playful sparring with my student. the mainstream postions of aikido are very much needed and used within the sparring element of practice. some bits of instruction on scarf hold and headlock are included as the sparring occurs.
the standards of aikido practioners and instructors are being raised. the practical ability to apply aikido techniques in a variety of grappling scenarios is very much possible and necessary.
the ability to sparring with aikido is needed, but you’ll notice that the practice isn’t grandiose, it’s small hits and grabs that are fluid and get combined that make the sparring realistic but also radically different from the form of grandiose and static techniques like shomenuchi Iriminage for.