Aikido TimesHistory of Ju Jitsu part 2 page 20 Kenshinkai trains Yoshinkan Aikido in Malaysia 2014...

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In this issue

BAB National Course pictures page 2

Thoughts on Jo Ha Kyu page 4

Principles of Aiki Part 2 page 5

Warm ups, stretches and cool downs…is there any point? page 9

“What Can Aikidoka Learnfrom Systema..?” page 12

Haiku page 16 Whistleblowing and Safeguarding page 18

Celebrating InternationalAiki Peace Week page 19

History of Ju Jitsu part 2 page 20

Kenshinkai trains Yoshinkan Aikido in Malaysia 2014 page 23

Upcoming events pages 25 to 29

Coming in the next issue ...The history of Ju Jitsu Part 3

The Principles of Aiki Part 3

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE BRITISH AIKIDO BOARD Aikido Times

WelcometotheOctoberissueoftheAikidoTimes.

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Thoughts on Jo Ha Kyu

Malcolm Blackwood 4th Dan Shidoin

Durham AikikaiJo-Ha-Kyuisaprescriptiveprinciplecharacterizedbyasenseofintensifyingaction.

The phrase Jo-Ha-Kyu describes an idealised dynamic pattern popularised as a key pacingprinciplebytheNohmasterZeami.Hevieweditasauniversalconceptapplicabletothepatternofmovementofallthings.Itmayberealisedinanymartialorperformanceart,includingmusic,flowerarrangingandtheteaceremony.

ZeamilikenedJo-Ha-Kyutoamountainstream,becomingariver,endingasawaterfall.Picturealeaffloatingtothecrestofawaterfall,steadilyacceleratingandthenhurtlingdown.

Jo-Ha-Kyuapplicationimposesacontinuousaugmentationtoakataortechnique.Itimposesapatternintoourmovement.TheJo-Ha-Kyupatternisessentiallytripartite.InitsbroadestsenseJomaybegivenasintroduction;Haasintensification;andKyuasfinale.Moresubtly,Jomightbewhileinmotionapproachinganattacker.Ha,changesinspeedand/orposition.Kyu,decisive(fast)resolution.

ThiscanbetterbevisualisedbylookingatthestructureofasimplifiedKatateDoriAihanmeIkkyoattack/response.HereasUkegrabsTori’swrist.Toriresponds,by(1)absorbingtheattack,(2)redirectingtheattackand(3)cuttingUketotheground.Theabovesequenceisnotastaccato1-2-3.Norisitaflatoutlinearrush.Tori’sresponseisasandthroughcontactbeingmade(1)Jo.Thisintensifies,Ha,through(2)andconcludesthrough(3),Kyu.

There is a raising of awareness and tension towards the encounter (introduction). This tension becomes action(intensification).Thisactionisresolved(finale).Jo-Ha-Kyu.

Delvingdeeper is possible for those sodisposed: Individual actionswhichmakeup a giventechniqueorkatacanalsohavethissenseofintensifyingaction.Theconceptisapplicabletoeachsubdivisionofatechnique.ComplextechniquesandkatacanbedissectedintoanumberofJo-Ha-Kyusequences.Forexample,anIaidokatacouldinvolveJo-Ha-Kyuforthedraw,foreachcut,forthechiburiandforthenoto.

For those readers stillwithme I canonlyask that thenext timeyoupracticeexamineyourtechniquewhilstthinkingtoyourselfJo-Ha-Kyu,andletthepatternbewithyou.

4September/October 2014CLICKHERETOSUBSCRIBETO

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The Principles of Aiki (Part 2)

Dr Alun James HarrisDr Harris trained in aikido some years ago, attaining the rank of yellow belt. Due to knee problems he was forced to stop training and since then he has been investigating the physics behind Aiki. Dr Harris has a PhD in physics/engineering and worked at the University of Newcastle. He is now retired.

Introduction

PleaseseepreviousissueforPartOneofthisarticle

Description of AikiUke’smomentum/forceM/Fisdirectionalandthereforecanbedividedintotwodirectionalcomponentswhich,whenaddedtogether,areequivalenttotheoriginalmomentum/force.Foroneofthesecomponentstobeunopposedandtheotherfullyresisted/balanced,thetwocomponentsmustbeperpendiculartoeachother.AtthePointofApplicationofthisforce/momentumthecomponentthatisresisted(R-M/F)isdirectedradiallytowardsacentrepointandtheunresistedcomponent(T-M/F),at90degrees,isalongatangentofacircleaboutthecentrepoint.InordernottoresistT-M/FthePointofApplicationoftheforceisrotatedinthesamedirectionasT-M/F.Whenthisisappliedtothecontactreactionforceortherecoveryleg/footforcethatUkedependsontoremain/recoverbalance,Ukebecomesunbalanced.

ItshouldbenotedthatinthesituationwhereUkeisonlyholding,thenUkeneedstobeinducedtopullorpushsothathecanbeunbalancedbythismethod.

Onceunbalanced,Ukewillattempttominimiseforcesappliedtohisbodytoavoidbeingthrownandrecoverbystepping.Hewillthereforewillinglyrotatejointswhentheyaresubjectedtobeingtwisted.Onceajointapproachesitsmaximumrotation,Ukewillrotateotherjointstolimitbeingthrown.ThisprocesscanbeusedtoinduceUketobendatthewaistwhichpreventsstraighteningtostep.Theapplicationofanatemiisalsousedtomomentarilylimitstepping,asis,turningUkeinacirclewhichinduceshimtobendtowithdrawhiships.

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Aiki Applied to Uke’s Recovery Foot ForcesInthiscaseUkeisinducedbyToritoapplyAikiintheverticalplanetohisrecoverylegwhenUke’scentreofmassUCOM(PointofApplicationofUke’smomentum)hasamomentumM.UkeappliesAikibybeinginducedbyToritoreversethetorqueinthejointsofhisrecoveryfootsothatT-MisnotresistedandUCOMrotatesabouttherecoveryfootinthedirectionofT-McausingUketobecomeunbalancedinthatdirection.TheradialcomponentofUke’smomentumR-MistowardstherecoveryfootandisbalancedbytheradialreactionforceRRFcreatedbyUkeextendingtherecoveryfootagainsttheground.

Aikiappliedinthiswaytotherecoveryfootcanbeusedtoaccountfortheunbalancingphaseofagroupoftechniquesdemonstratedintheliterature.Asanexample,oneofthetechniquesisconsideredbelow.

• Shioda,P55.UkeattacksToritothesideoftheheadusinghisrighthand(Yokomenuchi).ToristepsforwardtoUke’sleftanduseshislefthandtoblendwithUke’srightarmandthereforedoesnotstopUke’smomentumsothathefallsontohisrecoveryfootasshowninthefigurebelow.DownwardpressureonUke’sarminduceshimtopushupwards(DaveyP85)byraisinghisheelandbydoingsorotatehisCOMintheverticalplaneabouthisrecoveryfootinthedirectionofT-Mandbecomeunbalancedtothefront.Theradialmomentum/forceisbalancedbytheradialreactionforceRRFgeneratedbythegroundreaction forcebyUkeextendinghis legagainst theground.TheatemipreventsUke fromsteppingtorecoverhisbalance.



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Aiki Applied to the Contact Reaction Force Experienced by ToriToriappliesAikitothecontactreactionforceheexperiences(TCRF)byrotatingthecontactpoint(PointofApplicationofTCRF)inacircularmotionaboutacentrepointinthedirectionofthetangentialcomponent(T-TCRF)ofTCRF.Theradialcomponent(R-TCRF),ofTCRFthatcaneitherbetowardsorawayfromthecentrepointisopposedbytheradialreactionforceproducedbyToriintheoppositedirection.UkeisthenunbalancedinthesamedirectionthatthecontactpointismovedinasthereisnoresistancetoUke’spropulsionforce/momentuminthatdirection,onlyintheradialdirection.OntheotherhandToriremainsbalancedashisforce,theradialforce,isbalanced.

