Aikido Weapons - Sword, Staff and Knife (Aiki ken, Aiki Jo and Tanto)
Aikido, known as the art of peace trains extensively using weapons, surely this is an oxymoron?
Consider though the origins of Aikido as a samurai battlefield art, the motion of the sword cut appears in all of our open hand techniques and so to does the mindset of the swordsman of calm in the midst of battle.
Many say the swordsmanship came first and then the openhand arts, as an unarmed samurai might have to defend himself to survive on the battlefield - or during treachery at a local tea party! Thus from the movements of the swordsman come the movements of many of our open hand arts so that all those finly honed sword cutting skills manifest themselves in body techniques e.g. in ikkyo (an arm bar), kotegaeshi (a wrist pin) and zenpo (a throw in the forward direction). Thus we learn one set of movements for armed and unarmed attackes. Weapons training teaches us correct posture, effective use of the bodies power and the mind not to fear the attack of the enemy when swinging something terrfying at our heads, but instead learn to enter deeply to be most effective
From sword we learn how to use the power of the body, how to move out of the path of an attack without drawing it onto us. From Jo (the only weapon able to defeat the famous Musashi), the staff, we learn a slightly larger combat distance and how to blend with the energy of our opponent and to flow in circular directions. Finally tanto teaches us respect for our opponents power in an upclose combat distance.
Traditional Japanese schools of the martial arts (called Koryu arts), from which aikido is dervied, use the bokken (a wooden sword equivalent) in paired training
of set moves, this offers the chance to practice techniques with a partner. A kind of compromise of the above. Aikido offers a chance to practice sword kata of iaido, paired practice of set moves with an opponent and
also Kenjutsu and Jojutsu, unarmed techniques against the sword and staff.
Students of all levels will learn these weapons during regular class training activities, however once a month we set aside a special class devoted to weapons only, so that those from other clubs, and other martial arts can join us for dedicated practice.
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