steven seagals aikido style?

Ive watched steven seagals aikido when he was in japan and i must say its quite impressive i know he was or is affiliated with the aikikai but his aikido seems different and unique you dont see that sort of training often did he change what he was taught to his own style?
Thanks
Chris

Not sure...and you may have checked this out already, but just in case, here's his basic history (per Wikipedia):

At the age of 13, Seagal lied about his age and got a job as a dishwasher at a restaurant named The Wagon Wheel.[citation needed] One of the cooks at the restaurant was a Japanese shotokan karate expert and noticed Seagal moved very quickly around the kitchen. He taught Seagal the basics of karate. Seagal began training in aikido under master Harry Kiyoshi Ishisaka, founder of the Orange County Aikido School (Orange County Aiki Kai) (OCAK) in 1964. Seagal considers him to have been the most important martial arts teacher in his life. Seagal moved to Japan at some point between the ages of 19 and 21 with his father who was visiting for military purposes, and met karate masters and decided to remain in Japan. He received his 1st dan degree (Shodan) under the direction of Koichi Tohei. He continued to train in aikido as a student of Seiseki Abe, Tohei (whose aikido organization, Ki Society, Seagal refused to join in favor of staying with the Aikikai), Kisaburo Osawa, Hiroshi Isoyama and the second doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba. He attained a 7th dan degree and Shihan in aikido and became the first foreigner to operate an aikido dojo in Japan.[17] After returning to California in 1974, Seagal met Miyako Fujitani, an aikido instructor teaching in Los Angeles. He returned with her to her native Japan in 1975 where they married. When Seagal's father-in-law, also an aikido instructor, retired, Seagal became the new head of the organization known as Tenshin Aikido in Jūsō, Osaka City (affiliated with the Aikikai). Seagal is known by his students as Take Sensei. When Seagal left his dojo in Osaka, his then-wife Miyako became the caretaker of the dojo which has continued to the present day. Seagal initially returned to Taos, New Mexico, with his student (and later film stuntman) Craig Dunn, where they opened a dojo, although Seagal spent much of his time pursuing other ventures. After another period in Japan, Seagal returned to the U.S. in 1983 with senior student Haruo Matsuoka. They opened an aikido dojo, initially in North Hollywood, California, but later moved it to the city of West Hollywood. Seagal left Matsuoka in charge of the dojo, which he ran until the two parted ways in 1997.

What would you say are the unique differences? He certainly seems to be on the "harder" side of the spectrum, but I haven't noticed anything that seems especially unique or otherwise changed.

My sense of Seagal's Aikido is that it is largely like a lot of other Aikido...maybe not most, but I couldn't say.
1990:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J7yzovaBAs
1993:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=herSynqVN3M
1996:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl9o5wsswyk
Not sure when:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH6HtkySiCQ

Christian Brownlow wrote: Ive watched steven seagals aikido when he was in japan and i must say its quite impressive i know he was or is affiliated with the aikikai but his aikido seems different and unique you dont see that sort of training often did he change what he was taught to his own style? Thanks Chris

The techniques are of course the same, yet executed with a realistic attack in mind in a real self defense situation. That's why his main difference is the way he deflects the quick punches or kicks in order to be able to do a technique.

In my opinion most aikidoists suffer exactly the lack of that aspect. It's not that their technique doesn't work it is just that they can't get to the point of applying a technique if the attacker is using fast, real not over-committed attacks.

So, in my eyes, it is obvious that he developed some of those deflections himself, but if you take a closer look it is all there hidden inside...bokken and jo practice adapted for use against punches, kicks, knife attacks e.t.c.
All of that, followed or combined by fast, explosive execution of techniques is what creates his unique style.

The main thing to me is that even though he contributed greatly, technically and in spreading aikido through his movies, he never claimed to have created his own "style" of aikido, never called it "tenshin" or "Seagal" ryu or anything, always maintaining that there are no styles, there is only one aikido.

The differences that we spot on Seagal Sensei and his students are simply his personal approach to the art he does not claim or recognize that he created another "style" of aikido. Very honest and respectable, in my opinion...

Yannis Mousoulis wrote: The techniques are of course the same, yet executed with a realistic attack in mind in a real self defense situation. That's why his main difference is the way he deflects the quick punches or kicks in order to be able to do a technique. In my opinion most aikidoists suffer exactly the lack of that aspect. It's not that their technique doesn't work it is just that they can't get to the point of applying a technique if the attacker is using fast, real not over-committed attacks. So, in my eyes, it is obvious that he developed some of those deflections himself, but if you take a closer look it is all there hidden inside...bokken and jo practice adapted for use against punches, kicks, knife attacks e.t.c. All of that, followed or combined by fast, explosive execution of techniques is what creates his unique style. The main thing to me is that even though he contributed greatly, technically and in spreading aikido through his movies, he never claimed to have created his own "style" of aikido, never called it "tenshin" or "Seagal" ryu or anything, always maintaining that there are no styles, there is only one aikido. The differences that we spot on Seagal Sensei and his students are simply his personal approach to the art he does not claim or recognize that he created another "style" of aikido. Very honest and respectable, in my opinion...

