16 variations

Quote:

O Sensei: "There are about 3,000 basic techniques, and each one of them has 16 variations . . . so there are many thousands. Depending on the situation, you create new ones."

Not wanting to sound like over-classification, what are the 16 variations?

In my mind I can think of probably around 8 i.e. immediate entering/turning; entering then turning (or 'withdrawing')/turning ('withdrawing') then entering; high/low?

Any thoughts?

Ian

I always thought he was referring to the final direction taken- in terms of dividing the circle into 16 directions like you do in bokken practice. (Usually I stick with eight, but...)
As he says in Budo, aikido is a distillation of many techniques distilled into a small number of principles. Perhaps by his definition we practice a different technique more often than we realise. Certainly in the traditional "Copy me EXACTLY" method of teaching this might have been the case.
andrew

Ian -
The number I heard years ago was that there were 3,242 techniques in Aikido. This has led some to look for all of these techniques. However, I look at this number in the same manner of the statement in the Torah "Saul has his thousands and David his ten thousands", in other words a really big number.

In other statements, Morihei Ueshiba would say there were an infinite variety of techniques.

As to the 16 variations, irimi, tenkan, tenkan-irimi, irimi-tenkan, evade, sudori, kotai, zenshin. Multiply by left & right.

Originally posted by Richard Harnack [B As to the 16 variations, irimi, tenkan, tenkan-irimi, irimi-tenkan, evade, sudori, kotai, zenshin. Multiply by left & right. [/b]

What do you mean by kotai and zenshin being variations? (I use
these terms to refer to a solid uke style and mental attitude
respec. rather than physical movement).

Also, I guess you mean sudori as in 'passing though', rather than
sudori as in 'roosting hen'.... (a 17th variation - just sit there!)

Tim