The Aikido I
taught was passed to me by Tris Sutrisno, as was expressed through his father’s
art. Technically it is not Aikido as expressed within Aikido tradition.
Aikido as
developed by Usheiba Morihito basically is a series of techniques that lead to
locking an opponent or leading the opponent to projection.
Usheiba
developed his Aikido over his studies in many martial arts, foremost among them
Daito Ryu Aiki Jutsu.
Daito Ryu Aiki
Jutsu, itself an extremely complex Japanese tradition, consists of a huge
number of techniques. Usheiba Sensei only utilized a small subset of Daito Ryu
Aiki Jutsu in his Aikido, but those techniques have unlimited ways they can be
used. Aikido is not a lesser art, just a different art.
To clarify some
of what Daito Ryu is I offer an example;
In the Sutrisno
family Shotokan, Aikido drills are introduced at Kyu level training, Each drill
is a combination of an Aikido lock or projection against an attack, leading to
a takedown and controlling lock or a projection. Various karate techniques can
also be utilized in making those things happen. I understood the complete set
was 20 techniques, but only 12 were studied at the kyu level. There are also many other later aikido studies.
I learned them
and in turn utilized them for my students, the first 8 at kyu level, the
remainder as dan studies.
Trying to
understand the structure that the Sutrisno family Shotokan developed, I believe
these drills were far more than introduction to Aikido techniques. Of course
they are and they are fine drills in and of themserves, but I see them as much
more.
In the Sutrisno
family Shotokan, bunkai of kata is not a kyu study. Application potential is
not withheld from students, rather it is not studied at that time. Instead more
stress is focused on developing skill in technique, skill to be used when
bunkai is later studied.
These Aikido
drills are more to teach what a complete technique is. To take the opponent to
the floor and incapacitate them or to use the aikido to project them to the
ground. And the larger skills to be later used in application study is how to
enter the space around an attack, and then use that space to conclude the
attack.
Skill useful for
later application study.
We use these
drills in Aikido much the same way for our students.
Each a fine
ending method on their own, they are also solid building blocks for later
studies.
Over the years I
have written much about Aikido in my blog. For those interested or to jog the
memories in my lineage I offer these links below:
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