http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0VcOtneCRU
So I guess most of you have seen this, but I hadn’t. I’ve seen lots of aikido demonstrations, but this is some of the best I’ve ever seen. He can really move. I assumed that his moves were faked a bit for the camera, but his aikido is really tight. I love the beginning of the clip with him and his sideburns. That’s 70’s aikido right there. Blue Oyster Cult was playing in my head when I saw that. 
I also liked the quote, “the main comment that people had after they saw him was that he was so approachable…he was very soft-spoken.” Wow, I wonder if they’d say that now.
I don’t know what else to say, I’m just in awe right now.
11 responses so far ↓
1 wujimon // Feb 23, 2007 at 8:28 am
My cousin ordered the video his student’s produced about him and I was shocked when I first saw it. It’s definitely cool and more ‘hardcore’ than a lot of the aikido we commonly see. IT was definitely an eye-opener to what he *used* to be.. can’t say much for him now tho..
2 Chad // Feb 24, 2007 at 4:17 am
None of this changes the fact that he couldn’t act his way out of a paper bag. That’s my deal with him. His movies are crap.
3 tim // Feb 24, 2007 at 7:32 am
I dunno, he’s like twice the size of all his uke. Nice movement though.
4 Thomas // Feb 24, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Seagal’s size doesn’t enter into the effectiveness of the techniques he is showing. They work because of his skill.
Seagal’s size in his current incarnation as pop tulku definitely would affect his ability to do these techniques today.
5 chessman71 // Feb 24, 2007 at 1:46 pm
“Pop tulku,” I like that. Apt description. he went downhill after him and Kelly LeBrock split.
6 eastpaw // Aug 8, 2007 at 9:27 pm
And I used to think Seagal was totally fake. He’s actually pretty good in this clip. What happened to him later to make him resort to the pro-wrestling clothesline?
7 wayne // Feb 14, 2008 at 11:10 pm
master seagal is amazing he has defined aikido and is probably the reason aikido is so commonly known. not only is he an amazing martial artist but also an amazing person inside and out, its with his words and teachings that im now studying aikido. so thank you take sensai
8 wayne hansen // Feb 15, 2008 at 4:54 am
size is a factor in aikido even if we would like to believe otherwise,however it does not replace real skill.
when talking about celebs with some skill lets not forget masters like sergi sugano who in spite of loosing the use of one leg they tell me can still deliver the goods.
9 Milos Manasijevic // May 24, 2008 at 9:01 am
I wish to learn real aikido, i know something simple thing about aikido but not too much…Can you help me?
10 wayne hansen // May 24, 2008 at 9:17 am
i am not the wayne above praising steven segal.
11 taijiquestion // May 24, 2008 at 9:40 am
I always considered his movies a guilty pleasure, the ones I saw were pretty good though apparently he’s made some complete stinkers, I missed those since I had been warned.
Read an interview with him years ago, it was pretty interesting, he said not to confuse what he does in the movies, which is street/bodyguard type stuff, with aikido MA.
But the really interesting thing was when I read a book called “Aikido in America” which was all interviews with notable practitioners. Seagal came in for some high praise. He was described as being the real deal, very skilled and effective, and stood out especially for opening his own school in Japan back in his younger days. Some westerner MA’ists have done well in Asian venues and even competitions — but heading up a school?
However, that was a long time ago and what we see and hear more recently doesn’t always seem….. well, enough said. He can whip my ass, I imagine. And then there’s this thing with his alledged Buddhist status, don’t know what to make of that but more power to him I should say.
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