Tomovethecontactpointinacircularpatharoundthecentrepointtheradialdistanceneedstobekeptconstantduringthe rotation.This requiresTori’s body connecting the contactpoint to the centre to remain rigid.To achieve this, theconnectingbodypartsareextendedsoastobecomeunbendable,asdemonstratedbyToheiextendingthefingerssothatboththeelbowandshoulderjointsareunbendable.Furthermore,thecentrepointmustbekeptstablebyusingthebodyjointsandmusclestotransmitthegroundreactionforcesandthegravitationalforceonTori’sbodytocreatetheradialreactionforcetobalanceR-TCRF.

Naturalcentresofrotationincludethefeetandbodyjointswherethefeet/jointrotationmakesthecontactpointmoveinacircularpatharoundthecentrepoint. It isalsopossibletocreatevirtualcentresofrotationbymovingthetargetinacircularmotionaboutanimaginarycentrepoint. Inthelattercase,thecurvatureofthecircularpathofthetargetdetermineswherethecentreofrotationislocated.ThemovementofthetargetalongacircularpathinthedirectionofT-TCRFwillbecomeobviousinpracticeasnoresistancetothemotionofthetargetshouldbeexperienced,whilstintheperpendiculardirectiontheradialforceistobebalanced.

Thecircularmotionofthecontactpointcanbeintheverticalplane,horizontalplaneoranyangleofplaneinbetween.ThepointonthecirclewhereUke’sforceisinterceptedwilldeterminethedirectionofR-TCRF,i.e.towardsorawayfromthecentrepoint.ThetwopossibilitiesareillustratedinthefollowingtwodiagramswhereR-TCRFcaneitherbeapushorapull.

InDiagram(a)R-TCRFisbeingappliedtowardsthecentreofrotationofthecontactpointandisbalancedbyTori’sradialreactionpushingforceawayfromthecentre.

InDiagram(b)R-TCRFisbeingappliedawayfromthecentreofrotationofthecontactpointandisbalancedbyTori’sradialreactionpullingforcetowardsthecentre.



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InDiagram(a)whenthecontactpointisinitiallyatpointX,R-TCRFisequaltoTCRFandT-TCRFiszero.Consequently,R-TCRFisamaximumandthereforeTorihastobalancethismaximumforcetoapplyAiki.ToreducethepossibilityofToribecomingunbalanced, it is importantforhimtomakecontactwithUke’smomentum/forcewhenitsmagnitudeis lowwhichwillcorrespondtowhenUke’sCOMisabovehispropulsionfoot.Alternatively, inDiagram(b)whenthecontactpointisinitiallyatpointY,theR-TCRFiszeroandT-TCRFisequaltoTCRF.Therefore,pointYisthebestpositionforToritointerceptUke’smomentum/forcewhenitislarge.

Althoughthecentrepointisshownintheabovediagramstobebelowthecontactpoint, inpracticeitcanbeaboveorbelow,ortotheleftorrightofthecontactpoint.Uke’sforcecanalsobeinanydirection.Thesediagramsthereforeneedtoberedrawntocorrespondtothesituationtowhichtheyarebeingapplied.

TheunbalancingeffectonUkeofToriapplyingcircularmotiontothecontactpointcanbeexperiencedbyUkeapplyingforcetothefreeendofahingeddoorforthetwosituationsabove.TherotatingdooristhenactingasTori.

AikiappliedinthiswaytothecontactreactionforceexperiencedbyToricanbeusedtoaccountfortheunbalancingphaseofagroupoftechniquesdemonstratedintheliterature.

Asanexample,oneofthetechniquesisconsideredbelow.

• Shioda,P126/84.ToriblocksUke’soverhead strikeusinghis forearm, i.e. contactpoint.Uke is unbalancedas inDiagram(a)byTorirotatinghisforearm(contactpoint),inthesamedirectionasT-TCRF,inahorizontalcircularpathaboutacentrepointverticallyabovehisrear footwhilstbalancing thepushingradialcomponent (R-TCRF)withapushingforce.Thisactionisillustratedinthediagramsbelow.

The final part of this article will appear in the next issue of the Aikido Times



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9

Warm ups, stretches and cool downs…is there any point?

Mark HardwickHaveyoueverarrivedafewminuteslateforyourclass,havinghurriedfromworkandboltedyourtea?Youhastilychangeandtheinstructorasksyoutomakesureyouarewarmedupbeforeyoujoininwiththesession.Eagertogetinvolvedyoujumpupanddownafewtimes,takeacoupleofdeepbreaths,andyou’rereadytostart…soundsfamiliar?

Mosttimesyouwouldgetawaywithsuchanapproachandsuffernoilleffects.Howeverwithoutconducting a suitablewarm up your injury potential is increased and your performance potential is reduced. Beforebeginninganykindofvigorousphysicalactivityitisagoodideatoensureyouhavecompletedagoodwarmupandstretchasthishasanumberofbenefitswhichwillbeexplainedinthisarticle.Itisalsoadvisabletoperformacooldownaftertheactivity.

Warm upThewarmupliterallydoeswhatthenamesuggestsandincreasestheinternaltemperatureofthebody.Thisenhancesanumberofthebody’smechanicalfunctions.Thewarmupwillalsoenlivenphysiologicalactivitywithinthebody,enhancingbiochemicalfunctionsandensuringyouarepreparedforyouraikidosession.

Itisrecommendedthatwarmupexercisesareofagentlepulse raisingnature.Asa roughguideyourpulse shouldgradually increase from its resting rate (usually around70-75beatsperminute)tosomethingclosertoahundred.Theraisingofthepulseiscausedbyanincreaseinheartrate.Thismeansthattheheartissupplyingthebody(andin particular themuscles) with an increased quantity ofblood,whichcontainstheoxygen,nutrientsandhormoneswhichareneededforactivity.

As well as this, the heart will beat more forcefully andincrease its ‘stroke volume’, meaning that it will supplymorebloodperbeat.Thecombinationofthesetwofactors(increasedstrokevolumeandincreasedheartrate)meansthattheheart’scardiacoutput(amountofblooddistributedperminute)isgreatlyenhancedandoxygenandnutrientsaremorereadilyavailabletotheworkingpartsofthebody.

Itisimportantthatthisincreaseincardiacoutputisachievedgradually.Imaginethatfromaninertpositionyousuddenlyhavetosprintforthebus.Havingcaughtityoumightbegaspingforbreath,feelingdiscomforted,possiblyhavingastitch.Thesemanifestationsarecausedbythesuddenneedforincreasedbloodsupplytomuscles,andittakesthebodysometimetoadjustandthenrecover.Inadditiontothisthebloodsuddenlyhastochangedirection.Atrest,largerproportionsofbloodaresuppliedtoorgans(suchas thedigestiveorgans).Thesuddenneed forbloodtoarmsand legscausesanuncomfortableredistributionofblood,thisiswhatcausesastitch.Thisisnottosuggestthatnexttimeyouintendtocatchabusyoushouldwarmupinpreparationforsuchaneventuality!

Aswellasgeneratingincreasestobloodcirculation,thewarmupalsocausestherateanddepthofbreathingtoincrease.Thisisnecessaryasyouraikidosessionwillrequirethatyourbodyissuppliedwithsufficientoxygen,andthisneedstobeobtainedfromtheatmosphere.Gentleraisingofrespirationrateanddepthmeansthatyouwillbeabletokeepupwithoxygendemandwithfewproblems.Whentheneedforoxygenisincreasedsuddenly(e.g.sprintingforthebus)youstarttoincurwhatisknownasanoxygendebt,andyourbodywillalwaysbetryingtorepaythisdebtasyouprogressthroughtheactivity.


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10

Theoxygendebtisnotdangerous,butitdoesinhibitperformanceasitallowsharmfulwasteproductstobuildup,suchaslacticacid,whichincreasestheblood’sacidity.Thiscanmeanthatmusclesareunabletocontractefficiently,whichinturnmeansthatyourmovementprecisionisaffected.

