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Re: Broadsword for Aikido?
Most aikido dojo use a bokken (proper name: bokuto, both mean simply 'wooden sword'), which mimics the katana/daito, which is the two-handed Japanese long sword. You can frequently find jo (a stick 4.5 feet long or so) and tanto a (usually wooden) dagger. A few aikido systems teach bo (six-foot stick) and occasionally some dojo teach other weapons. However, the 'standard' if there can be such, is bokken (bokuto), jo and tanto.
In the Japanese koryu, you'll find all kinds of weapons, from the nodachi (great big-ass sword used to cut horses in half, more or less), naginata (sometimes fondly called God's own peanut-butter spreader) which is a sword on a long stick, iron fans, short sword, long dagger, short dager, etc etc etc. The Japanese weapons smiths were innovative and Japanese martial experiment went lots of interesting directions.
Chuck
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