
Awards and Honors
Well...I'm still alive, if that counts. There is no competition (barring Taigi) in Ki-Aikido, no trophys. Most of my life has been spent getting in, doing the job and getting out again in mostly one piece. Any further awards - such as decorations recieved in the line of duty - are strictly personal, and not discussed. Sorry. :)
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