Is this correct: Some of the techniques were named X control to help spread Aikido?

[Please visit our sponsor:]

[Zoe S Toth]

Hey folks!

I need help!!!! So in my nerdiness, I am fairly certain that I read somewhere that one of O-Sensei's students (probably Tohei) helped codify Aikido for teaching abroad by assigning names to techniques. The way I remember it, back in the older days, O-Sensei didn't really have names for many of them and just taught them well enough. When Aikido started to spread, Toehi (?) just started call them things like first teaching, second teaching, etc.

I need to get a primary source on this ASAP (or be told I am wrong.) Google is not helping.

Thanks folks!

Edit: Maybe it was O-Sensei's son who codified the names??? Confusion!

[kewms]

Once aikido developed an institutional structure -- as opposed to being the sole creation of one individual -- it became necessary to have a teaching syllabus, test requirements, and so on. If you're going to do that, it is necessary that things have names.

I wouldn't say, though, that these particular names (as opposed to some other, hypothetical set) were chosen "to help spread aikido." For the most part, the names are either purely descriptive or tie back to earlier arts.

Also, please realize that different branches of aikido have different names for things. Some schools are more specific about naming variations, some are less so, for instance.

Katherine

[Hellis]

Hi Zoe

I don't know how and when Aikido techniques were named, or by whom ? My own personal experience is as follows.
Kenshiro Abbe Sensei introduced Aikido to the UK in 1955. There were no names for any Aikido techniques.
When teaching Judo or Aikido, Sensei would stop the class to change to another technique with a loud clap of the hands, then say " necessary this technique " that was the only name for every technique, It was only with the arrival five years later of Mutsuro Nakazono Sensei that we had to learn the individual techniques by name, this was tough after years of `necessary ` - Nakazono Sensei then brought over Masamich Noro Sensei from France, he then broke the techniques down in to nine forms, with all techniques named, just as they are today. I know the nine forms were his own creation, I assume the names of techniques were as used at the Hombu ?

Henry Ellis
Co-author `Positive Aikido`

http://kazuo-chiba-sensei.blogspot.co.uk
http://britishaikido.blogspot.com
Japanese Swords
http://donbayneyantiques.blogspot.com

[phitruong]

an older thread about this. didn't shed much light there either. http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22617&highlight=naming+aikido+technique

[Rupert Atkinson]

Also, I think the visiting teachers of many schools in Europe used 1st form, 2nd form (up to 20 depending on the school) for ai-hanmi katate-dori and gyaku-hanmi katate-dori etc. I heard it was just to overcome the language problem. As far as I know Kyushindo and the Institute of Aikido in the UK still use this method today.

[Rupert Atkinson]

As for naming the waza, I have only heard that is was Ueshiba Kisshomaru. I previously asked a question about who came up with irimi and tenkan (our training method of two plus two) and the only answer I got was Ueshiba Kisshomaru.

[rugwithlegs]

There are names for the Daito Ryu kata and the individual techniques within, but I have been told this is a recent invention and not Takeda's teaching method.

Tohei did have lots of names he created for the Taigi, but some terms were already in use by other styles. Shodokan and Yoshinkan predate Tohei, and they do have names of their own.

The founder of Judo tried to develop a very coherent method of instruction, and he may have been a much larger influence on the world of Japanese martial arts than I first realized (like BJJ had everyone looking at ground work a couple of decades ago). He was an educator who wanted to proliferate the system. Directly or indirectly, I think he put the idea out there that there was a better way to teach.

Language I think is one of the barriers between the different schools, and I think some of that was for political reasons - especially for non-Japanese speakers. Terms like Sokumen Iriminage Ichi, Ikkyo Irimi or Tentai Kote Hineri immediately tell you something about the lineage.

[Dan Rubin]

From an interview with Shigenobu Okumura, http://www.aikidosangenkai.org/blog/interview-aikido-shihan-shigenobu-okumura-part-1/ :

A person from France named André Nocquet became a student, and was worried about what would happen when he returned to his country without any way of naming the techniques, so we said "Let's make a formal decision" and created the names.

[Tim Ruijs]

The federation Tamura was in requested him to create a national method (for France) of Aikido, so students could be examined the same, regardless of who their teacher was. A curriculum was to be established. Tamura knew that Tada (Italy) had some working list of techniques het used to examine his students. Tamura requested this list and to use it for Methode Nationale.

I only know for sure that Tamura (France) took the names and curriculum for Methode Nationale from a list Tada created. Where Tada got his list is indeed quite unclear. Tada always complained that Tamura 'stole' his list to create Methode Nationale.