Aikido is good exercise and perhaps kids can learn discipline from it. Aside from that it is, generally speaking, not useful in self-defense--more than any other traditional martial art I've seen, Aikido requires compliance from the partner/attacker in order to work. Look for Stephen Seagal's "demonstrations" on YouTube for more of this hogwash. On his podcast Joe Rogan invited an Aikido practitioner to make a case for the art and although the guy doesn't seem to be an idiot he does suggest he might be brainwashed and you can tell from his "side step" nonsense that he is; that and the fact he thinks "O-Sensei" (Irish master?) knocked fools out without touching them by putting them off balance. Ki-ya!
Diego Sanchez is very open minded. I remember him being on the Dan Quinn/blended Stevia crazy train years ago. "By all means let's be open-minded but not to the point where our brains spill out" -- Dawkins