Musclesneedtobewarmiftheyaretooperateefficientlyasthiswillmakethemmorepliableandmoreabletostretchandcontractsafely.Aswellastheskeletalmusclesofthearms,legsandtorso,thisalsoappliestotheintercostalanddiaphragmmuscles,whichcontrolbreathing.Thinkofyourmusclesasabitofplasticine…plasticineishardtomouldwhencoolbutbecomesmorepliablewhenwarmed.Suddenmovementsandexertionswhencoldwill increasetheinjurypotentialtomuscles.Inaikidothiscancauseparticularvulnerabilitytotheback,theneckandtheshouldersasthesearetheareaswhichabsorbtheforceofallthecomplicatedtwistsandturns.

Ofalltheanatomicalsystems,thejointsystemisthemostvulnerableinaikidotraining.Injuriestojointsmaybeacuteandimmediate,suchasdislocationsorligamenttears,ortheymayoccuroveralongerperiodoftime,onlymanifestingthemselvesafteryearsofwearandtear,asisthecasewitharthritis.

Correct techniquewhenapplyingaikidomovesand in falling is thebestprotectionagainst joint injuries.However thewarmupwillalsocontributetoareductionininjurypotential.Thewarmingofthemuscleswillenablethejointstomovemorefreelythroughtheirrangeofmotion,andwillresultinlesstraumatothetendonsinjoints.Thewarmupwillalsocausesynovialfluidtobereleasedintothejointmechanism.Synovialfluidisthejoint’snaturallubricantandsoreducesfrictionbetweensurfacesinthejointstructure.

Yourability toreact isdependentupontheabilityofnervestoconductnervous impulses.Precisionofmovementalsorequiresthatthenervoussystemisfunctioningwell.Warminguphastheeffectofpreparingthenervesfortheactivity,andsoyourreactionsmaybefasterandyourmovementmoreaccurate.Finally,thewarmupmaybeanimportantpsychologicalpreparation.Itistheopportunitytogetfocusedontheaikidosessionbeforetheformaltrainingactuallybegins.Thisputsyouinastateofpsychologicalreadiness.

StretchingItisnotjustthehighkickingartsthatneedtodedicatetimetostretching,anykindofphysicalactivityshouldincludesomestretchingexercises.Flexibilityisanimportantpartofoverallhealthstatus.Whenapersonstartstoloseflexibilityeventhemostordinarytasksbecomedifficult,suchasputtingonajumper,reversingacar,orpickingsomethingupfromthefloor.Regularstretchingservestoimproveandprolongjointmobility.Itwillalsoimproveyourbalanceasflexiblemusclescanmoreeasilyandquicklyadoptunexpectedpositions.Ratherthanmakeacasefortheimportanceofstretching,thispartofthearticlewillconsidersomeofthedifferentwaystodoit.Thearticlewillnotrecommendanyparticularexercisesasitisnotsafetolearntheminthisway…yourinstructorwillshowyoutheexercisesrecommendedforaikido.

Thestretchshouldbecarriedoutafterthewarmup,asthemuscleswillbemorepliableandlesspronetoinjury.It isimportanttorealisethatstretchingexercisesshouldstretchmuscles;not ligaments,tendonsoranythingelse,asthesestructuresarepronetoseriousinjuryandrepairmayrequiresurgery!Therefore,whenstretching,youshouldfeeltensioninthemuscle.Ifyoufeelitinanypartofajoint,thenstopthestretch.

Stretchingmaybeconsideredpreparatoryordevelopmental.Preparatorystretchingpreparesyouforyouraikidosession.It shouldbe fairly gentlebut requiresyou to stretchmuscles abit further than theynormallywouldgo. The routineshouldensurethatyouarestretchingthemuscleswhichwillberequiredintheaikidosession,particularlythosewhicharestretchedinthemanipulationsandthefalls,sopayattentiontoupperarmsandshoulders,hamstrings,andthemusclesoftheback(lowerback,obliques,laterals,trapezius).Regularperformanceoftheseexerciseswillservetopreserveflexibility.Developmentalstretchingisadedicatedattempttoachievehigherdegreesofflexibility,andsoismoreapplicabletothehighkickingarts,balletdancersandcircusacrobats.


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Dependingonthemovementappliedtothestretch,exercisesmaybeconsideredstatic,dynamic,orballistic.Staticstretches,asthenameimplies,requirethatyouadoptastretchpositionandthenmaintainitforaperiodoftime(say30seconds).Thesearethesafestoftheexercises,buttheyaredifficulttoperformforthosewhodon’thaveagooddegreeofflexibilityinthefirstplace.Thereforethosethatbenefitmostarealreadyflexible!Dynamicstretchesaremoresuitableforthosewhoneedtoachievemoreflexibility.Theserequirethatyourhythmicallyperformthestretchexercise(say10times)withslow,controlledmovement.Thisprovidessomemomentumwhichenablesthosewithlessflexibilitytomakemoreprogress.BUT…ifthemovementistoovigorousorforceful,theexercisesbecomeballistic.Theseputjointsandmusclesundergreatstrainandaremoredangerous.Beginnerswhoareinflexiblearemorelikelytodothisinanattempttoachievethestretch.Theyarenotrecommendedandshouldbeavoidedinaikido.

Rememberthattheideaofastretchexerciseistostretchamuscleorgroupofmuscles.Ifthepersonnexttoyouisabletoachievethemostpeculiarcontortions,youdonothavetomatchthis.Youonlyhavetostretchtothepointwhereyoufeelit.Tryingtostretchtoofarmayresultinwhatareknownas‘contra-indications’.Thesearepotentiallydamagingstressestothebodycausedbyperforminganexerciseincorrectly.

Asanexample…youaretryingtodofiftysit-upswithyourhandsbehindyourheadtostrengthentheabdominals,butyoustarttostruggleafterforty.Thelasttenareassistedbyyoupullingyourbodyupbywrenchingyourneck.Notonlydoesthisfailtobenefittheabdominals,butyouareindangerofdamagingyourneck.Whenstretching,imaginethatyouaresatonthegroundwithonelegoutstraight.Youareaskedtostretchthehamstringsof that leg.Thestudentnext toyou,beinghighly flexible, flopsdowneasilyover thestraight leg.Feeling thatyoushouldbeable todothesameyoustartforcingyourheaddowntowardsyourkneeballistically.Thisputsyourneckandlowerbackunderunnecessarystrainandcouldcauseinjury.

Itisveryimportantthatyourelaxwhenstretching.Thiswillenableyoutoelongatethemuscle.Ifthemuscleisnotrelaxed,thenitiscontracting,inotherwordsshortening.Thiswouldmeanthatyouaretryingtoelongateamusclewhileitisshortening…doesn’tmakesense!Itisnaturalforamuscletocontractwhenitisbeingstretchedmorethanusual,thisisanattempttoprotectitself.Withpracticeyoucanlearntooverridethisnaturalimpulseandrelaxthemuscles.

Cool downsCooldownsarerecommendedfortheendofthesession.Thesearesimilartowarmups,butratherthanpreparethebodyforactivity,theyallowittograduallyreturntoitsnormalstatus.Youcanthinkofitasanoperationsimilartoclosingyourcomputerdown.Thecomputerwillclosealltheprogrammesandclosedownsafely.Ifyoujustpulltheplugoutitcouldbecorrupted.

Thecooldownshouldincludegentleactivitywhichslowsdowntheheartrateandcirculation,reorganisingthebody’sbloodflow.Youpaybackanyoxygendebt,disperselacticacid,andreturnthebreathingrateanddepthtonormal.

Furtherstaticstretchingshouldbeincludedinthecooldowntohelppreservethelengthandpliabilityofmusclefibresandtheflexibilitythatyouhaveachieved.

Andfinally,thecooldownhasimportantpsychologicaladvantages.Itistimeforcasualchatandfriendshipbuildingwiththepeoplewhohavejustbeenthrowingyouaroundthedojo,timeforcheckingthelumpsandbruises,andtimeforlookingaround the dojo at your colleagues, consideringwhat has just been collectively achieved, and realising the collectivestrengthoftheschooltowhichyoubelong.

Mark Hardwick is a Lecturer in Sports Science and a Jee Pai Kung Fu instructor.illustration credit: athletiek.com



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“What Can Aikidoka Learn from Systema..?”

