Many students take Aikido for the purpose of “self-defence.” Self-defence is a worthwhile objective, but I think that people often misunderstand it.
I once attended a seminar with a friend who was quite interested in the “self-defence” aspect of Aikido. We stepped outside the dojo during a break, and he promptly lit a cigarette and began to smoke it with great fervour.
I was amazed that he could do that to his body while it was under such physical stress. But more importantly, I realized the irony…. that if he really was interested in “self-defence” per se, he’d put as high a priority on cutting back on the smoking as he did on practicing martial arts.
Few of us will face a combat situation in our lives. But for those of us who ignore their health, emphysema, stroke, heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, depression and a host of other ailments are fairly likely.
According to Statistics Canada, It is far more probable that you will die in a car accident (well over 3,000 in 2007) than in any kind of assault (just over 500). Do you drive defensively? Do you drink and drive?
Do you try to protect your health? Obesity is the source of countless fatalities. Nearly 70,000 people died of heart disease in Canada in 2007. And according to the statistics, you are actually at greater risk of suicide (3,600 plus in 2007) than of dying at the hands of an attacker. That’s an adversary who is hard to defeat.
While combat, armed and unarmed, is core to the concept of Aikido, it offers many other benefits. Does your martial art relax you and revitalize you? Does it offer you healthful exercise? Does it calm you? Does it give you concepts for handling confrontations smoothly as well as for surviving street attacks? Are you part of a supportive and friendly community? Does your art give you a positive attitude that makes your life happier and more productive?
More than 2,600 people died of falls in 2007 in Canada. How many might have survived if they knew more about falling safely?
These are important aspects of real self-defence. Even a beginner, whose technique is not yet quite “combat-ready,” definitely can enjoy these benefits.
From this point of view Aikido is a wonderful art. Of course combat is a central theme in Aikido. But when you consider how much time you pour into learning a martial art, you have to ask yourself whether it is making you a stronger and better person – or just a more dangerous one.
