I see what you mean. I think it is vital that we look at any martial art (or, for that matter, any method of any kind) from the point of view of its origins, goals, and founding culture.
Aikijutsu is the basis of Aikido, and most old-timer Aikijutsu practitioners knew how to use a sword. The sword was their primary weapon. Aikijustsu was used in the same way the police use their nightsticks today. The sword was their gun.
When you have the mental attitude and authority that goes with being a lifelong samurai, dealing with the peasantry that they dealt with, survival stress was often lessened and one could indeed pull-off more sophisticated moves. And if that didn't work, you still had a large meat-cleaver . . .
The goal of Aikido isn't to fight in an octagon. Everything has its place.
Aikido may not be practical for most folks in our culture and times. I have no data to dispute this. I simply wish folks wouldn't take such a myopic view of everything outside prize-fighting and military CQC. It may work for some folks some of the time. Everything is like that, and that is good enough. I can think of a few folks who simply couldn’t get good enough at Thai Boxing to make it work for them. I meet them every day.
Whatever works for you is good enough.
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A broken mace is still a weapon.
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