Many consider Steven Seagal's Aikido to be the effective version of Aikido. Yet while it definetely looks different, is it different enough to become effective? In this Martial Arts Journey video we will be taking a close look at Steven Seagal's Aikido style to analyze whether it is effective or not.

Want to know about Steven Seagal's negative past? Watch this video: https://youtu.be/BB1dWkjt-eM

Does Steven Seagal’s Aikido Work?

That Aikido is not an effective martial art is becoming widely known. In the past it was easier to hide this fact, since there was no world wide web and also functional martial arts were not yet on the rise to go toe to toe with other martial arts and prove their ineffectiveness. Yet some Aikido practitioners while they do agree that it doesn’t work to a certain extent, many still claim that it’s just some styles that are ineffective and take Steven Seagal’s Aikido form of Aikido as an example of an effective Aikido version. Whether that is the truth or not, in this Martial Arts Journey video we will be taking a look at whether Steven Seagal’s Aikido Really Works?

The first question we need to ask is Why Do these people consider Steven Seagal’s Aikido style more effective than that of others. I’d like to point out, that probably the way Aikido is portrayed in his movies has a big influence on people’s perspective. It is very direct, brutal and distinctly different from the aesthetic and almost “polite” versions of Aikido, which sometimes is difficult to imagine in a realistic violent scenario. Having all this violence in Seagal’s performed Aikido moves on screen definitely makes a better impression on many people. His movie techniques also include a range of punches and kicks, which are oftentimes left out majorly from many Aikido styles, once more making them look less effective in comparison. Of course, movies are movies, and what an actor can do in a choreographed movie scene, does not mean he will be able to perform all of it in a real life setting. That is why we need to take a closer look at how Steven Seagal performed his techniques off the movie set.

When comparing most Aikido videos that show Steven Seagal’s Aikido demonstrations, there are still visible differences from regular Aikido that you would mostly see online and in various Dojos. Seagal’s techniques look more direct, powerful and more energetic than most Aikido demonstrations. One of such examples, is the entering straight with an arm towards an attacking partner, while stepping to the side of his attack. While it is not exclusive to his style, it is less seen in other Aikido styles and many Aikido styles perform it in a much gentler way, which again makes it look less effective. He also occasionally demonstrates a neck choke, which is once more a step from regular Aikido and seems to be a step towards a more functional version of the art. There are also some visible, fast paced hand deflections that he uses against various attacks, and also some kick defense, which both tend to be rare in other Aikido schools, yet again making his Aikido style look superior. Having all these details in mind, it is no wonder that many people see Steven Seagal’s Aikido as the effective version. Yet as Matt Thornton, a famous figure in the realm of functional martial arts once told me: rougher doesn’t mean it is more effective. In truth, while all these distinct elements of Seagal’s style definitely make it different and looks more impressive, it doesn’t really still answer whether his style is effective or not. That is why we need to ask further questions - of which most import - how to distinguish a functional martial art from a non-functional one?