I guess it's a complicated answer. I am interested in neurology and psychology, and my job involves analyzing what conditions people need to learn a new skill.
A common misconception is that the brain and body are separate. They are integral to one another. This is obvious when you think about it, but people forget all the time.
A person who has been static for a while, perhaps looking at text on a screen, has a lot of brain activity in some areas and very little in others. Not integrated. He may be tense in his shoulders and breathing shallow, unaware of his body carrying stress. He is more likely to react defensively in fight, flight, or freeze to any change in his environment. Now imagine him driving home in this state. Imagine he carries this state home to his wife and child. He didn't sleep well, and he goes to work again. He's in a bad mood and can't make his mind focus.
Maybe he tries some music to help him focus. Maybe meditation. Strong coffee. Maybe he goes for a walk. Any of these can be helpful, but they still largely ignore that the brain lives within a body.
We know that moving in three-dimensional space (like rolling/ukemi), challenging core postural muscles, and having physical contact with people produces massive shifts in attention, emotional regulation, and learning. That is brain integration. The smooth transmission of information from sensory neuron to action potential. Most people don't even know it exists, and they don't try to maintain it.
Sounds like the work your doing is in educational research; but the research it's self is in kinesiology. Because moderit to vigorous exercise 3 times a week for 30 min to an hour can definitely improve focus, self-esteem, and a few more things I'm not sure I can list today. But any sport or martial practice could help with that; aikido isn't really special in that case. Unless there's something i don't know that you do?
I'm an occupational therapist. So I don't do the research, but I read a lot of it and apply it to problems in real life.
Exercise like you mentioned improves cardiovascular health, and more oxygenated blood moving through the body has all kinds of benefits, including for the brain.
But the brain needs more than oxygenated blood, it needs stimulation. Let's say you chose to run the treadmill three times a week. You'll get the obvious health benefits. But will it make you more assertive the next time you are confronted at work? Will it teach you to solve problems by being proactive, instead of avoiding issues until they grow too big to ignore? I say no.
Yet I've had these benefits from Aikido, and I know that this is because Aikido provides:
Moderate to intense vestibular input - arcing, rolling, spiraling through three-dimensional space. This input has a strong effect on attention and alertness, and increases the brain's ability to take in information without becoming stressed. Stimulation lasts about 8 hours. If you never roll, tilt in space or go upside down, your brain is starved of vestibular input.
Moderate to intense muscle and joint input - this has the greatest effect on self-confidence and mood, as well as body mapping and coordination, especially if you are getting enough vestibular input. Lots of people know about this and lots of sports provide it.
Close physical contact with people - even though I know scientifically that we need this, I shy away from it as more of an introvert. You can get physical contact with people in any martial art and many sports, but not all. I always pursued solo sports before this. This was intentional; close physical contact with people is not necessarily pleasant, especially in competitive sport when you aren't very good. There is something unique about working with a partner who matches your movements, challenging and supporting you at the same time. I think that is unique to traditional martial arts, and dance. I did dance, but hated partner work. The difference for me? Dancing with a partner and feeling awkward, it's easy to think "why am I doing this?" Starting Aikido with a partner and feeling awkward, there isn't much time to think. They're about to hit you, so you move. Then they literally show you how to throw them to the ground. If I could've thrown my dance partner down each time I got frustrated, I might have stuck with it.
I would never argue that Aikido is the only way to get certain benefits or even the best, as I think that's an individual choice. But I do think it is uniquely suited to improve who you are as a person (physically and mentally) and how you are in the world. That is because it provides this range of vital sensory input to the body, not least of which is a network of people who want to challenge you, not defeat you.
That's an extremely long answer (but you wanted to know 😏). I tend not to compare Aikido to other fighting styles. That isn't because it can't compare, it's because I'm not the person to do it. I was never interested in fighting, and I probably would have dropped any other martial art quickly.
I might have been one of thousands of others telling you how yoga or running was life changing for me. But I'm convinced that with those arts I might never have learned to be a goal-driven as I am now, might never have become interested in business or leadership, and would probably not have made it through some recent financial hard times without becoming physically or mentally ill. I likely would have dropped my practice when things got tough.
