Aikido vs. Grappling (Koichi Tohei. 1950s)

I'm not a fan of Tohei, but I thought I might share this video of someone trying to grapple an aikidoka. Enjoy!

I do not own this video nor did I partake in its creation.
Original link: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvJ3bI-VyDg&playnext_from=TL&videos=xl...)

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Koichi
• Tohei
• Aikido
• Grappling
• Wrestling

[aikipablo100]

Yo era admirador de Tohei, Pero hace unos 8 años, vi este vídeo deTohei en Este enfrentamiento y quedé estupefacto! Donde està El desequilibrio, la no resistencia, el utilizar la fuerza del otro? Acaso en Aikido no se aprende a dominar a alguien sin dañarlo? Tohei FUE UNO de los mas Grandes aikidocas! Que Podemos Esperar del Resto, despues de ver y analizar este vídeo

[cruzerrepublic]

@aikipablo100 My apologies in advance, I don't speak Spanish and I had to put your comment through google translate.

In any case, another user stated that the movement demonstrated by Tohei here was all about balance. It does seem like he was throwing the attacker, but what he was doing (as far as I can tell) was just balancing out the attackers movements. Basically the Herman's energy in the video was just being redirected back to him. Hope that helps.

[matreyia]

Is that Gene LaBelle as Uke?

[cruzerrepublic]

@matreyia It is mentioned in the video that the pseudo-uke here is named "Herman".

[heathirving]

if you listen to the narrator he says "the disinclination of the instructor to use the more deadly techniques"

if tohei used aikido techniques against this man,which he is not doing until the last bit of the clip,serious injury to uke could have resulted. this was only an exercise in balance.

[cruzerrepublic]

@heathirving Damn, good ears! I completely didn't think about that. Since you pointed that out, most of the haters on this video should just shut up since Tohei wasn't really doing anything martial until 1:25.

[eamonob84]

@liotta75 i thought helio's corner tossed in the towel before his arm could get broken. they knew helio was stubborn and wouldnt tap, so they stopped it before kimura broke his arm. at least, that's what i remember hearing.

[franciscoreatas11]

@unikad I took 2 Aikido for 1 week.I apreaciate its locks and can see the dangers of applying the techniques at full force. My main complain with Aikido is that it's not practical, you can not train at full force,unlike Judo.Remember Judo and Aikido have the same roots in Samurai JuJutsu. Aikido developed the techniques of disarming of an opponents sword, thus all the hand locks and wide moves;Judo preserved the grappling.In Jujutsu grappling is not defferentiated between standup or ground.

[xAristaicx]

@mrkitanai1 LOL. Noice man.

[matreyia]

@cruzerrepublic - Oh, I had the volume turned off. Hehe...should have listened to the narrator.

[mrkitanai1]

@liotta75 I'm not so sure about that. Tohei was also a very accomplished judoka - he trained judo for many years before he started aikido. If I'm not mistaken, he was 4th dan, and a collegiate champion in Japan. In addition to this, Tohei saw a lot of combat action in WWII. So he has engaged in high-level grappling and REAL life or death combat. He'd give Helio a run for his money. When Tohei went to Hawaii to demo aikido, it is well-known that he swept the mat with high-level judoka.