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Old 09-26-2007, 07:22 PM   #11
Nikopol
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 96
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Re: Difference between Yoshinkan and Aikikai

Checked out the link to the other thread relating to AIki-elves and came to the conclusion that it was a waste of time if you are looking for a serious answer. I was thinking of eventually starting a blog about this as I have studied both...

But I had a list of little things.

In Yoshinkan, shout Osu!
In AIkikai, never shout Osu.

Yoshinkan: Shite and Uke
Aikikai: Nage and Uke

Yoshinkan: Uke kiais at grab. Shite Kiais at atemi, throw, and pin.
AIkikai, no kiai.

The reason Yoshinkan kiai .. supposed to be to force Kokyu. (breathing)
The reason Aikikai does not kiai ... too busy doing kokyu.

Yoshinkan... "your foot is three inches to the left!"
AIkikai... let your footwork follow your center.

Yoshinkan... "wrong!"
Aikikai... "that will also work.."

Yoshinkan: taking ukemi from Sensei: Itai!
Aikikai: taking ukemi from Sensei: Itai!

Yoshinkan: Hiyaku (flying) ukemi.
Aikikai: Rolling ukemi.

Yoshinkan: Ikkajo, Nikkajo, Sankajo, Yonkajo.
Aikikai: Ikkyo Nikkyo Sankyo Yonkyo Gokyo.

Yoshinkan: No Jo and bokken work at Tokyo Honbu dojo (no room)
Aikikai: No Jo and bokken work at Tokyo Honbu dojo (no room)

Both: Jo and Bokken work according to Sensei's discretion at other dojos.
Both: "work with Jo and Bokken are indespensible to learning Aikido".

Yoshinkan: applys shime with one knee up (knee closest to ukes head)
Aikikai: applies shime with both knees down.

Yoshinkan: always finishes Shihonage on one knee with a finishing Atemi.
Aikikai: will finish Shihonage from a standing position. (with center lowered)

Yoshinkan: call their art "Aikido" in explanations
Aikikai: call their art "Aikido" in explanations

Yoshinkan: Techniques have a 1, and a 2 form
Aikikai: Techniques have an Omote and an Ura form

Yoshinkan will start katatemochi (katatedoei) techniques in Ai hanmi
Aikikai will start katatedori (katatemochi) techniques in gyaku hanmi.

Anaylisis: the superficiality of the techniques causes a new crossover Aikidoka to think he knows nothing, and that the techniques are different.

After more exposure and insight one comes to see that the techniques are the same at heart.

When starting a technique in aihanmi, it is only a step away from gyakuhanmi. Vice-versa.

Training in Aikikai can actually make clear to you the essence of Yoshinkan and vice versa.

It is sort of like reading two texts on the same subject. You get different things, but you also get the same things.

Learn to focus on the essence, it is all Osensei underneath.

Never, never, never shout Osu in an Aikikai dojo.
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