Aikido

Aikido, whats that all about?? I tried it for a few weeks and loved the guys training but seriously they would not last 30 seconds with those techniques in a sparring match or a real fight, or would they - Discuss??

they probably wouldnt...unless they train with quick and ecomomical techniques...all that spinning throwing nonsense wont work unless your opponent runs at you from three feet away with one hand outstretched (hand open of course). "the way you train is the way you fight" -benny urquidez

don't under estimate aikido.
the reason people train with situation where "your opponent runs at you from three feet away with one hand outstretched" is because it helps understand the technique.
trust me, a trained aikidoka will last more then 30 seconds in a fight.
the founder of aikido have studied many martial arts and have refined different elements of them into aikido.
the only "downside" is that aikido is a defensive martial art.
attacks are studied, but at a later stage.
it takes a while to see how effective this budo is.
look at this link for a better explanation
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Aikido-2236/Aikido-real-1.htm

ask an aikidoka to step in the ring with a muay thai kickboxer, he wont be so harmonious and fluid when he has 3 jabs stuck in his face

Dumb techniques are designed to increase your flexibility and coordination, not for fighting. Spinning and jumping kicks dramatically increase balance.

Fighting someone on the street and being in the ring are totally different. A MMA fight lasts fifteen minutes, a street fight between a martial artist and someone who doesn't know how to fight will end in onewell aimed punch. (Usually.)

When I did my few lessons of aikido at no time did I think that any of the people there could have got me into the wrist locks unless I left my arm there, different to judo, My karate instructor taught basic arm locks and throws when I was a kid but the judoka's of blue belt and above threw me about like a rag doll. Different all together. If we added strikes as well the I do think I would have made it more difficult but still I think I would be beaten by the higher grades, the Aikido guys, honestly I think that I would have defeated them.