Hi!

I've just started practicing buki-waza in my local iwama club. I was wondering if anyone knows of any good publications concerning jo and/or bokken suburi?

JC

Saito Sensei does some good bokken suburi in retty classic texts, I think Advanced Aikido Vol.1 is the one you'll want.

Ian

Jappzz, please be sure to sign your posts with your real name as it is a Forum rule. Thanks.

-- Jun

I think it's very dangerous to learn
jo and ken from books or video tapes.

You should find a good teacher who
knows the relationship between aiki
jo(ken too) and aikido techniques.

Or you'll learn three different things.

aiki ken
aiki jo
aiki do

It's really dangerous... -.-

Read his post
 

Jaemin,
He is doing exactly what you told him to do Iwama is the most traditional of the weapon/taijutsu mix schools. Saito Sensei has integrated his weapons into the complete sylibus of his style. What JC was likely asking for was additional training aids that would help him remember everything for when he is training on his own. I use Mitani's Iai book to go through all the kata's I know in MJER. Not to learn from just to remind me which is which. After a while they all start to blend together. BTW I have resisted the urge to look ahead in the book I have. Mostly because I have enough problems with the ones I know.
As for an answer to his question. Dave lowery's book on Jo and Ken show the basics but you had best "know" them because they aren't learning books just aids. The Crane Sensei's tapes are Iwama styles weapons and one could learn from them though I agree with Jeamin one shouldn't do that you miss way to much. Though with Saito sensei's book becoming more available here in the states, those are your best bet.

Hi Jaemin

When looking for books on this subject i purely did so as a possible aid to my normal training. In fact our sensei is always putting strong emphasis to that we should consider buki-waza as an extension of our tai-jutsu practice and vice versa.

Jasper
(which is my real name, sorry about that.)

This is a really good website - print off the instructions for free
http://www.arts.ualberta.ca/~chinook...age/suburi.htm
combine that with a good sensei and youore off to a winner. If i can understand it - and the bokken stuff is not my strong piont - then anyone can understand this site.

Although many would disagree, I think bokken work is extremely important, especially for beginners (well for everyone really, just that if you start early aikido makes much more sense far more quickly). As Saito has said though, you have to practise rigorously the basic cuts until they are natural - eventually you won't be able to move you hands away from your centre even if you try! (possibly due to athritus in the shoulders - but thats what budo is all about eh?)

Ian

The best sources that I know of are video tapes of Saito Sensei himself. Some are available on http://www.aiki.com/cat5/cat5frames.html .

I have no personal experience with the Crane Senseis' videos/books, but I've heard from sources I trust that they are first rate.

For a quick reference, you might check out the .avi of the testing requirements on http://www.ysaohio.com/

There are some pictures on my site, but I'd hate to offer them up as "instruction material". They are just our club members enjoying their training.

Regards,

I don't disagree, but...visiting a local Shin-Budo Kai club to see if I would be interested (I just moved), it was the first time I had a jo in my hand, let alone do a kata with it <presently ranked sankyu/preparing for ikkyu>. I was pleased to see, though, that as with all aikido, if you dont have control of your center, nothing else "works" i.e. sloppy. When I got the chance to do a whole day of bokken at another dojo, the same thing happened. It was interesting to note, many "beginners" (like me )had no idea what to do with their feet...they were all fixated on that big, hard, woody thing in their hands.

However, I am sure it would have helped clarify the notion of extension and ma-ai if I would have been introduced to the bokken earlier.

Tapes
 

While it wouold be difficult to teach yourself from a tape without having an experienced teacher, I am a very big believer in using them for your training. For years after I left Saotome Sensei's dojo in Washington, DC I had no one to train with in weapons as the dojo where I was enrolled did not do any weapons training. I purchased every video I could find (which in those days wasn't that many) and worked on the techniques. I don't think I did myself or any body else any harm by doing this. I have a hard time understanding what is meant by "dangerous" in this context. The worst thing that seems to happen can be that you don't understand what you are looking at and practice some techniques incorrectly.

I still rely on videos to give me new material to work on. The student who has been exposed to a wide range of possibilities is going to learn faster and I encourage my students to get as much exposure as they can. Alas, many of them see fit to wait until I get around to showing them rather than go after it on their own. It's the really hungry ones who are going to be the best one day.

Jo & Bokken Tapes by Saito
 

Just got this email from Aikido Journal.
Have fun. :)