If Benji also did Aikido?

Boxing classes at a West-Tigers training session

Lilyfield dojo is located in the heart of Tiger territory; Leichardt Oval is around the corner, Balmain Leagues Club is up the street, the retail area is decked out in orange and black. Indeed my next-door neighbour is an octogenarian who still attends all the West-Tiger’s games. So it was with sadness to hear that one of the team’s stars, Benji Marshall, was caught up in an altercation over the weekend which resulted ultimately in a charge of “assault occasioning actual bodily harm”.

Without going into the circumstances of the incident, it highlighted the limitation of a pure striking art in the modern world of litigation. Striking (atemi) is an important part of Aikido. Indeed O-Sensei once stated that striking was “90% of Aikido”. However a martial art like Aikido provides versatility beyond just hitting someone really hard. From unbalancing, throws, trips, joint-locks, chokes, pressure points, strategies for handling multiple opponents all the way up to escalation where serious bodily harm could be done, one of Aikido’s strength’s is providing options which (with skill) can be adapted to the situation. How things 'may' have turned out differently with an Aikido response.

Of course with such a smorgasbord of skills to learn, it means Aikido provides a life-time of discovery ...

PS. Go Tigers for NRL season 2011!

Update: Benji was acquitted from the assault charge