I somewhat agree with you in that Ikeda Sensei's Aikido is unbelievable. This video is from 8 years ago and he has continued training. Please come and feel it for yourself. aikijuku.com/2024-bridge-seminar/

It is not about believing. try it, it might work. i tried it and it works. This is internal aikido training. You must be familiar with it as an aikidoka. If you do a technique with your shoulders, it will not work. If you do it with your hips, it will work. But non aikidokas will not see that difference and leave the usual "this is bullshido" remarks. Ikeda is a very popualor teacher. Do you think that all these adult students are bamboozled by him and his "unbelievable tricks"? Not sure how long you train, but after years of training, your aikido will become more and more subtle and more and more effective at the same time....

You really have to experience it with Ikeda Sensei personally and understand what he’s actually doing. He’s using his internal body to make the technique work. Obviously no attacker is going to grab your wrist and stand there. This is training and with years of this kind of training you can understand the correlation between your body and your opponents body instinctively so if for an example someone’s throwing a punch at you, you already have a very detailed map of exactly how that persons heel is going to be up or down, how their shoulder is going to move, how their breathing is just before they throw the punch, how their hip is shifted, and so much more! I recommend you seek out someone who is skilled in internal Aikido!

Have you ever tried it with a real Aikido teacher who teaches internal training? If not you should before making an assumption.

Grab a hold of him and see if you think that.

bio kido, I sincerely hope you're not serious.

He travels a lot. He'll probably give a seminar near you. He usually throws everybody. You won't be so dismissive afterward.

Philip Zeplin, he is being serious. I have many friends who have practiced both BJJ and Aikido and these techniques in a standing takedown defense can be very effective. Ikeda is just showing the most basic forms of these techniques so that students who are not as familiar with them can get exposure to them. They really can give you an advantage over someone that is trying to take you to the ground in various ways. I wouldn't rule them out completely until you have felt them yourself from a qualified instructor. You may be surprised, but you never will unless you open your mind and see for yourself if they have any validity to you personally.

Philip Zeplin I practice both Gracie jiu jitsu and ki aikido and I assure you it’s real; i didn’t believe it either until I felt it.