Aikido Versus Judo: Which is Better?

Many aspiring martial arts students underestimateAdvantages Of Learning Judo
the number of styles that exist. Most people tendIn terms of fitness and exercise, judo is the polar
to think of karate, kung fu, and to a lesseropposite of aikido. Both young people and older
extent, hapkido and Taekwondo. In truth, therestudents can take advantage of this style to build
are hundreds of systems, though only a smalltheir strength and stamina. It's also far more
portion are taught in dojos. Two other commonintuitive. This system emphasizes throwing by
techniques are aikido and judo. Both originated inusing an attacker's size and momentum against
Japan and both are taught today in the U.S.him. For younger students, the technique seems
In this article, we'll explore both disciplines in themore natural.
context of which style is the best to learn. ThereThis system is also taught according to a
are advantages and drawbacks to each.widely-recognized set of standards. The methods
Comparing the two side-by-side will provide alearned in one dojo are likely familiar and taught in
valuable bird's eye view that will make it simplerother dojos. By contrast, other styles (for
to choose from between them.example, karate) often lack the same level of
Advantages Of Learning Aikidohomogeneity.
One of the benefits of learning aikido is that it isMain Drawback Of Judo
one of the strongest martial arts with regards toThere is an important downside to learning judo
self-defense. The goal of this style is heavilythat many students only discover later. Practicing
focused on defending oneself against aggressorsthe style tends to result in minor injuries, such as
while causing as little injury as possible. Parentstwisted ankles, tender knees, and broken toes
who would like to enroll their children into martialand fingers. To that end, it's not uncommon for
arts classes often gravitate toward this techniquelong-time students to eventually transition into
because of its emphasis on response withoutmartial arts disciplines that are easier on the body.
harm.Finding The Martial Arts Method That Suits You
Another advantage of this system is that it canDepending on your goals, learning either style can
be learned and performed effectively by anyone,be an enriching experience that provides lifelong
regardless of a person's size, agility, or strength.benefits. Those who wish to learn - or want their
Drawbacks Of Aikidochildren to learn - to defend themselves against
The biggest drawback is that the approach offerswould-be attackers will find aikido to be effective.
very little exercise. Its technique is built upon aOn the other hand, students who want to use
philosophy that encourages self-defense withoutmartial arts classes for exercise will find that judo
effort. In effect, practitioners can plausibly be outis more appropriate. Also, parents who would like
of shape while remaining adept. This is the mainto give their children the chance to compete in
disadvantage that discourages parents fromtournaments should enroll them into judo classes.
enrolling their children.As noted above, the style is more standardized
Another drawback of this style is that it can be aand therefore, there are more opportunities for
mental obstacle for young people who enroll intocompetition.
kids martial arts classes. Children often believeIn the end, neither judo or aikido is "better" than
that responding to an aggressor with force is thethe other. Consider what you would like to
only appropriate response. Aikido sidesteps thataccomplish through martial arts classes to make
inclination, which may be an initial hurdle to theirthe most appropriate choice for you or your
learning.children.