Thats helped me alot thank you for that think i will strive for the same idea once im more experinced ive done shotokan karate for 17 years and i think i will adapt my aikido into deflecting punches and kicks ect....when i do actually get to that point

He does have a few schools under his direction in the US. Check out Three Rivers Aikido in St. Louis on the Web.

I think Segal's Aikido style is "retired".

The only one who is directly affiliated with Seagal is Elliot Freeman which is the Three Rivers Dojo located in Missouri like had been suggested above. No one else, to my knowledge, is currently affiliated with him, just branched off and done their own thing now.

I really do not think Steven has developed a new style. Every Aikidoka (eventually) defines his own style.
His form is definitely more expressive, but that is not unique. Every practisioner has favourite techniques, or signature moves if you will.
Still Aikikai...rather mainstream (which is not meant as value judgement!).
He made great name for Aikido, which is certainly very valuable for the art

Yes Sensei Seagal has developed his own style. Very practical and perhaps I would less style more technique. You can see the Aikikai roots however, the application is very different.

It's just Aikido, with the same techniques. The only difference is in the "commitment" he shows in his techniques which seems to be more realistic. That's it.

You might look into Hiroshi Isoyama Sensei's aikido.

I see Hiroshi Isoyama teaches regularly in California.

http://www.isoyamaaikido.com/ourdojo.html

Different schools had different basics. Tomiki was unusually tall, and his aikido has shomen ate as a basic along with a dozen variations on it. Less focus on Shihonage and koshinage than I learned. Seagal is listed as 6'4" on line. Morihei Ueshiba reported failed his initial military physical for being too short.

I had a 6'8" student. No problem with Iriminage, lots of discomfort with Shihonage and aikiotoshi. I think Seagal answered to his body type, same as the second Doshu.

This post is a bit old but I thought I would throw in my two cents here. First off, I would say that Seagal Sensei's "style" or "Tenshin" or whatever you want to call it, differs not only in the deflections that are taught but as a student of Tenshin myself, I also feel it has a much more PRACTICAL approach to dealing with a threat than other styles of Aikido. Now you can call it commitment, expressive, you can call it aggressive or you can even call it outright violence and I will of course go ahead and leave that up to you. I've trained in a few different styles and I can tell you right now, from a PRACTICAL and or self defense standpoint not all Aikido styles are created equal and this is where in my opinion Tenshin raises way above the rest.

You can love Seagal Sensei or you can hate him but I think it's safe to say that most people within the Aikido community don't like him because he took a traditional, non-effective, Impractical method and made it PRACTICAL.

Aikido community in America seems to frown on Seagal's Aikido because:

a) They vastly overestimate their ability to defend themselves with traditional Aikido, thus discarding crucial enhancements as "superficial".

b) They believe that violence inherent in realistic self-defense conflicts with the narrative of self-purification that comes bundled with Aikido, and is, therefore morally "below them".

c) They are routinely taught that speed is a dirty shortcut, and "slow is smooth and smooth is fast" is the real answer. Hence, the profound disinterest in drilling rapid hand deflections.

d) They can't separate the system from its creator. They dislike Seagal as a person, therefore his system must be bad.

e) There are calcified organizational hierarchies which are focused on preserving Aikido as-is, and resisting any modernization.

Aleksey Nikolaevich wrote: Aikido community in America seems to frown on Seagal's Aikido because: a) They vastly overestimate their ability to defend themselves with traditional Aikido, thus discarding crucial enhancements as "superficial". b) They believe that violence inherent in realistic self-defense conflicts with the narrative of self-purification that comes bundled with Aikido, and is, therefore morally "below them". c) They are routinely taught that speed is a dirty shortcut, and "slow is smooth and smooth is fast" is the real answer. Hence, the profound disinterest in drilling rapid hand deflections. d) They can't separate the system from its creator. They dislike Seagal as a person, therefore his system must be bad. e) There are calcified organizational hierarchies which are focused on preserving Aikido as-is, and resisting any modernization.

I agree. Certainly Seagal has done a lot for aikido and not having seagal anymore proves to be a bad thing for membership. There is A LOT of snobbism and conservatism behind many of the attitudes regarding seagal. “Big noses” and positions are at stake.

What always makes me laugh is the thought of how many of the same people are actually practicing Aikido because of Seagal Sensei.

I think the problem lies in the fact that they don't have the cahonies to admit it.