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Old 03-24-2014, 08:29 PM   #14
odudog
Dojo: Dale City Aikikai
Location: VA
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 394
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Re: Why Aikido has such strange strike defense.

Quote:
Jon Reading wrote: View Post
Well, that's my point. To which, I have two answers.

Our weapons should be based on aiki. Our empty-handed should be based on aiki.

We have a history of aikido that convinces us our attacking methodology is based on weapons work. Yet, we have difficulty finding sword people who admit aikido sword work is good sword work. So, for me, there seems to be a sword style we practice that is not functional and not traditional; it's educational.

This thread is based upon a video comparing empty hand with weapons. As the logic of the thread establishes empty-handed is derived from sword, I think it is fair to question the origin of aikido sword. The answer I have seen so far seems to indicate an aggregate exposure to a variety of arts. From which I believe aiki exercises were derived to facilitate our training..
Aiki weapons is not real sword work. It is based on real sword work though. Osensei took real sword work and then changed it to help emphasize the principals used in aikido. The yokomen shown in the vid would not be done that way when using real sword work. Many of the great instructors went to learn real sword work on the side being iado or kenjutsu. Nishio sensei being an example of this.
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