Keni LynchMoreandmorepeople intheAikidoworldarebeginningtorealizethatevenashortcourse inSystemawillpaythemgreatdividendsinincreasedmentalandphysicalfreedom,leadingtoeffortlessmovement.FamousnamesinAikidowhohavelearnedfromSystemainclude:HiroshiIkeda(Aiki-kai7thDan)andKevinChoate(6thDanunderSaotomeShihan),MatthewHill(5thDanIwama)andthelistisgrowing.ThesimilaritieswithAikidoareuncanny.

WhenIfirstsawVladimirVasiliev’sSystema(S)onvideo5yearsago,forinstance,I thought someone had taken JapaneseAikido, added a few punches to it, andgivenitaRussianname..itwassoclosetowhatIknew..ItwasasifsomeJapaneseguyhadsomehowsecretlyemigratedtoRussialonglongago,resultinginaveryevolvedversionofAikido(A)thatnooneinJapan,andeventheWesternworld,couldhavepredictedorexpectedtosee..untilnow..

IattendedAnthonyLucas’sSystemaclassyesterdayinBudapestandsothoughtI’d sharewithyousomeofwhat I learnedand tie this inwithabrief technicalcomparisonbetweenthetwosystems.Assomeonewith30-years-plusexperienceinAikido,whosemade a conscious studyof itsmajor schools like theAiki-kai,

Yoshinkan,Tendo-kan,andKi-no-Kenkyu-Kai(KKK),IthinkIcancommentfairlyonwhatisdifferentandspecialaboutSystemathatismissinginAikidotraining.I’dliketopresentthreeideasfromSthatmighthelpAikidokarealize,apartfromthegreatoverlapthetwoartsshare,whatisuniquetoS,sothatyoucanlearntoexploretheseingreaterdepthinanySseminar.Ofcourse,Systemahasmanybranches,justlikeintheAikidoworld,sowecanonlytalkingeneral.But,Ithinkwecanalwayslearnmoreaboutourselves,andwhateverbranchofAikidoyoumayhappentostudy,thefollowingpoints,commontoallbranchesofS,willinspireyou:

Number 1: Breathing. ThegreatestthingaboutSishowtheymovefromtheinside-out.Ofcourse,Aikidotoo,intheory,isaboutthespiritleadingthebody,butformostpeoplethistheoryisalittleabstractandnotasevidentinpractice.Don’tgetmewrong,therearemanypeopleinAwhopracticesincerely,withspiritualintentinthebackoftheirminds.And,thereareafewgreatteacherswhoactuallyteachthespiritualandenergeticsidesindetail,butthemajoritydonot.Thegeneralpatternthoughisthatwefindourselvesmovingwithoutreallyknowinghoworwhywehavetomoveincertainways.Indeed,wehavethenameskokyu-hoandkokyu-nage(‘breathingexercise’and‘breathtechnique’),forexample,toenhanceourappreciationofthebreath,andthekiexercisestohelpusrealizetheenergeticmind,butfewofusknowtherealreasonswhythesearesocentraltograspingAikidoasawhole.Inpracticetoo,thesemovementsaredifficulttopulloff..

Systemacancometotherescuehere:a)becauseithasasolidfoundationinbreathingandb)becausethephysiologicalreasonsitgivesastowhyrelaxationisgoodforself-defense,andwhythis leadstosmootherinteractionsinpotentialconflictsituations,isground-breakingscientificnews..!Ithastodowithmonitoringourbreathing,sothatnomatterhowfastorfuriouslyourpartnermoves,itispossibleforournervoussystemtostaycalm..ifweknowourselvesandourbody’slimits.

ManyadvancedAikidokaalsoknowthis(especiallyintheKKK)andconsciouslytrytoworkonkeepingcalmbutwhattheymaynotknowishowthelimitsoftheirownpersonalbreathingpatternscanupsettheirinnerequilibrium.Sdeliberatelyexploresthedifferentaspectofthebreath:theinhale,theexhale,andtheholdingofthebreathafterexhale,aswellasaftertheinhale.Thesebreathingpatternsareexploredinbasicexercises,likethepush-up,thesquatandsit-up,todevelopstaminainthelungsandnervoussystem,andarecentraltocultivatingcalmandsafemovement.But,thewholeideaisnottodomoreofthese..

Mikhail Ryabko, Founder of modern Systema, with Matt Hill



TO A FRIEND



Quantity,orstrengthperse,isnottheultimategoal.It’sthepsychologybehindsuchthingsasoxygendeprivationandthenervoussystem’sreactiontopanicthatarethemostvaluablelessonshere.

Asweallknow,scientiststellusthat,inathreateningsituation,manypeopleholdtheirbreath.Inwhatisfamouslyknownasthefightorflightresponse,bloodpressure,heart-rate,andmusculartensionallrise,thepupilsoftheeyesdilatetotryandtakeinmoreofwhatisgoingon,and,asyourbodyinstinctivelygoesintothestressmode,youfeeltheurgetofight,torunawayortofreezeonthespotwithfright.

Shelpsusgetintouchwiththeworkingsofthisresponseinourselvesinasafeenvironment,andthroughS’sslow-motionpractices,andrelaxationexercises,tooverridethisinstinctiveresponsetodanger,sothatwecandefendourselvesinthemannerofourchoosing.This,alone,wouldbeagreatadditiontoanyone’sAikido,butthegreaterbenefit,Ithink,liesinknowinghowtochallengeourlimits,andtherebyenhanceoureverydaylife.InSseminars,youwilllearnhowtotakethetensioncompletelyoutofyourbodyineverypotentiallystressfulposture.Thispsychologyofrelaxationunderstressissomethingthatcanserveyouwellforalifetimeofreducedstress...IgotthisfromAnthony,and,Ithink,thisisinvaluable.

Number 2: Natural Movement.Youmaybesceptical,likeIwas,whenanymartialartclaimstoteach‘naturalmovements’,becauseitseemsclearthateveryculturehasitsowndefinitionofnatural.JustthinkofthedifferencebetweentheminimalismofAikidomovementscomparedto,let’ssay,theexuberantgymnasticsofBrazilianCapoeira.Bothmartial.Bothnatural.

Yet,theyareonoppositeendsofthespectrumofexpressivehumanmovement.But,ifwesay,‘natural’is‘whatevercanhelpussurviveanattackwithease’,thenwehavetothinkofthemostlikelyattacksinaciviliancontext,andconsiderthequestionofhowwewillpersonallyencounterthem:psychologicallyandphysically.

You can probably be 99.9% sure, for example, that you won’t be attacked by amanflashingaJapaneseswordonthestreet.. (So,what istherelevanceofAikidosword-work..?Thatisanotherquestion..).And,it’salsostatisticallyimprobablethatyou’llhavetodealwithcartwheelkicksfromsomeonewhosefriendisplayingtheberimbauinthebackground...

Bycontrast,S focusesonhowtodealwith themost likelygrabs,pushes,punches,kicks,knifeattacksandgroupattacks..butallwithinthesimplecontextofmovingwithanawarenessofyourcalm(ing)breath.Likeinthebestmastery-levelAikido,youhavetostartwithyourself,andrealizetherearenoseparatetechniques.Sisonlyaboutthefreedomtomoveyourselffreely..inthehereandnow..KindoflikethegentleartofAikidofree-style,butwiththestopsremoved.

Shasfoundawaytoteachthisfreedomtousquickly,throughprogressivedrillsandexercises.ThroughS,wecanrealizethatitisn’tthememorizedmartialtechniquesweknow,eveniflearnedoverdecades,thatwillgetusoutoftroublebutourinnatefreedomtomovewithoutfear...LiketheZenmasterTakuansaid,“..ifourmindsarecaughtinthethoughtoftechnique,thenwewon’thavethefreedomtorespondcreatively,spontaneously,appropriately.Ourpartnerwillspotourdistractedmind,detectingagapinourawareness..we’llbeunabletomove,whileouropponentwillbeabletoexploitthismomenttoattackus...”

