Hi Tom Yum,
These days, if someone really wants to learn to fight, they don't just stick to one classical art - such as aikido, karate, kung fu, jujutsu, etc. For real fighting, one has to be an all around fighter meaning that they have to be able to grapple, strike, and fight dirty...
If that's the kind of training you're looking for then there are many dojos that breed those kinds of fighters. Hey, it is fun!
But if you're not looking to take on the world, and are interested in learning an art that teaches more universal principles such as posture, breathing, and awareness, just to name a few, Aikido is ideal.
Those that think aikido is just wrist locks are only looking at the shallow surface. Aikido is a deep art that can only be understood through intensive practice. Mike Tyson, for example went to Japan (with Don King and the rest of his entourage) to watch Aikido legend Gozo Shioda demonstrate aikido. Was Mike interested in learning wrist locks? No way! That won't help his boxing!! Shioda is quoted as saying that Mike was very smart. He wasn't watching what the hands were doing, he was watching the footwork the whole time. Aikido teaches body movement, not just ways of twisting wrists.
Best,
Jake McKee
www.budovideos.com
-The largest selection of Aikido videos on the net!