This article is part of a large effort by MixedMartialArts.com to understand what works in martial arts. The focus is not on what happens in the arena, but rather what happens on the street, or in this case in a gym. Check out more “Best of” stories on:
• Style vs. Style
• Judo
• Aikido
In a gym mat battle of aikido vs. judo, an aikido master named Barry B. found the grappling game to be a hard puzzle to solve when tested by Mark Staniszewski. This friendly, style vs. style randori took place at Team Combat in Massapequa, New York.
Staniszewski, known widely as Mark Stan or Judo Mark, is the first athlete to win Pan American Championships in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo. The law enforcement officer holds 4th degree black belts in both arts.
What happened
Obviously the aikido adept appears to be utterly helpless. Barry B does grasp the importance of grips in jacketed contests to a takedown, but he was unable to fend them off for any significant period of time.
The lesson
While some may look at the ineffectiveness of the aikidoka and laugh unkindly, they shouldn’t. To the contrary, Barry B should be celebrated for stepping out of his comfort zone in the interests of inquiry, which is the heart of mixed martial arts practice.
It’s unknown if Barry B learned anything from the encounter. Perhaps he expanded his training accordingly. Or perhaps, having spent so much time invested in an art that demonstrably has no practical use, he ignored reality and carried on as usual.
What is aikido?
For a little background on the centuries-old arts, aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as “the way of unifying with life energy” or as “the way of harmonious spirit.” Aikido techniques consist of entering and turning movements that redirect the momentum of an opponent’s attack, and a throw or joint lock that terminates the technique.
Ueshiba’s goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attackers from injury. O’Sensei was half successful – against aikido masters, attackers are safe from injury.
What is judo?
Judo is a combat and Olympic sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano Shihan. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the objective is to either throw or takedown an opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue with a pin, or force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke.
There are three basic categories in judo: nage waza (throwing techniques), katame waza (grappling techniques), and atemi waza (vital-point striking techniques). The art is best known for nage-waza and katame-waza.
In the early years of the discipline, the headquarters for judo, the Kodokan, sent representatives across the globe to raise awareness of the art and sport. One of them, Mitsuyo Maeda, taught what he knew to a local family, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu was born. Generations passed, and that in turn eventually spawned modern mixed martial arts. The debt that all realistic martial artists owe to Jigoro Kano is immense.
