Top 10 reasons Aikido is like bullfighting:

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