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Post by JWG on Feb 7, 2016 16:24:17 GMT
Aikido comprises three elements: Aiki-ken, Aiki-jo and Aiki-tai-jutsu (sword, spear and empty-hand). All 3 aspects form Aikido and all 3 are required to make it complete. All 3 elements are interlinked and intertwined and learning in one element relates, improves, clarifies, illuminates learning in others.
Unfortunately some schools of Aikido do not consider weapons to have any importance in Aikido and are an addition to the main elements of Aikido! This is a "debate" that has been ongoing for many years and personally I feel it is a somewhat foolish one which ignores the glaringly obvious. This question of the importance of weapons is one of the main motivations for myself and some of the other Teachers in Shobu Aikido U.K. to leave that organisation a few years ago and create BTAF.
The origins of Aiki-ken lies in Ueshiba O'Sensei's study of the classical martial schools of the Daito-Ryu, Yagyu-Ryu (Shinkage & Shingan), Hozoin-ryu, Kito-ryu and Kashima ryu. Primarily ken-jutsu schools but also ju-jutsu and so-jutsu (spear).
Interestingly all the terminology in Aikido is based on sword terminology. Shomen-uchi, yokomen-uchi, are attacks in aikido and are sword cuts. As well as the Kamae - the basic Aikido stance is a sword stance - significantly different to the stances of karate-do, Ju-jutsu etc.
The basic empty hand kamae (stance) is Chudan No Kamae (mid-level stance) and this the stance we adopt in tai-jutsu.
In Aiki-ken we have 5 Ken No Kamae (Sword Stances):
Gedan No Kamae (Low-level stance) Chudan No Kamae (Mid-level stance) Jodan No Kamae (Upper-level stance) Hasso No Kamae ("eight" or "all" stance) Waki No Kamae (on-the-side stance)
These five stances are pretty much the base five sword stances in all sword schools - ancient, classical and modern. Modern Kendo has all five as well the classical Samurai schools like Itto-ryu, Yagyu-Ryu etc Some sword schools have considerably more but all have these five as a base.
Originally the sword stances had more "esoteric" names - the basic 5 stances were named after the 5 elements: Gedan - Earth, Chudan - Water , Jodan - Fire , Hasso - Wood , Waki - Metal . Originally Ueshiba O'Sensei gave these stances with their elemental names in Aiki-Budo/Aikido but changed them as Aikido came into the modern era.
Here are some pictures clearly demonstrating the different stances.
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Post by JWG on Feb 7, 2016 16:28:13 GMT
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jay
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Post by jay on Feb 7, 2016 18:06:07 GMT
Excellent post Sensei thoroughly makes sense especially after training yesterday im really starting to understand the Aiki way of course there is lots to learn but its starting to sink in now.Your knowledge is outstanding
Osu
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shona
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Post by shona on Feb 7, 2016 19:33:58 GMT
Excellent post Sensei thoroughly makes sense especially after training yesterday im really starting to understand the Aiki way of course there is lots to learn but its starting to sink in now.Your knowledge is outstanding Osu Hi Jay, What did you guys get up to in training yesterday. I'm finding that showing some of our new beginners the body movements involved in sword cuts has helped them understand the need to use their hips etc within their empty handed techniques too and demonstrates the importance of riai. |
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jay
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Post by jay on Feb 7, 2016 19:56:00 GMT
Hey Shona
I found it an invaluable lesson regarding hips kamae etc im seeing what you meant now,Sensei really explained it well to me i really feel very very positive about it now...sorry it have been really frustrating for you when i couldnt get it...could someone explain riai to me please
Thanks all for your patience lol
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jay
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Post by jay on Feb 7, 2016 20:32:33 GMT
Could someone please explain.what riai is please as i cant find any info anywhere thanks
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Post by JWG on Feb 8, 2016 0:04:16 GMT
Could someone please explain.what riai is please as i cant find any info anywhere thanks Under the British Aikido Board website entry for our organisation BTAF it reads:
"As well as the complete system of Ri-Ai we focus on the foundation elements and principles of Aikido with the practice of technique being merely a vehicle to aid this understanding"
Our own BTAF website states exactly the same. But what does this mean?
The Ri-Ai of a martial art is said to provide its essence. Ri translates to mean "natural law" (Ri is difficult to translate) and Ai as we know translates to mean harmony or balance. Thus Ri-Ai could be translated as "harmony with the laws of nature".
Again, that doesn't really help and the actual description of Ri-Ai can be much more simplistic. Saito Shihan defined it in terms of the correspondence between tai-jutsu (empty hand) and Buki-waza (weapons techniques). Thus when one performed tai-jutsu it should also appear the same as with a weapon and vice versa.
Ri-Ai refers to the "golden thread" that links all things in Aikido; the mutual principles in the movement, action and form between the weapons and the empty-hand. This is the body movement itself, the hip movement, hand movements, evasive positioning - they are all connected to each other regardless of whether a weapon is in the hand or not.