So,thewayweexpressourselvesinself-defenseMUSTbenaturalinthepsychologicalsensethatitwillalwaysbepersonal,naturaltoyou,anddifferenttosomeoneelse’sway,evenifthatpersonisyourmostfavouriteteacherofBudo.Ilikewhatan8thDanKendomasteroncesharedwithme.Hesaid:‘MostpeoplethinkoftheWay(or‘Do’,asin‘Bu-do’)asaroad,oraroad-map,alreadytravelledbyothers.Itsfeaturesandlandmarksarewellknown.It’susuallyaboutasetofrules,teachersandformaltraditions.”“But, Idon’tthinkof itthatway..”hesaid,“theTrueWay,Ithink, isreallyourown.. It’s likethefreedomwefeelwhenwalkingonthebeach,alone..and,asyoutakeinthebeautyofthescenery,andlookback,youseeaseriesoffootstepsgoingallthewaybacktothehorizon..Whenyoutakestockofyourtrainingrecordovertheyears,yourealize,forthefirsttime,whereyou’vebeen.Thatisyourindividualpath..Ifyouthinkofitthisway,youcangiveyourself



TO A FRIEND



thecouragetomoveforwardsfortherestofthejourneyintotheunknown..Whatelseisthere..?Ifyoufollowsomeoneelse’sway..evenUeshiba’sAikido..itcouldstillbetakenawayfromyou,ifyoureliedonotherstogiveittoyou..butyourwayisyourway..youwillalwayshaveit,anditcan’tbetakenaway..’.

Sisnaturalinthateachpersoncandiscovertheirowninsecuritiesandexpresstheirfreedomtomovepastthem,allwithinasafeplace.Scallsthisthework.

Number 3: Strikes. InspiteofUeshibasaying,allegedly,that“Aikidois90%atemi”(or ‘striking’),Aikidokaareshy, ingeneral,offollowingthroughwithpunches.

(Itshouldbesaid,though,thatUeshiba’sstatementhereisapocryphal,andisstillcontroversial,and,therefore,shouldn’tbetakenliterallyasgospel.Attheveryleast,ifUeshibadidsaythis,wehavetoreconcileitwithhisotherstatementslikethefactthatAikidohassomethingtodowiththeinfinitespiritoftheuniverse.Itwouldbelogicaltoask,then:‘howitispossibletohave90%ofinfinity..?’But,theabsurditythisleadsusintoisadebatethatwillhavetobecoveredinaseparatearticle)

TheYoshinkan and Iwamadojos are about theonlyones that use strikes extensively to get their techniques towork.Withoutstrikestoinitiatetheirmoves,theirhardversionsofAikidodon’tmakemuchsense.TheAiki-kaiandKKKtendtolimitstrikingintheircurricula;eveneschewingdefencesagainstkicks,onthegroundsthattheydon’twanttoencourageviolentminds.OK,Iunderstandthesentiment.

MostAikidoka,Ithinkit’sfairtosay,don’tliketheimage,thefeelingsorconduct,andseeminglackofcontrolthatappearstobeassociatedwithpunchingandkicking. Indeed, in themindsofnon-violentpeople,punching isalreadyakindofviolence,and,becauseoftheirviolentimageinfilms,themartialartsarealso,unfortunately,oftenenoughequatedwiththuggery.IntheeyesofmanyAikidoka,then,themartialarts(Bu-jitsu),asopposedtoBudo,areNo-GoZones.

Indeed,Ithinkit’struethatnon-violenceiswhatattractspeopletocometoAikidointhefirstplace.Afterall,ifyouwantedsomethingmoreaggressive,there’snolimittotherangeofchoicesavailable..FromMMAtoKravMarga,BrazilianJujitsutoThaiKick-boxing,youcantakeyourpick..Aikidoissupposedlyuniquelydifferentfromthissmorgasbordofconsumerchoices,becauseittakesitsfirmfootingonthebasisofitsnon-violentspiritualstance.

So,thequestiontoSpeoplefromApeoplewouldthenhavetobesomethinglike:‘Canpunchingeverbespiritual..?’And,theshortansweris‘yes’.But,thesecondpartoftheansweris:“itdependsonyou..andyourintent..”“Ifyoupunchwithlove..”Anthonysaid..which,bytheway,mademyheadspin,inthebeginning..

But,thenwhenyouactuallytryit,itain’tsobad..

Infact,thepunchinginSisnothinglikeinboxing,wherewetenseourarmsandgoagainstourpartnertotrytoknockhimout.ThepunchesinSaredoneexactlyliketheideaofkiextension.Youjustextendyourarmwitharelaxedfisttobreakdownyourpartner’sbalance.Or,youmakehimreacttoyourhandthat’sinthewayofhismovement.Peoplewhoareoff-balanceintheturn,asyoumoveaway,arevulnerable..Atthesametime,ifyouhadtoKOsomeone,thereisnoreasonwhyyoucan’tdothatinself-defenseusingS,justlikeyoucandothatwithShiho-nageorIrimi-nageinA.Thenagain,Ueshibadidsay“Aikidoislovingattackandpeacefulreconciliation”..Toomanyofusthinkthat

thisreferenceto‘lovingattack’isonlyaboutuke’srole,butthereisnoreasonwhytorican’talsobelovingindefendingthemselveswithpunches..Ifso,Scanshowushow..

A spiritual punch - Vladimir Vasiliev with Matt Hill



TO A FRIEND



The kicking too is donemore like Ikkyowith the legs. The idea is to lead theattacker’slegalittle,touchinghisshinwithyourfoottomakehimpause(omote,or‘entering’,ifyouwill),or,bystretchinghisheeloutalittlewithyourfoot,makinghimlosehisbalance(asortofura).Again,thereismuchmoretousingthelegsthanthepunishingThai-KickBoxingroutines..

Finally,justafewwordsontheSystemaInstructorAnthonyLucas.Ihavefoundhimtobeagenerousperson,withacompassionateheart,alwaysreadytoencouragehisstudentswithpositivefeedback.AsanexperiencedteacherofNinjutsu, it isclearheisalsokeenlyawareofthedifferencesbetweenkata(orform)trainingand the relaxed freedom ofmovementwhich Systema provides the student oftraditional Budo. He has trained with some of the biggest names in Systema,like Vladimir Vasiliev,Mikhail Ryabko,MartinWheeler, and others. As a fellowresearcheralongthemartialroadofself-study,Isalutehim,andrecommendhimhighlytoallBudoka,butAikidokainparticularwhohavesomuchtogain.Europeisluckytohavehim.

MattHill(fullSystemaInstructorunderVladimirVasilievandAikido5thDanundertheSaitoFamily)runsregularseminarswhichaimtohelpyou:

• improveyourcreativity,

• feelconfidentinyourinstinctiveandspontaneousresponse,

• developyourabilitytohandlepsychologicalpressure,

• applytheprinciplestomultipleattacker&crowdworkand

• addrelaxedpowertoyourmovementtoimproveaikidotechnique.

Writer: Keni Lynch is the son of Aikido pioneers in New Zealand and currently teaches Aikido in Budapest, Hungary. He is an award-winning philosopher and has a masters degree in International Relations from Victoria University in Wellington. He is also the author of the upcoming book ‘Aikido Body’ (2014), in which he shares some of the principles behind effortless Aikido mastery, based on his 34 years of experience in the art.

Matt Hill with Morihiro Saito Sensei



TO A FRIEND



8

Haiku

Leslie Cuthbert

A Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world.

ORIGIN Japanese, contracted form of haikai no ku ‘light verse.’

Doyouhaveanyphotographsshowingaikidokapractisingthatyou’dbehappycouldbeusedinaproposedbookofpoems(haiku)focusingonaikido?

Iamcurrentlyintheprocessofcompilingabookofhaiku,twoexamplesofwhichareshownhere,andwouldbeverygratefultoreceiveanydonatedphotographsthatcouldbeincludedbesidemytextinthefinaledition

Ifyouwouldbewillingtoassistinthisendeavourpleasecontactmeat:[email protected]

Heavyweight white Gi

Grabbed by Uke with both hands;

I perform nage.



TO A FRIEND



Uke attacks hard

I divert her ki past me,

She rolls noiselessly.

17

18

Whistleblowing and Safeguarding

The concept ofWhistleblowing is important in anyorganisation that is committedtomaintainingappropriatelevelsofsafeguardingandgoodpractice.Whistleblowingallowsindividualstoraiseconcernsaboutpoorpracticeormisconductbymembersand employees/volunteers (e.g. coaches or class helpers). The BAB believes itis necessary to develop a culture in all Clubs and Associations where concernedindividualscanraiseissuesaboutunacceptablepracticeandmisconductinasafeandsupportiveenvironment.

