Top 10 reasons Aikido is like bullfighting:
- It's very important to get off the line of the attack.
- You wear special clothing just too look good when you do it.
- You practice it in special places.
- You have to make your "partner" believe he can get you...without letting him get you.
- Stay on the line of attack too long and the game is over.
- If you wore your "uniform" anywhere else, you'd get talked about and looked at strangely.
- Both have a bunch of strange terms to describe things there are perfectly good local words for.
- There are traditional/ceremonial ways of doing nearly every aspect of either of them.
- Neither is done primarily for the excersize, but both will leave you sweating in short order.
- Swords play a role in both, though neither has them as a central concern.
- Both involve a two sylable shout at the hight of the action (Kiai! Ole!)
- If you try to use muscle to overcome your oppoent, you are doomed.
- In either you will encounter a good helping of BS eventually.