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Old 04-05-2013, 03:08 AM   #1
Lorien Lowe
Dojo: Northcoast Aikido
Location: California
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Koryu

A bit of googling has previously inclined me to think that this term meant 'traditional' in the sense of bows, garments, spiritual and personal development vs. a focus on winning fights, etc - and I had thought that, therefore, it applied to aikido in general. However, a poster with a good background to know better said in a recent thread that 'aikido isn't koryu,' so: just what does 'koryu' mean?

Thanks in advance,
Lorien
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Old 04-05-2013, 03:40 AM   #2
robin_jet_alt
Join Date: Jun 2011
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Australia
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Re: Koryu

Koryu doesn't mean traditional, it means 'old' or 'ancient'. A koryu or kobudo is a martial art that has been continued in the same form for a long time (centuries?). Aikido is less than 100 years old.
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Old 04-05-2013, 04:11 AM   #3
Carsten Möllering
 
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Dojo: Hildesheimer Aikido Verein
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Re: Koryu

There exist different opinions about how to define koryū correctly.

You can start with a rule of thumb:
Founded before 1868 > koryū
Founded after 1868 > gendai
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Old 04-05-2013, 06:34 AM   #4
phitruong
Dojo: Charlotte Aikikai Agatsu Dojo
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Re: Koryu

Quote:
Carsten Möllering wrote: View Post
There exist different opinions about how to define koryū correctly.

You can start with a rule of thumb:
Founded before 1868 > koryū
Founded after 1868 > gendai
what if it founded on 1868? (sorry, my software programming self had to chime in)

"budo is putting on cold, wet, sweat stained gi with a smile and a snarl" - your truly
http://charlotteaikikai.org
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Old 04-05-2013, 07:11 AM   #5
Cliff Judge
Location: Kawasaki, Kanagawa
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Re: Koryu

The term means "old flow" or "old transmission." It refers to arts that were founded before the modern period - pre-Meiji, and there must generally be an unbroken succession since that period.

Aikido is not a koryu as it was founded in the modern period. Daito ryu makes some claims that it is a koryu but these are considered to be sort of cultural/mythological claims; regardless of what sources Takeda drew his skills from he is regarded as so singularly important to the art that he is basically considered to be the founder.

What can be said of Aikido is that it preserves many elements of a koryu structure that did not survive in other gendai arts. The cooperative training structure, lack of competitive focus, and most of three combative suppositions on which it Is technically based derive from koryu bujutsu.

David Hall's Encyclopedia of Japanese Martial Arts has a nice entry on koryu. Available wherever good books are sold.
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Old 04-06-2013, 02:43 PM   #6
SeaGrass
Dojo: Kenshinyokan
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Re: Koryu

Lorien, check out this link:

http://www.koryu.com/koryu.html

There's quite a bit of info on www.koryu.com
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Old 04-07-2013, 05:45 PM   #7
Tore Eriksson
Location: Saitama
Join Date: Aug 2012
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Japan
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Re: Koryu

Quote:
Phi Truong wrote: View Post
what if it founded on 1868? (sorry, my software programming self had to chime in)
Just for you, Phi:

Founded before September 8, 1868 > koryu
Founded on or after September 8, 1868 > gendai
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Old 04-07-2013, 06:59 PM   #8
Lorien Lowe
Dojo: Northcoast Aikido
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Re: Koryu

thanks for the info and links, everyone.
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Old 04-17-2013, 10:00 PM   #9
Rupert Atkinson
 
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Re: Koryu

Ko = old
Ryu = style = school

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Old 04-18-2013, 12:38 AM   #10
Carsten Möllering
 
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Re: Koryu

Quote:
Tore Eriksson wrote: View Post
Just for you, Phi:

Founded before September 8, 1868 > koryu
Founded on or after September 8, 1868 > gendai
Well ... yes ... but ...

Kawasaki, Japan, September 8th, 1868.
About teatime.
In the garden behind the dōjō.

Hiroshi: "Well, don't you think, we should found a new style? I would really like to be soke."
Daisuke: "Not today so! Not today Hiroshi san. Let's wait until tomorrow and ad a 'dō' ..."
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Old 04-19-2013, 01:11 AM   #11
danj
Dojo: Brisbane Aikido Republic
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Australia
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Re: Koryu

Quote:
Carsten Möllering wrote: View Post
Well ... yes ... but ...

Kawasaki, Japan, September 8th, 1868.
About teatime.
In the garden behind the dōjō.

Hiroshi: "Well, don't you think, we should found a new style? I would really like to be soke."
Daisuke: "Not today so! Not today Hiroshi san. Let's wait until tomorrow and ad a 'dō' ..."
d!oh

Loveit!

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