Aiki Budo Fraternity

FAQ'S

Many beginners and those who wish to take part in the Japanese arts that the fraturnity offers often have many questions, so we have put together answers to many of those that we are asked for you, if you have a question that is not on this page or you cannot find an answer to on this site please email us.

Q.  Do I need to be super fit to practise martial arts?  
A.  No, just have a willingness to learn and a certain amount of physical flexibility.  
Q.  Can I start martial arts when I am over 40?  
A.  No problem as long as you have a reasonable level of fitness and the ability to train regularly.  
Q.  What about insurance cover?  
A.  All Fraternity clubs have both member to member cover and full cover for registered instructors.  
Q.  How long does it take to get a black belt?  
A.  The theoretical minimum time is four and one half years, in reality this is likely to be nearer to six years.  
Q.  Does it hurt & will I get injured?  
A.  The truth is, that it does hurt and at some time you will probably suffer a minor injury. That said, the level of injuries at Fraternity clubs is remarkably low due to the level of expertise of the Instructors, and we aim to keep it that way!  
Q.  Can I learn if I am disabled?  
A.  This depends upon the type of disability that you have, people in wheel chairs and amputees do not normally have  too many problems although techniques will probably need to be modified for them to work effectively.  Those who have impaired vision can undertake most techniques, but normally only from grabs, strangles, etc. 
However any condition that affects fine motor control skills such as cerebral palsy  will probably mean that the practitioner would be unable to master the subtle nuance of movement or the speed and physical coordination that characterise martial arts. 
 
Q.  Will mastering any martial art make me safe from attack?  
A.  NO!! However it will give you the ability to deal with an attack more effectively. Also once reasonably competent,  martial artist carry themselves differently and have more physical confidence. We find that students who have come to us with body language that cries out "victim" and studied hard for three or so months emerge as far more confident people and loose the "victim" look. 
Martial arts only give you an edge, they do not give you THE edge, there is always someone who is faster, nastier, and generally more skilful and aggressive than you. 
 
Q.  What is the difference between Aikido, Aikijutsu and Jujutsu.  
A.  Trying to summarise the differences between the arts is difficult as they all have the same roots. The most obvious difference between Aikido and the other two arts is the way that Aikido uses an attackers movement, in the jutsu's an attack is generally met with a strike, the purpose of which is to stop the attack and lead into a throw and/or lock. In Aikido although there may be a strike it is generally used as a distraction to mask the counter movement of the Aikidoka which leads to the attacker being put off balance and then thrown and disabled. 
This is a VERY general statement and there are many techniques within the jutsu's that do not start with a strike and there are many times in Aikido when a strike is far more than a distraction. 
 
Q.  Do all of the Fraternity clubs teach all three arts?  
A.  No, check the clubs page to find out if the club nearest to you teaches the style in which you have an interest.  
Q.  Do I need lots of equipment,  
A.  The minimum would be a Dojo Gi (uniform) and probably two or three weapons: a Bokken (wooden sword); a Jo (4 foot long stave); and a practise Tanto (knife, normally wood or rubber).