I'm so long-winded about this because few people understand (though I think you do) - the effectiveness of Aikido as a fighting style is probably the least important thing about it. If you need to be a good fighter, you need to train daily, intensively, right up to your limits. That's true regardless of style.
Most people don't do that, and that's ok. But if you're going to exercise just three days a week, I say try something with some real sensory input, and see where that gets you.
Thank you for both of your response. But i keep being told i do t know anything; its actually to the point were my instructor will not test me anymore. I have been quiet adiment about about improving the system so the sport fighters no longer have any responses to verbally attach aikiakia. Iv suggest several ways we could get betters but know one wants to listen - but I also dont like the way we are being treated for just doing our own thing. My original thoughts came from what i think i can hadle in a "self-defense situation" but started to wounder if you added judo and karate to aikido system would it turn back into dito-ryu? But now im starting to think that the Japanese way requires us to take everything to be a complete practitioner because of how art centric they are. And right now im not working and am trying to bring in some money to aford these things but im having a tough go at it because im not that creative and i think your request might be a little over my head. But then again my instructor wants everyone to practice for ten year before getting to show dan and iv taken some time off so maybe only practised of 4-5 years now.
Ten years is a long time to get to Shodan. I took that long, but I did not train seriously for many years. Also, devoted a lot of time to developing our kids program and starting my own family.
I am told that in a traditional Japanese dojo (assuming you train a lot, maybe 3 or more times per week) the journey to 4th Dan (Yondan) is about 10 years. A lot of factors can influence this, including the level of your instructor and the level of people you have available to train with.
When I started with my instructor, we were all white belts and he was a Nidan just starting to teach. It's 14 years now and none of us (except my Sensei, who passed away) are Yondan, though all of his original students who stuck with it are now black belts and teaching. Newer students in our dojo progress faster, possibly cause they have plenty of black belts to train with.
Anyway, I would not be too confident critiquing the art if I haven't reached Yondan myself. If I think I see something missing in Aikido, how can I assume the weakness is Aikido and not my imperfect mastery of it?
I am curious, why is it important to you to answer the verbal attacks of sport fighters?
Iv been told that the testing requirements in Canada are higher then most places or at the very least American organization. Aikido has a special place in my hart and i would hate to loose it; it helped me get over a depression in witch I was thinking of hanging myself. Plus most show dan in Canada are 54 this year and i cant help be think most clubs across the country will closs downs. Since training aikido i cant help be think there is a lot of good "things" in aikido even if i can't describe them. But considering my ideas of how things fit together aikido is simply just weapons defense, and i dont think any other system from Japan crosses into another system lane to much; some karate style do it a little bit but not much.
I have the same feelings about Aikido. Truly I believe that any discipline that gets you moving and responding to people will provide you that benefit I was trying to describe.
I disagree that Aikido is mainly weapons defense: the weapons teach body position.and timing. Aikido is about multiple attackers, never being overly focused on the challenger in front but always ready to engage the danger at your flank and to the rear.
I am sure you will find the discipline that propels you forward (whether Aikido, a hybrid, or another art). I hear everyone goes through a stage of questioning once they reach a level of competence. There's much more to discover.
I think most clubs in Canada are to small to practice multiple atters plus we dont really know how to strike, and i feel like most of us are two slow to keep up with most boxing styles. Might be appart of why i think what i think.
You mentioned 54 year old Shodans and I think it's a real problem if an art does not engage and train younger students. I am always concerned that Aikido maintain a focus on the next generation and not become too absorbed in where we came from.
The 10 years to yondan I mentioned is in traditional training, which is intense. That's not typical for Americans, who are more casual with their training.
I think some arts loosen their testing requirements, but another path is to let students know the truth: their results will correspond to what they put into training!
Iwama is supposed to be harder then aikikai as well. We used to have four days a week of training now we only have two. Its hard to say whats going on. Oh and im not sure how to discuss that young students are few and are between. It possible we just are not compeeting in the market well enough, or even everyone wants to be American national. Champ in the ufc so the take other things.
Hope u answered your question.