Aikido styles

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Though the art of aikido is characteristically different from other Japanese martial arts, it has a variety of identifiable styles within the family of organizations descending from the teachings of Morihei Ueshiba.

Contents

Pre-war aikido

In the pre-war period, aikido was still in formation and had not yet established itself as a separate art from that of Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu. However, it was fast attaining an identity of its own. In 1942, the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai, in its efforts to standardize Japanese martial arts, came to an agreement with representatives of Ueshiba's school that the name aikido would be used to refer to the jujitsu derived art form Ueshiba had brought to prominence. [1]

The first style derived from Ueshiba's aikido was:

Post-war aikido (first 40 years)

In the post war period, the Aikikai Foundation led by the Ueshiba family has become the most successful organisation in terms of growth in numbers and prominence in the public eye. However, it was not the first to bring aikido to prominence in Japan in the immediate post-war period.

Immediately after the war, due to the ban on martial arts imposed by occupying US forces, aikido was not being taught in Tokyo. A number of students including Koichi Tohei and Gozo Shioda took it upon themselves to become active in disseminating aikido. Some years later, Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the Founder's son, began to actively revive the Aikikai Headquarters in Tokyo. [1]

From the post-war period until the 1980s, numerous aikido organizations evolved in parallel to the main branch led by the Ueshiba family. [1]

The earliest independent styles to emerge were

The emergence of these styles pre-dated Ueshiba's death and did not cause any major upheavals when they were formalized. Shodokan aikido did cause some controversy as it introduced a unique rule-based competition that some felt was contrary to the spirit of aikido.

After Ueshiba's death, more senior students branched out on their own to establish independent schools.

Other important styles and organizations include:

Aikido of the modern period (1980 - present)

Today, the Aikikai is an umbrella organization, home to numerous senior teachers and sub-organizations with their own teaching methods and technical characteristics. Leadership of the group has remained centered on the Ueshiba family, and is currently headed by the founder's grandson, Moriteru Ueshiba (植芝 守央 Ueshiba Moriteru, born 1951). [9]

The current generation of senior teachers continue to branch out on their own, with the senior students of the senior students of the Founder (grand-students) coming to prominence in their own right.

Martial arts that use the term "aikido" but are different

The above styles can trace their lineage through senior students back to the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. Two other prominent martial arts use the name aikido but are not directly related. They are Korindo aikido founded by Minoru Hirai (平井 稔 Hirai Minoru, 1903–1998) and Nihon Goshin aikido (日本護身合気道 Nihon Goshin Aikidō) founded by Shodo Morita 書道森田 (Though some speculate that Shodo Morita may have known or even trained with Morihei Ueshiba, we have no evidence)(Morita Shodo, fl. c. 1930s–1962). These schools, with some historical justification, suggest that the name aikido is not the exclusive domain of arts derived from the teachings of Morihei Ueshiba.

Shoot Aikido

Shoot Aikido (シュート・アイキドウ, Shūto aikidou) is a style founded Fumio Sakurai and promoted by Aikido S.A., International Practical Aikido Federation . [lower-alpha 1] A descendant style of Yoshinkan Aikido, Fumio Sakurai was a student of Gozo Shioda. It aims to create a more realistic combat version of Aikido and promotes tournaments where practitioners from styles other than Aikido are welcome. [18] [19]

Full Contact Aikido

Full Contact Aikido (フルコンタクト合気道, Furukontakuto aikidō) is a style advocated by Hatenkai (覇天会 or はてんかい), an aikido organization based in Yokohama which hosts the International Aikido Federation. It is characterized as a "fusion of aikido technique and full contact fighting". [20] [21]

Notes

  1. ↑ 国際実践合気道連盟 合気道S.A., Kokusai jissen aikidō renmei aikidō S. A.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu</span> Japanese martial arts

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Kisshomaru Ueshiba was a prominent Japanese master of aikido. He was the son of Morihei Ueshiba, founder of aikido, and became the international leader of aikido after his father's death.

Iwama-style Aikido(岩間合気道) is the style of aikido that was taught in Iwama by the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, and especially the lineage passed on through Morihiro Saito, a close disciple who was given responsibility over Iwama dojo by Ueshiba.

YoshinkanAikido is a style of aikido that developed after World War II in the Yoshinkan Dojo of Gozo Shioda (1915–1994). Yoshinkan Aikido is often called the "hard" style of aikido because the training methods are a product of Shioda's grueling life before the war. Shioda named his dojo "Yoshinkan" after a dojo of the same name that was built by his father, a physician, who wanted to improve both physical and spiritual health. The Yoshinkan style is currently the second largest aikido organization worldwide.

The Iwama Dōjō is a dōjō built by the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, who lived there from 1942 until his death in 1969. It is located in the former town of Iwama and became an important historical location for the development of aikido and "a Mecca to the aikido community." This dojo is also where Morihiro Saito, one of the founder's closest students, learned and taught aikido from 1946 until 2002 developing what is often referred to as the Iwama Style.

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Koichi Tohei was a 10th Dan aikidoka and founder of the Ki Society and its style of aikido, officially Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, but commonly known as Ki-Aikido.