It is important forcoaches tobeaware that thedifferencebetweenabuseandpoorpracticecanbeminimal. Forexamplesomethingsthatwereconsideredacceptable

behaviourinthepastarenotintoday’ssocietye.g.acoachwhousesinappropriatelanguagetoachildisnotacceptabletoday,butmaynothavebeenquestionedinthepast.InordertoprovidechildrenwiththebestpossibleexperiencesinAikido,itisimperativethateveryonedemonstratesexemplarybehaviour.Whistleblowingisanimportantpartofthiscultureasitallowschildrenandadultstoraiseconcernsinasafeandappropriatemanner.Notraisingconcernsjustdelaystheinevitableandmaycausematterstogetworse.Suchmatterswillseldom,ifever,improvebybeingignored.

When is it necessary for you to Whistleblow?Abusecanoccurwithinmanysituationsincludingthehome,schoolandthesportingenvironment.Someindividualswillactivelyseekemploymentorvoluntaryworkwithchildreninordertoharmthem.Acoach,officialorvolunteerhelpermayhaveregularcontactwithchildrenandbeanimportantlinkinidentifyingcaseswhereachildneedsprotection. All cases of poor practice or possible abuse must be reported following the guidelines in the BABSafeguardingPolicy.

Youmaywitnessorbetoldaboutasituationofpoorpractice,orafailuretosafeguardorevenabusewithinaikidoinwhichacolleagueis implicated. Forexample,achildmighttellyouofsomethingthathashappenedtothemduringatrainingsession,oryoumightbecomesuspiciousaboutthebehaviourofacolleagueorvolunteer.Aparentmightmakeanallegationofabuseinvolvingsomeoneintheclub.Shouldthishappentoyousuchinformationwillgeneratestrongemotions.Itisimportanttounderstandthesefeelingsandnotallowthemtointerferewithyourjudgmentaboutanyactiontotake.

Rememberitisnotyourresponsibilitytoinvestigatesuchincidents.YourroleistorespondappropriatelyandtoreporttheconcerntoyourClubWelfareOfficer,yourAssociationCPOordirecttotheBABLeadSafeguardingOfficer

Ifyouarethepersonraisingtheconcernsyouarelikelytohavemixedemotions;colleaguesareseenaspeopletotrustandsuspecting“unpleasantthings”aboutacolleagueishard.Youmayfinditdifficulttoacceptwhatisbeingallegedandyoumayfeeldisloyalbyreportingyourconcerns.Oryoumayfearvictimisationifyouraiseaconcernagainstacolleague. It isnotunusualtofeelthiswaybutit is importanttorememberthatthechild’swelfareisparamount.Donotallowyourjudgmenttobecloudedbypersonalfeelingsorworries.YourCWOandAssociationCPOwillrecognisethatanypersonreferringconcernsinvolvingacolleaguemayneedadditionalsupportinlightoftheactiontheyhavetakenandwillsupportyouthroughoutanysuchconcernthatisraisedingoodfaith.

TheBABLeadSafeguardingOfficerhasexperienceofdealingwithwhistleblowingandisalsoabletooffersupportifrequired.

Sue WardBAB Lead Safeguarding Officer


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12

Celebrating International Aiki Peace Week in Bideford North Devon

Richard Small (Aiki Jo, Bideford, Devon)This event was held on 20th September 2014 as an international initiative to bring principles of peace into the community.

It was also raising money for Macmillan Cancer Care.

Whatisharmonyifitisn’tpeace?O-Sensei,thefounderofaikido,saidthat‘Aikiisnotatechniquetofightwithordefeattheenemy.Itisthewaytoreconciletheworldandmakehumanbeingsonefamily’;Amartialartwithinterestingethicsandmethodology.

Aikidoisalongjourney...inmanyways.SenseiBobSherringtontravelledallthewaytoDevonfromKetteringAikikaiinNorthantstosharethedayandhisskills;Anactthatepitomisesthegenerosity,humilityandabilityofagreatteacher,anactthatwecanonlyadmire.Histeachinginvolvedshortstaffagainsttheswordandtosaytheleastwasmindcatching.ThosewhopractisewillknowwhatImean.

MarkAllcockofWellspringsAikidoinPoole,Dorsetalsotravelledtoteach.Againahumbleandpopularteacher,Markshowedthedevelopmentfrombasicexercisestoadvancedweaponstechniquesandhowinparttheyremainessentiallythesameinapplication.

SomeofthestudentsthatalsotravelledfarwereDanHopkinsrepresentingMasakatsuAikidofromOtteryStMaryandMikeWilliamsjoinedusfromSomerset.

Inmarkedcontrastanddespiteextensiveadvertising,therewerefewlocalstudentsorobserverswhochosetotakethiswonderfulopportunitytocometogetherinsuchharmony...inpeace;onthedaybeforeUnitedNationsPeaceDay.

Huw Collingbourne of Hartland Aikido Club brought two students and he developed the teaching of knife takingtechniques–wewerehavingsomuchfunthatHuwranoutoftimetocompletehisprogramme.Oneofthemanylessonswealllearnedontheday.“It’salwayslaterthanyouthink,makethemostoflife.”

RichardSmall(organising)taughtswordagainstswordpartnerpracticeusingthethirdkumitachiandemphasisingtheconnectionandharmonywithinselfandwithothers.

PeteBlayneydemonstratedsomeelegantflowingAikidoandwonderfulskillsintheuseofKi(energy)leavingmostofusstrugglingtocopyhisexcellentexample.

ForObserversitwasonly£1donationtothecharityMacmillanCancerCare.Thereweremorerefreshmentsthantheycouldbeeatenandthreehoursofenlighteningmartialartsentertainment,itissuchashamethatmorepeopledidnotcomeandenjoytheday.

However,thoseofuswhodidattendhadagreatdayingoodcompanyandweraised£161.60forMacmillanCancerCare.

Photo courtesy of Huw Collingbourne of Hartland AikidoStudents and teachers from different Aikido styles,

stand together in harmony.

19

20

The history of Ju Jitsu (Part 2)

John Piket

The beginningFighting forms have existed in Japan for centuries. The first references to such unarmedcombatartsorsystemscanbefoundintheearliestpurportedhistoricalrecordsofJapan,theKojiki(RecordofAncientMatters)andtheNihonShoki(ChroniclesofJapan),whichrelatethemythologicalcreationofthecountryandtheestablishmentoftheImperialfamily.Otherglimpsescanbefoundintheolderrecordsandpicturesdepictingsumai(orsumo)nosechie,ariteoftheImperialCourtinNaraandKyotoperformedforpurposesofdivinationandtohelpensureabountifulharvest.

ThereisafamousstoryofawarriorNominoSekuniofIzumowhodefeatedandkilledTajimanoKehayainShimaneprefecturewhileinthepresenceofEmperorSuinin.Descriptionsofthetechniquesusedduringthisencounterincludedstriking,throwing,restrainingand weaponry. These systems of unarmed combat began to beknownasNihonkoryujujutsu(japaneseold-stylejujutsu),amongotherrelated terms,during theMuromachiperiod(1333-1573),according to densho (transmission scrolls) of the various ryuha(martialtraditions)andhistoricalrecords.

Most of thesewerebattlefield-based systems to be practiced ascompanionartstothemorecommonandvitalweaponsystems.Thesefightingartsactuallyusedmanydifferentnames.Kogusoku,yawara,kumiuchi,andhakudaarejustafew,butallofthesesystemsfallunderthegeneraldescriptionofSengokujujutsu.Inreality,thesegrapplingsystemswerenotreallyunarmedsystemsofcombat,butaremoreaccuratelydescribedasmeanswherebyanunarmedorlightlyarmedwarriorcoulddefeataheavilyarmedandarmoredenemyonthebattlefield.

