Iwama Ryu
 

This is the discussion thread for the AikiWiki article "Iwama Ryu".

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Re: Iwama Ryu
 

" Saito Shihan's passing in 2002, many of the Iwama-Ryu dojos have rejoined the Aikikai under the guidance of Corallini and Evenas."

Not meaning to offend the author but this information seems misleading, as far as I am aware Saito sensei was always Aikikai affiliated.

Keith

Re: Iwama Ryu
 

Please note that I have nothing to do with this discussion topic! I simply clicked innocently on the "discuss" button.

I am pleased that a discussion seems to have been initiated anyway...

Alex

Re: Iwama Ryu
 

But the dojos belonging to the Iwama Ryu-network was not affiliated to Aikikai.

Re: Iwama Ryu
 

Hi Peter,
I am sure that there are others more qualified to get into a discussion about this however my understanding was more in line with how it is described below:

"Despite this, Iwama Ryu was never officially declared an organisation independent of the Aikikai, and it can be regarded as a rather informal network held together by the fact that Saito sensei gave out his own dan ranks - Iwama Ryu ranks - as well as dan ranks from the Aikikai Hombu. Specific weapons ranks and weapon transmission scrolls were also given within the Iwama Ryu" (Wikipedia)

Maybe there were some dojo's that broke away from the Aikikai to later to rejoin, although I have never heard of it, at least not in my neck of the woods.

Regards
Keith

Re: Iwama Ryu
 

When Iwama Ryu was active, the national aikido-federation in Sweden had three subgroups based on "style": Aikikai, Ki-Aikido and Iwama Ryu.

OTOH, as far as I know, no dojo in Sweden is affiliated directly with Aikikai (the national aikido-federation is however a member of IAF), so swedish aikidoka becomes an Aikikai member when he/she becomes shodan (with the Aikikai). According to the swedish translation regarding regulation regarding Aikikai dan ranks, ranks can not be taken back. And since Iwama Ryu-ranks were a rather late invention all the senior practitioners had Aikikai-ranks as well.
So you can say that the senior practitioners had a "full-hedge" regarding the future while the junior ones only had Iwama Ryu-ranks and were dependent on that organisation.Luckily, when "Iwama Ryu" rejoined Aikikai in Sweden all of the junior dan ranks were converted to Aikikai.

Re: Iwama Ryu
 

I see that Francesco Corallini has written the following in the Wiki

"WIth Saito Shihan's passing in 2002, many of the Iwama-Ryu dojos have rejoined the Aikikai under the guidance of Corallini and Evenas."

Why the need to rejoin if you never were outside?

Re: Iwama Ryu
 

When I started training in the early 90s in Australia, we only had Dan certificates issued by Saito. I distinctly remember that after returning from a trip to Iwama my sensei at the time (maybe '93) announced that Saito would now be awarding Dan certificates from Aikikai (at 4 times the cost, which is why I remember, think I was a broke 3rd-2nd kyu at the time :) ). I had no ideas of the intricate nature of Aikido politics at the time, I just trained, but I assumed that this meant the Saito was not giving Aikikai ranks before this.

Re: Iwama Ryu
 

Aikikai Dan grade certificates were certainly issued via Saito Sensei well before the early 90s. I just checked my Yudansha card and my aikikai shodan was issued in 1987. All my Aikikai Dan grades, up until my godan in 2005, were via Sensei so I guess it depends on which group you were affiliated with. As you say- politics!

Re: Iwama Ryu
 

Sorry- forgot to say I trained in Australia so relevant to Tony's post.