Gozo Shioda was a Japanese master of aikido who founded the Yoshinkan style of aikido. He was one of aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba's most senior students. Shioda held the rank of 10th dan in aikido.

Kokikai (光気会) is a style of Aikido, founded by Shuji Maruyama. The organization is called Kokikai Aikido International.

Akira Tohei was a Japanese aikido teacher. He held the rank of 8th dan in the Aikikai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoseikan Aikido</span> Aikido taught at the Yoseikan Dojo in Shizuoka, Japan

Yoseikan Aikido is the aikido taught at the Yoseikan Dojo in Shizuoka, Japan, under the direction of Minoru Mochizuki.

Aikido Yuishinkai is a style of aikido founded in 1996 by former Aikikai instructor and Ki no Kenkyukai president and chief instructor Koretoshi Maruyama. Aikido Yuishinkai has many dojos operating in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Philippines, Argentina, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Norway, and the United States. Koretoshi Maruyama was a personal student of the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, 4th generation, receiving a sixth dan, and today travels the world giving seminars. The school focuses on four levels of aikido technique and is influenced by the Daito Ryu and Shinkage-ryū sword style. In February 2016, Maruyama Sensei appointed Peter Kelly and Martijn van Hemmen as international instructors. In January 2019, he appointed Peter Kelly, tenth Dan, as international chief instructor.

Munenori Kawai (1931-2010) was an 8th dan aikido practitioner and acupuncturist, who held the roles of President of the South American Aikido Federation and Vice-President of the International Aikido Federation. He was responsible for the introduction of aikido to Brazil in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley Pranin</span>

Stanley A. Pranin was an American martial artist, founding publisher, and editor-in-chief of Aikido Journal. Pranin, a researcher and archivist of aikido, has written and published several books and many articles about aikido, Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu, and Morihei Ueshiba and was an influential figure in the aikido world.

Seidokan Aikido is a style of Aikido and organization founded in Los Angeles, California in 1981 by Roderick Kobayashi, formerly a top instructor in the Ki Society. Kobayashi brought to the new organization the strong influence of his teacher Koichi Tohei, and Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido. Although independent and never formally affiliated with any parent organization, Seidokan's style and teachings were recognized by 2nd Dōshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba as a legitimate interpretation of the teachings of his father, Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pranin, Stanley. "History of Aikido In Japan". Encyclopedia of Aikido. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05.
  2. ↑ Pranin, Stanley (2006). "Mochizuki, Minoru". Encyclopedia of Aikido. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26.
  3. ↑ Pranin, Stanley (2006). "Yoshinkan Aikido". Encyclopedia of Aikido. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26.
  4. ↑ Shishido, Fumiaki; Nariyama, Tetsuro (2002). Aikido: Tradition and the Competitive Edge. Shodokan Publishing USA. ISBN   978-0-9647083-2-7.
  5. ↑ Pranin, Stanley (2006). "Shin'ei Taido". Encyclopedia of Aikido. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16.
  6. ↑ Pranin, Stanley (2006). "Tohei, Koichi". Encyclopedia of Aikido. Archived from the original on 2007-08-07.
  7. ↑ Suenaka, R. & Watson, C. "Spiritual Versus Martial Aikido – Explanation & Reconciliation," Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Vol. 5 # 1, 1996.
  8. ↑ Suenaka, R. & Watson, C. Complete Aikido, Tuttle Publishing, 1998.
  9. ↑ Shishida, Fumiaki. "Aikido". Encyclopedia of Aikido. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26.
  10. ↑ Gaku Homma, "Silent Pioneer: Shuji Maruyama Sensei, Kokikai Founder," Archived 2007-10-14 at the Wayback Machine Aikido Journal, November 17, 2002
  11. ↑ Brian Ashenfelder, "Aikido: Traditional Martial Art or New Age Fad?," Archived February 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Japan Now, Vol. 2, No. 5 (March 21, 2006)
  12. ↑ Gaku Homma, "A New Leader in Iwama," Archived 2008-05-25 at the Wayback Machine Aikido Journal, March 8th, 2004
  13. ↑ Pranin, Stanley (2006). "Maruyama, Shuji". Encyclopedia of Aikido. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05.
  14. ↑ Aikido Journal entry for Keijutsukai Archived 2006-05-07 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ Bennett, Gary (1997). Aikido Techniques and Tactics. Human Kinetics Europe Ltd. pp.  24. ISBN   978-0-88011-598-8.
  16. ↑ Pranin, Stanley A. (1991). The Aiki News Encyclopedia of Aikido. Tokyo, Japan: Aiki News. p. 97. ISBN   4-900586-12-9.
  17. ↑ Gold, Josh (2011-08-27). "Seidokan Aikido". Aikido Journal. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  18. ↑ 『勝つ！合気道』ISBN 4-89422-530-1
  19. ↑ “Atarashī goshin tekunikku” ISBN 4-87076-914-X
  20. ↑ "Home". hatenkai.jp.
  21. ↑ "【一般・少年少女・親子合気道】合気道 覇天会＜未経験者大歓迎！＞正しい姿勢と鋭い体捌きの「合気道」".
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