This relationship can aid teaching from one aspect of the art to another, for example using weapons to highlight a specific movement or sense of positioning/movement/direction in a tai-jutsu technique is extremely beneficial.
The extremely influential and pioneering westerner martial artist Donn F Draeger describes it "Ri-Ai is the correct blending of the major elements of technique to produce a genuinely meaningful combative action".
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jay
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Post by jay on Feb 8, 2016 6:31:14 GMT
Ok Sensei thanks i understand now it all makes perfect sense.
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Post by JWG on Feb 10, 2016 17:17:39 GMT
I managed to find a copy of an old article written by William Gleason Sensei in 2001. I have retyped the majority of it below for your information and absorption....
When the Founder passed away in 1969, sword training at the Honbu Dojo (the Aikikai in Tokyo) ceased to exist as part of the regular curriculum. At that time sword training was only available to select high ranking students and was conducted somewhat behind closed doors. Although the taking of an opponents weapons (Ken-dori, jo-dori, tanto-dori) continued to be part of the testing process, teaching the use and handling of sword was, for all practical purposes, suspended completely.
Since that time controversy over whether or not the practice of sword is really an integral part of, or even valuable to, Aikido training has continued to intensify. There is little doubt however that Ueshiba O'Sensei considered it an essential part of his teaching and was as his own training. He constantly used weapons, especially the sword, to show the principles of Aikido. Why is swordsmanship so valuable for understanding the essence of Aikido? if we view this question from an historical perspective the answer becomes quite clear.
O'Sensei, by his own declaration, was the Founder of Aikido, yet not the creator of the Aiki principle itself. The principle was recognised in the ancient sword traditions of Japan as well as in the philosophy of Japanese Shinto. O'Sensei was a devout student of Shinto and spent at least several years studying Japanese Sword. Among the styles of sword he studied was the ancient Kashima style which dates back from the 15th century. The foundation of that school is the concept of Shinbu, "the Divine Martial Way" in which one wins without fighting. To accomplish this was to develop oneself, both physically and spiritually, to the level of the Gods.
The word aiki was also used to denote the highest level of mastery in the Yagyu sword style in which O'Sensei also excelled.
The really incredible achievement of the founder was to apply these principles to barehanded training in a new and unique manner.Why was this not accomplished in those ancient times? every sword style contained its own interpretation of grappling or jutsu forms. This was necessary on the battlefield in case a warrior lost his weapon in the heat of battle. To be able to take away anther mans sword when you had no weapon was considered the highest achievement in the Yagyu style.
It required the great spiritual vision of Ueshiba O'Sensei to see barehanded training not as grappling but rather as sword without sword. Even the great Kano Sensei (founder of Judo) declared Aikido to be the art he had been searching for all his life. O'Sensei through his own spiritual practices realised that we could use our hands, or even our mind alone, like a sword, to cut through our partners or enemies attack or defence. Combining his spiritual vision with actual sword training he realised it was actually possible to extend the influence of our ki, or intention, beyond our fingers in the same way that our movement and reach is extended when holding a sword. Ki extension is the essence of "muto" or "sword without sword" and that is no better exemplified than in the practice of Aikido.
In studying sword we learn to control the kensen, the line that the kirisaki, the tip of the sword, draws in each cut. eventually we are able to draw that line with our minds eye alone. This ability is one of the secrets of Aikido practice. It enables us to see the invisible form within each technique. This ability takes many years to realise; without sword training, the student is much less likely to discover it.
Cutting with the Japanese sword is an expansive motion in which the tip of the sword must be unified with ones centre. The basic diagonal cut Kesa-giri may be equated with Ikkyo in barehanded training. Within kesa-giri is the secret of natural spiral movement. The sword falls by its weight alone and the weight of the body comes to ride on top of its free fall. the turning of the hips and the subtle connection between your own centre and the tip of the sword.
In addition, the footwork and total overall movement of swordsmanship match that of Aikido exactly. Every move in Aikido, correctly understand, is a cutting motion. Herein lies one of the major differences between Aikido and any of the various schools of ju-jutsu. The Nikyo, Sankyo and Yonkyo of Aikido, for example, are performed as expansive cutting motions rather than as contracting wristlocks.
Aikido is an extremely subtle and difficult art. It requires a lifetime of dedication in order to grasp its essence. Because of its difficulty it is quite often misinterpreted and practised either as a form of ju-jutsu or as an aerobic exercise. Practising in either of these ways lacks a martial and spiritual content.
Combining the study of sword with barehanded techniques we are able to discover the complementary antagonism of flexibility and relaxed power together with sharpness and precision. In the words of the Founder "in barehanded practice you should move as if you had a sword; when holding a sword you should not depend on it, but move as if you had none". studying this mental Kamae or "stance" keeps us focused on the reality of a martial situation and at the same time allows us to remain flexible and relaxed. To unify these opposites is to discover Aikido principle: yin and yang as one, movement and rest as one, irimi-tenkan as one, the unification of all opposites in a kind of dynamic monism.
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