Methodsofcombat(as justmentionedabove) includedstriking(kicking,punching), throwing(bodythrows, joint-lockthrows, unbalance throws), restraining (pinning, strangulating, grappling, wrestling) andweaponry. Defensive tacticsincludedblocking,evading,offbalancing,blendingandescaping.Minorweaponssuchas the tanto(dagger), ryufundokusari (weighted chain), jitte (helmet smasher), and kakushi buki (secret or disguisedweapons)were almost alwaysincludedinSengokujujutsu.

In later times,otherkoryudeveloped intosystemsmore familiar to thepractitionersofNihon jujutsucommonlyseentoday.ThesearecorrectlyclassifiedasEdojujutsu(foundedduringtheedoperiod):systemsgenerallydesignedtodealwithopponentsneitherwearingarmornor inabattlefieldenvironment.For this reason,most systemsofEdo jujutsuincludeextensiveuseofatemiwaza(vital-strikingtechnique).Thesetacticswouldobviouslybeof littleuseagainstanarmoredopponentonabattlefield.Theywould,however,bequitevaluabletoanyoneconfrontinganenemyoropponentduringpeacetimedressedinnormalstreetattire.Occasionally,inconspicuousweaponssuchastanto(daggers)ortessen(ironfans)wereincludedinthecurriculumofEdojujutsu.

AnotherseldomseenbutinterestinghistoricalasideisaseriesoftechniquesoriginallyincludedinbothSengokuandEdojujutsusystems.Referredtoashojowaza(hojojutsu,nawajutsuandothers),itinvolvestheuseofahojocord,(sometimesthesageoortasuke)torestrainorstrangleanattacker.Thesetechniqueshaveforthemostpartfadedfromuseinmoderntimes,butTokyopoliceunitsstilltrainintheirusetodayandcontinuetocarryahojocordinadditiontohandcuffs.TheveryoldTakenouchiRyuisoneofthebetter-recognizedsystemsthatcontinueextensivetraininginhojowaza.


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ManyotherlegitimateNihonjujutsuryuexistbutarenotconsideredkoryu(ancienttraditions).ThesearecalledeitherGendaijujutsuormodernjujutsu.ModernjujutsutraditionsarefoundedafterortowardstheendoftheTokugawaperiod(1603-1868).Varioustraditionalryuandryuhathatarecommonlythoughtofaskoryujujutsuareactuallygendaijujutsu.TheseincludeHakkoRyu,KazeArashiRyu,DaitoRyu,andmanyothers.Althoughmoderninformation,gendaijujutsusystemshavedirecthistoricallinkstoancienttraditionsandarecorrectlyreferredtoastraditionalmartialsystemsorryu.TheircurriculumreflectsanobviousbiastowardsEdojujutsusystemsasopposedtotheSengokujujutsusystems.Theimprobabilityofconfrontinganarmor-cladattackeristheobviousreasonforthisbias.

Overtime,Gendaijujutsuhasbeenembracedbylawenforcementofficialsworldwideandcontinuestobethefoundationformany specialized systemsusedbypolice. Perhaps themost famousof thesespecializedpolicesystemsistheKeisatsujutsu(policeart)Taihojutsu(arrestingart)systemformulatedandemployedbytheTokyoPoliceDepartment.

IfaJapanesebasedmartialsystemisformulatedinmoderntimes(postTokugawa)but is only partially influenced by traditionalNihon jujutsu, itmay be correctlyreferred toasgoshin (selfdefense) jujutsu.Goshin jujutsu isusually formulatedoutside Japan and may include influences from other martial traditions. ThepopularGraciejujutsusystem,andallBrazilianjujutsuingeneral,althoughderivedoriginally from Judo have evolved independently for many years, and could beconsideredexamplesofGoshinJujutsu.

The development of close combat systemsRegardlessofwherethey live,peoplespendagreatdealof timedevelopingandperfecting methods of using weapons for hunting and fighting. If successful,personalexperiencesandinsights(oftengainedonthebattlefield)helpindividualstoestablishparticular“styles,”“schools,”or“traditions”—inJapanese,thebujutsuryu-ha.

Compared with the empty-handed fighting arts of neighbouring China and Korea,Japanese jujutsu systems place more emphasis on throwing, immobilizing andpinning,jointlocking,andstranglingtechniques.Atemiwaza(strikingtechniques)areofsecondaryimportanceinmostJapanesesystems,whereastheChinesech’uan-fa(kempo)emphasizepunching,striking,andkicking.

ItisgenerallyfeltthattheJapanesesystemsofhakuda,kempo,andshubakudisplaysomedegreeofChineseinfluenceintheirparticularemphasisonatemiwaza,whilesystemsthatarederivedfromamorepurelyJapanesesourcedonotshowanyspecialpreferenceforsuchtechniques,butwillusethemasandwhenappropriate.

The way an opponent is dealt with is also dependent on the philosophy of theteacherwithregardtocombat.Thistranslatesalsoindifferentstylesorschoolsofjujutsu.Becauseinjujutsueveryconceivabletechnique,includingbiting,hairpulling,eyegougingetc.isallowed(unlikeforinstancejudo,whichdoesnotplaceemphasisonpunchingorkickingtactics,orkarate,whichdoesnotemphasizegrapplingandthrowing)practitionershaveanunlimitedchoiceoftechniques.


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Someteacherswillfavourtakinganopponentoutasfastandhardaspossible,whileotherswill favour takinganopponentdown ina controlledwayand thenkeepingthemundercontrolwithjointlocks.Others,liketheGraciejujutsusystem,stresstheimportanceongroundworksincemostfightsenduponthegroundanyway,whileotherteachersfinditimportanttoavoidagroundfightatallcost,sinceitcanbeverydangerouswhenfacedwithmultipleopponents.

Althoughtherewereandaremanyryuhaorsystemsof Japanesejujutsu, therearefeaturesthatarecharacteristicofmost(ifnotall)ofthem.Sincethereareanumberofrelativelynewmartialsystemsidentifyingthemselvesasjujutsu,itisappropriatetolookatthosecharacteristicswhichdistinguishastyleastraditionalJapanesejujutsu.

HeritageAllNihonjujutsuhaveculturalindicatorswhichhelpgiveasenseofthetraditional

characterofaschool,andinclude:

• Anatmosphereofcourtesyandrespect,acontextintendedtohelpcultivatetheappropriatekokoro,or“heart”.

• Thetypeofgiortrainingsuitworn,whichisusuallyplainwhite,oftenwithadarkhakama(themostcolourfuluniformmightbeplainblackorthetraditionalblueofquiltedkeikogi;youarenotlikelytoseestarsandstripesorcamouflageuniforms).

• Lackofostentatiousdisplay,withanattempttoachieveorexpressthesenseofrusticsimplicity(expressedinsuchconceptsassabiandwabiinJapanese)commoninmanyofJapan’straditionalarts.

• Theuseof the traditional (e.g.,Shoden,Chuden,Okuden,andMenkyoKaiden levels)rankingsystem,perhapsasaparalleltracktothemorecontemporaryandincreasinglycommondani(Kyu/Dan)ranking.

• Thereisthelackoftournamenttrophies,long-termcontracts,tagsandemblems,rowsofbadgesoranyothersuperficialdistractions.

The final part of this article will be continued in the next issue of the Aikido Times .../



TO A FRIEND



Kenshinkai trains Yoshinkan Aikido in Malaysia 2014

On September 1st senior instructors from KenshinkaiYoshinkanAikidoUKtravelledtoMalaysiatoonceagaintrainYoshinkanAikidowithour“sister”YoshinkanAikidoMalaysiadojos,runbySenseiSonnyLokeinKualaLumpur.Kenshinkaihas held strong links with Malaysia since the founder ofKenshinkai (Shihan David Eayrs) learnt Yoshinkan Aikidounder the tuitionofShihanFrancisRamasamy inPenang inthe1960s.

KenshinkaihaspreviouslytravelledtoMalaysiain1988,1992,1996,2000,2005andhashostedavisittotheUKin1994ofShihanFrancisRamasamyandSenseiSonnyLoke.SenseiLokebeganAikidoin1972andwasthefirstforeigninstructortobegradedto6thDanbyTakenoTakafumiSensei.

The return visitwas long overdue but Kenshinkaimembers immediately felt at home, remembering past trips, andcatchingupwithneweventswiththeYoshinkanAikidoMalaysiamembers.

