Chuck.Gordon

Several Japanese koryu include waza/kata for chain weapons of various sorts (manriki, kusarigama, chigiriki, etc), and often, in training, a rope is substituted for the chain. I've read about a couple of koryu teaching some sort of rope technique, and If I remember correctly, there are a couple of schools of Okinawan karate using something like a weighted rope.

The Japanese had a pref for chain rather than rope, I think, because of the common use of edged weapons. Chain was safer. There's some strong argument that the chain weapons were really not 'practically' practiced, but rather were explorations of variations and possibilities. IIRC (but may be dead wrong here) there is no verifiable recorded instance of such weapons used in combat or personal duels.

Ellis Amdur talks about this in 'Old School' and it's also addressed to some degree in the Skoss' fine Koryu Budo trilogy.

When practiced, many of those waza involve tangling uke's limbs or weapon, then finishing with atemi, nagewaza or a cut. Watching a 90 year old Japanese grandma whirling the weighted end of a kusarigama, screeching at the top of her lungs and wailing the tar out of her uke is truly frightening.

Several koryu systems include a handful of hayanawa or hojojutsu techniques, used to bind a prisoner. At least one ryuha has a quite extensive repetoire of binding techniques. If you Google hojojutsu, however, be prepared for some very, um, interesting, not very budo-related results ...

Some ryuha teach several 'field-expedient' weapons, and the use of rope or an obi is definitely possible. However, as far as I know, the only instance of a well-known aikido teacher playing with whips and ropes (on the mat anyway, what they do at home is their business) is the late Terry Dobson, who allegedly used a bullwhip to demonstrate certain principles.

Kali/Escrima and aikido are whole different kettles o'fish, and the connection 'tween Hapkido and aikido is not fully understood, and is pretty tenuous, at best.

Aikido is a Japanese budo, built on the foundation of Daito Ryu Jujutsu, mainly, with some other influences rounding the art out. Sticking my neck out here, MOST aikido swordwork (and jo, for that matter) isn't.

That is, it's more exercise designed to enhance empty-hand practice, rather than being actual sword training. YMMV, and there are some excellent aikido folks who have cross-trained extensively in sword arts who incorporate their weapons training into their aikido successfully, and with great effect.

Many more have not, and it shows. However, that said, basic aiki-ken is an excellent tool for doing what it was designed for: illuminating and expanding upon empty-hand training.

In theory, you should be able to adapt the core principles of your chosen art to any weapon or empty-hand situation. Hunter Armstrong said "One mind, any weapon".

If the core principles of your art don't cross the lines of your varying practices (empty-hand, small arms, sword, staff), then some bits might have been cobbled together without the cobbler fully understanding the 'riai', the integration, of what is being (or ought to have been) done.

Thus the folks who slap some judo, a little aikido, some karate, a dash of TKD, and a smidgin of Arnis together and call it Buttkick Ryu are falling far short of actually creating an integrated, comprhensive system. A little bit of a lot of different things usually just turns out messy.

On the other hand, folks like Nishio s. who study two or three arts in-depth and then synthesize, keeping core principles truly integrated, are awesome to behold.

Chuck
'Sticks and stone may break my bones, but whips and chains excite me ...'