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Old 06-06-2006, 02:59 PM   #6
Ed Stansfield
 
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Dojo: Mason Street Dojo
Location: Manchester
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 53
United Kingdom
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Re: What style of Aikido am I doing?

Hello,

As has already been said, it's more than likely Ki Aikido.

Quote:
graham wrote:
James, I asked the Sensei and he said, "It's just Aikido. This is what Abbe Sensei was taught before anyone even knew what Aikido was. He didn't even realise what he was being taught."
I'm a little surprised by this response. I can understand that someone might want to emphasise that Aikido all starts from the same point and we're all using the same principles etc but having said that, if someone asks you, why not just be upfront that you teach a specific style of Aikido?

I'm not in a position to comment on what's taught in the KFGB but it just seems a little odd to me for an instructor to say "its just Aikido" when it's a matter of (fairly public) record that Williams Sensei changed his system to the Ki style in the late 70s after studying with Tohei sensei.

Still, it might just be me misunderstanding what was said. There are certainly people in the KFGB that post on these forums and they may wish to wade in at this point and tell me to shut up . . .

Quote:
But, maybe, given Abbe Sensei's clearly early introduciton to Aikido, there is some validity to the claim this time?
I don't have much to add to the sensible reply that was posted above.

Oh, alright then, I do have a few things to say:

There's certainly plenty to read on the web about what the style of training under Abbe Sensei was like. However, even if that was the one, original, predating any and all other styles Aikido, there have certainly been a lot of developments since then. Not least, Williams Sensei's adoption of the Ki system.

There used to be quite a good interview with Williams Sensei on the web and I think it set out some of this ancient history - does anyone have a link?

Best,

Ed

It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations.

Winston Churchill, 1930.
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