Quote:
William Hazen wrote:
I guess I should have mentioned I am a long time student of the late Shoji Nishio Shihan and our Aikido does not seem to have some "transferable weapons skills"... its all "weapons skills" and just the way it works... Every Technique is integrated so that it can be expressed with all of the weapons I've mentioned. Our Maai, Hanmi, Atemi,and Irimi are different and reflect the use of these weapons. So when you execute Tai-jutsu you always cut, extend and thrust..."Aikido is the Sword" and Shoji Nishio spent his lifetime expressing this philosophy. he even developed his own form of Iaido which is also fully integrated with his Aikido.
I have been to more than my share of seminars over the last 20+ years and can see the difference in our approach to practice compared to others. I hope it does not sound like I am knocking them. How one decides to practice Aikido is totally cool with me.
So instead of saying "Weapons in Aikido" I would say "Weapons are Aikido" 
William Hazen |
Hi William. I think we spend a few hours on the mat together in Denmark some years back during easter camp. It was one of the last - if not THE last - visit by Nishio sensei there. I'm was a student of Leo sensei back then.. used to have a pony tail and really ugly glasses
It's obvious that you and I share the same background and have inherited similar views on how to incorporate weapons work in our aikido.
I will even go so far as to say that the sword and the jo are great teachers of Aikido. If I manage to learn how to cut with the japanese sword and how to move the jo - then it will change my way of moving when doing tachi-waza. At least when you practice aikido the way Nishio sensei taught it.
I have seen my fair share of people trying to move or twist uke with power instead of releasing the power of the cutting sensation that you can only fully understand by practicing with a sword. Not to say that you can ONLY learn Aikido from working with weapons - but it sure does help in my point of view... AND let's not forget... it looks really cool
JJ