Thread: Ichi no ken ?
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Old 11-26-2010, 05:09 AM   #29
Carsten Möllering
 
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Re: Ichi no ken ?

Quote:
Cliff Judge wrote: View Post
Carten, I am very interested in hearing more about why you won't allow Inaba's Kashima Shinryu to be defined as aikiken.
Hm, I'm not the one to allow this or that. I just try to explain, how we name things like we do, how we practice and teach, and why we do so.

As far as I know, Inaba sensei teaches ken jutsu through "independent" seminars: There is no aikido taught at these seminars, I think. At least when visiting Europe he does it this way. To be clear: I never practiced with him. But know some people who do.

When Tissier sensei teaches, he separates weapons classes from aikido classes. This is common practice in all the dojo I know: We do aikido and weapons in different classes.
When teaching weapons the forms of ken jutsu and aiki ken normally are not mixed up. It is made clear whether we do ken jutsu or whether we do aiki ken at the moment. And the differences in using the sword one way or another are explained when taught.

And there are also dojo which offer the practice of ken jutsu with a proficient teacher independent from doing aikido. So you can just do the swordwork of Inaba sensei without practicing aikido also.
As you can do in other dojo where aikido is taught with Tenshin shoden katori shinto ryu or styles of Itto ryu. Depending on the teacher.
Some time ago I learned that there are even people who do just aiki ken without practicing aikido.

Quote:
Do you feel like you'd lose something if you dropped the distinction between "aikiken" and the Kashima Shinryu that Inaba Sensei taught to Tissier?
How could this distinction be "dropped"? However you may call it, it's a different way of the sword. It's a different ryu, different "philosophy", different technique, even different etiquette in some ways. …
If you just call everything "aiki ~" what is done in relation to teach and learn aikido, what do you gain?
I've practiced during aikido class forms of koryu yawara in order to examine nikyo. (If I remember right.) I've practiced during aikido class forms of karate do in order to examine atemi and some other things. And so on. This all doesn't become "aikido" because being used to learn aikido?

Quote:
I could see that, perhaps you revere one set of kata over the other and don't want it brought down to the other's level.
? But this all is not about "This is ‘better' than that"?
It's just different. And that is what makes it interesting.
Around me there is at least TSKSR (My teacher is student of Sugino sensei), KSR (our aikido is heavily influenced by our shihan Tissier sensei) and aiki ken (which just belongs to aikido I think). Each different, each of them a very own, independent way to use the sword, to stand, to move, to handle the opponent.

The five basic kata performed by Tissier sensei
If you look for "Inaba" and "Kashima" at youtube you will find a lot.

Last edited by Carsten Möllering : 11-26-2010 at 05:12 AM.
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