StayingattheimpressiveTradersHotel(withTowerviewrooms)inKLCityCentretheKenshinkaimemberstravelleddailyviatheLRTtoTamanJayastationtotrainatthePetalingJayadojo.ThePetalingJayadojoisthelargestofthreepermanentdojosrunbySenseiLokeandhadagreatatmospherefortraining.ThemainceilingandwallfanskeptthevisitorsfromtheUKcoolenoughtotrain(just!),whilsttheyadjustedtotheaverage34degreetemperature.AllclasseswerefullwithjuniorsandadultsallenjoyingtheirYoshinkanAikidotraining.

VarioustechniquesfromthestandardYoshinkangradingsyllabuswerepracticed in addition to some variation techniques taught by SenseiLoke’sfromhismanyyearsofYoshinkanAikidoexperience,includingtechniqueslearnedfromTakenoSenseiandRamasamySensei.SenseiGarryMasterstaughtbrieflyandSenseiRichardLewistaughtoneofthejuniorclasses.ButthemainfocusfortheKenshinkaimemberswastolearnfromSenseiLokewiththeagendabeing“NoPolitics,NoGradings,justYoshinkanAikidoTraining”:-D

Afteraweek’straininginKualaLumpurtheKenshinkaimemberstravelledontoPenang,makingthemostofabitofR&RintheLagoonDeluxeroomsattheHardRockHotelinPenang.AvisitwaspaidtoShihanFrancisRamasamy,whosehealthhasunfortunatelydeterioratedoverthepast10years,tosuchapointthatheisnolongabletoteachAikido.ThetrainingmatsinthefrontpartofShihanRamasamy’shouseandweaponsadorningthewalls,servedasaremindertoallmemberswhohadpreviouslyvisitedandtrainedthere.

ReturningtoKualaLumpurforafinalweekoftraining(andsomesightseeingalongwithplentyofeatinganddrinkinglocaldishes),wefoundthatSenseiLokehadadjustedtotheKenshinkaimembersbyfillingtheDojofridgewithcansofTigerbeerinsteadoftheusualbottlesofwater.WewerealsopleasedthatDanielBurtonaKenshinkaiInstructorwhohassincemovedtoUSAwas



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abletomeetusforthefinalweekstraining.AgreattripmadeevenmorespecialbythehospitalityandfriendshipdisplayedbytheYoshinkanAikidoMalaysiamembersinadditiontothegreatsenseofhumourdisplayedbySenseiLoke.KenshinkaiwouldrecommendanyonevisitingKualaLumpurtotrainatSenseiLoke’sdojowiththeguaranteethatyouwillbemadetofeelmostwelcome.



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Upcoming Events


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Upcoming Events

INAGAKI SHIHANAIKIDO KOSHUKAISATURDAY 23 AND SUNDAY 24 MAY 2015

The NIASports and Leisure Centre

BirminghamUnited Kingdom

TRAVEL TIPS CAR Follow signs to Birmingham city centre. Motorways - M1, M5, M6, M6 Toll, M40 and M42 BUS Visit Network West Midlands [ networkwestmidlands.co.uk ] or National Express [ travelwm.co.uk ] TRAIN Birmingham New Street Station and Five Ways Station are both a short distance from the venue

SEMINAR FEE BOTH DAYS £80 Advanced payments via Bank Transfer: Sort code 55-70-49 Account 83680101, ONE DAY £45 by cheque, or by PayPal on the official website: inagaki-koshukai.co.uk

SCHEDULE

SATURDAYRegistration 11am

12pm - 2pm3pm - 5pm

{ SUNDAYRegistration 8.30am

9am - 11am12pm - 2pm

AIKI KEN, AIKI JO AND TAI JUTSUPlease bring bokken, jo and insurance both days{

The NIA Sports and Leisure Centre, St Vincent Street, Birmingham B1 2AAT HE O R G A N IS ER S R ESER V E T HE R I GH T TO M A K E CH A N GES AT A N Y T I M E – FU L L D E TA I L S O N T HE O FF I C I A L W EBS I T E

Visit inagaki-koshukai.co.ukFor more info call 07949 590788

SHIGEMI INAGAKI SHIHAN [ 8º DAN AIKIKAI ] FIRST SEMINAR IN THE UK

{ {SATEVENINGPARTY

CLOSEST HOTELSCity Nites 1 Edward Street B1 2RX 0845 233 1155The Hampton 200 Broad Street B15 1SU 0121 329 7450 Hilton Garden Inn 1 Brunswick Square B1 2HW 0121 643 1003Hyatt Regency 2 Bridge Street B1 2JZ 0121 643 1234

Jurys Inn 245 Broad Street B1 2HQ 0121 606 9000 Novotel 70 Broad Street B1 2HT 0121 619 9002Premier Inn 80 Broad Street B15 1AU 0871 527 8076Travelodge 230 Broad Street B15 1AY 0871 984 6064

合気道

Shigemi Inagaki Shihan was born and raised in Iwama. In 1958 he became a student of the Aikido Founder, Ueshiba Morihei O'Sensei. After graduating from Nihon University in Tokyo in 1969 he spent 2½ years in the Iwama Dojo as uchideshi under Morihiro Saito Shihan.

Today Inagaki Sensei is one of the most well known, and experienced, teachers from the Ibaraki Shibu Dojo. He travels worldwide to teach, and generously shares his deep understanding in Aikido, based on almost 55 years of training, as a direct student of O´Sensei for 11 years, and for many more under Morihiro Saito Sensei. One special feature of his teaching is to incorporate talks about what Aikido has meant to him, and of his views on the spiritual dimension of Aikido.

PH

OTO

: J Ö

RA

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A GE R L U N D


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Upcoming Events

27

BAB Annual Coach Tutor Day 15th November 2014 Venue:SolihullFootballClub

AllCoachTutorsareinvited(andexpectedtoattend)thisUpdateandCPDtrainingday.

PleasecontactGrevCookeifyouhavenotalreadyconfirmedyourattendance

CoachTutorCPDLogsshouldbesubmittedtoFrankBurlinghamasapifnotalreadydone.

Other BAB and Association coursesAswell as sending in posters for inclusion in the Aikido Times, Clubs and Associations can also send details forpublicationontheBABwebsite.

Please visit http://www.bab.org.uk/courses/courses.asp for details of current courses and guidance on how touploaddetails.


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http://www.bab.org.uk/courses/courses.asp



Upcoming Events

28

AIKIDO SEMINAR Saturday 13 December 2014

KINSON COMMUNITY CENTRE Millhams Road, Pelhams Park, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH10 7LH

Tony Sargeant Sensei, 6th Dan Paul McGlone Sensei, 6th Dan

RegistraAon 9:30am Classes begin 9:45am Classes end 4:45pm

Please bring Bokken and Jo. All students must produce proof of current insurance before they will be allowed to train. Remember -‐ NO INSURANCE, NO TRAINING !! You can bring your own lunch or there is a Co-‐operaAve Food Shop about 250 metres from the centre.

TIMES:

£25 if paid in full by 31st October, £35 on the day

COSTS:

Please email [email protected] for a booking form


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Upcoming Events

rr

Renseignements en françaisChantal Tel: + 44 (0)790 139 80 91 or Email: [email protected]

Friday 14 Saturday 15 Sunday 16 19.00 to 21.00 10.00 to 16.00 10.00 to 15.00

Fee:Friday £10

Saturday £25 £40 Sunday £25

4002m

of Tatami

Locations:

Friday The Campus

Highlands LaneWeston-Super-Mare

BS24 7DX

Saturday & SundayHans Price Academy

Sports CentreMarchfields Way,

Weston-super-Mare, Somerset BS23 3QP

Enquiries: Phil BengeTel: + 44 (0)7786 513 973 or: [email protected] OPEN TO ALL STYLES & ASSOCIATIONS. PLEASE BRING WEAPONS & PROOF OF INSURANCE.

RISING SUN AIKIDO WELCOMES


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Aikido TimesHistory of Ju Jitsu part 2 page 20 Kenshinkai trains Yoshinkan Aikido in Malaysia 2014...

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