As far as I'm aware from what I have practised and read, we do move and utilise the whole of our bodies but the majority of the power comes from the hips and our 'centre'. Ki is supposed to flow through every part of our body and extension in the arms is an important factor in our training. To say aikidoka only use their hips or a part of their body is incorrect and you've been fed misinformation.

I've seen a bunch of western boxers get knocked out in contests under the exact rule sets that they train for, I guess boxing sucks.

I know a guy that trains in traditional arts and he once stopped an aikidoka's technique so aikido sucks and TMAs are the bomb.

I know a whole bunch of guys that are dan ranked in various striking arts but they are now practicing aikido. I guess they must know something... maybe aikido is better than all striking arts.

I once used aikido to throw a 3rd dan in Tang Soo Do, so obviously aikido is better than Tang Soo Do.

I was once taken down by a 6 month BJJ student with a double leg takedown, I guess aikido "takedown defenses" don't work against BJJ.

There is this one guy that says power isn't generated from the hip but rather conducted through the hips. Unfortunately the bugger won't tell me where the power is generated.

One time, at band camp....

Some years ago I was entertained by a person playing a guitar at a party. I was thoroughly intrigued as I had never been able to make MY guitar playing sound as nice as his guitar playing. So I asked him where I could get a guitar like his.

Get the point? The performance is NOT in the art it is in the person. You see one kind of performance trump another kind of performance and you automatically make a judgement on the art (IE. "this art is better than that art"). Can't figure why you are doing this. Does the effort of the individual count for nothing? Thoughts?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

And what about those of us who do both aikido/budo and Chinese internal arts like baguazhang and xing yi?

I find that both have excellent points.

WarriorofLuv,

You would be better off ignoring any chest-thumping by your friend and agreeing with him that Aikido is useless. It's not worth it. Aikido works. Remember all the challenges O'Sensei and the dai sempai took on in the early years? Keep training.