The Forge is where you build a fine weaponry. And The Dojo is where Samurais are forged.
Capturing the Absolute Moment
by Okabayashi Shogen
It is very hard to express aikijujutsu in words, but I will give it my best effort. I expect that all of you reading this want to become stronger, but have you ever considered exactly how strong is strong enough? Is it enough to be the strongest in your neighborhood? Or would you like to be the strongest in your city or state? Perhaps strongest in the country?
This type of goal is what I call a “relative” desire — it will disappear at the same time (and only when) the “relative” existence does.
At the Daito-ryu Hakuho Kai branch dojo in Fukuoka, Japan, there are people ranging from age two to 83 who are training diligently. Along the “relative” lines mentioned above, if there were a competitive arena sanctioning fighters in their 80’s, our 83-year-old would definitely be among the top 50 fighters in his age group in Japan. He’d certainly be Number One in the prefecture.
However, in reality, this has nothing to do with the reasons we train. This is because aikijujutsu requires we have the idea of capturing the single, “absolute moment” in time and space that exists for just a split second in any relative situation.
Everyone has probably experienced at one time or another the recognition of just how prevalent these concepts of relativity are in everything we do. Aikijujutsu is fundamentally different from other martial arts because of the very fact that it doesn’t put its main emphasis in relative principles, but rather it puts its focus on how to benefit from capturing the absolute instant of time and space created somewhere during the period of engagement between you and your opponent.
Understanding the concept that aikijujutsu is not a thing that requires you to have “relative” strength should be your first priority. How strong you are in relation to your opponent is not important — so long as your opponent lives in the world of relativity, no matter how strong he is, you will prevail. This is a very difficult way of thinking, but without gaining an understanding of the real truths contained therein, aikijujutsu is impossible. In fact, you could say that this is the true principle of aiki.
The purpose of our training is to capture (or try to capture) this absolute interval of time and space — an interval created and extinguished in a single instant. As an end result, the opponent may be thrown or taken down, but completing a throw or pinning someone is not the goal, and relying on strength is something that, although necessary in practice at the jûjutsu level, only becomes a hindrance at the level of aikijujutsu practice.
If you were able to use the two levels of practice interchangeably, you could probably become very strong in competition. This is a vitally important point: the shoden (basic teachings) of the Daito-ryu are jujutsu, and therefore touch on things that are recognizable to the competitive world of the strong; i.e., the “relative world.”
The chuden (middle-level teachings) of aiki-no-jutsu are something that enter into an area that goes beyond the relative. To teach aiki to a youth whose body is not yet trained and whose spirit is still soft and weak will not amount to anything useful. Simple jujutsu is much easier to understand, and still has great utility for gaining control of one or two unreasonable people. Students who are young and have the strength of youth quickly become enchanted with the competitive aspects of jujutsu, but it will be of no use for them to try to go further in their training while remaining at the relative level.
While training to a certain level in the relative world, it is necessary for students to begin their quest for the absolute world.
Older practitioners, because they have an abundance of life experiences to draw from, are at a point where they can understand the idea of incorporating this created “absolute world,” and this created “absolute moment” of time and space to their jujutsu. This is the practice of aikijujutsu.
The flexibility of the technical makeup of the Daito-ryu is a magnificent thing. Even though we say that the shoden techniques are jujutsu, they are designed in such a way that by adding or reducing power, moving faster or slower, drilling with or without putting in aiki, many types of practice are possible.
From the time someone enters the Hakuho Kai, we explain the idea of aiki in an easy to understand way, make clear the fundamental principles of kobudo (old-style martial arts), and incorporate the concept of aiki into our jujutsu to train in aikijûjutsu. But even this does not seem to prevent people from being stiff and using strength, and consequently they forget other important elements such as angles, touch sensitivity, and breathing.
Trying to steal techniques from things like video tapes is almost the same — you cannot understand anything deeper than the physical aspects of the technique displayed. However, even if you practice at this lowest level, by using only the physical form and your own strength, you can become very strong in the relative world. If you were to practice just one hour per day, every day for three years, you would become quite strong. If you consider the fact that various rules exist in the relative world of sporting competition, you could probably reach a level high enough to make a living in the ring.
You can train yourself to be quite formidable using the shoden of the Daito-ryu. No matter how well you develop techniques based on physical strength, however, it is of little value when it comes to using aiki. This is because aiki is a system designed to negate physical strength — therefore, it is impossible to remain in the world of relative strength and do aiki.
Also, in order for you to understand aiki it is necessary for you to transcend winning and losing. While fully acknowledging this, however, practitioners still have a tendency to dwell on winning and losing. In reality, it is this dwelling on winning and losing that forms an unnecessary barrier to progress.
I would like everyone to direct their consciousness away from this idea of who is number one, two, or whatever, and toward trying to capture the phenomena of the absolute moment. It is a pursuit that is very different from the fighting arts that compete to determine who is number one or two; number 5,000 or 5,001.
The first priority is self-defense. There is no room for the entry of relative matters of strong or weak in self-defense situations. Rather, no matter how weak an opponent may seem or how strong he makes himself out to be, you must gain mastery over the opponent in the same way.
Along these same lines, in olden times students were not permitted to show even one part of a technique to someone outside the circle of their immediate school. The reason is obvious: Why give a potential enemy the ability to even imagine what type of technique you might use in defense? If an opponent were to know a technique of yours, he could imagine the ways in which you might respond, and from this determine the most advantageous way to attack you.
In order for you to be able to defend yourself against any type of opponent, you must capture the absolute moment. This absolute moment is not the same thing as a suki, or opening, in your opponent. In response to the opponent’s attack, you must create this moment by causing an effect in the attacker. This effect has no form, leaves nothing remaining after it passes, and is something that should disappear in an instant. Nevertheless, the moment is something that is definitely created; it is a work of art that appears in a flash.
The second priority for you should be acquiring the fine art of finding a way to create the absolute moment.
Recognition and development of the principles of aiki occurred only in Japan, perhaps because of the way our ancestors lived in accordance with — rather than in conflict with — nature. Arts that contain the same, traditional roots, and follow the same path, are what we should call kobudo.
Should Daito-ryu groups that inappropriately combine one technique with another or move with modern, sports-like twisting of the body really call themselves Daito-ryu? At the very least, we must not confuse ourselves with those people who copy only the outer layer of a technique. To know only the form of the technique is not sufficient. You should try to get to the bottom of the very roots that form the basis of the technique, and then begin your study from there.
I said before that you can become strong with just jujutsu, but it is also necessary for you to gain an understanding of the reasons why the techniques have the effects they do on an attacker. Failing to do so will block your path to understanding aiki.
You must continue to reduce the amount of strength you use in technique. In direct proportion to the strength you use, your ability to discern such critical factors as angles and direction from touch alone is reduced, and this will prevent you from understanding the principles of the technique.
There is a very old saying, “In winning, there is a mysterious victory.” This is to say that when you win with aiki by capturing the absolute moment, there appears to be no obvious reason for your victory. To the onlooker who sees only relative differences such as weak or strong, the outcome is inexplicable. When you capture the absolute moment, it goes beyond time and space and cannot therefore be measured by the brevity of a single instant in the world of relativity.
It could also be said that this is the point at which you cross into the sphere of the supernatural: the aiki which creates and disperses the absolute moment is like a vision or phantom that has no real substance to grab hold of. There is no place to grab hold of because it is such a mysterious place in time and space.
Of course, there are levels within this aiki, ranging from the artless and immature, low level, to the extremely complex, high level. In this sense, training is really the striving of every individual practitioner to master the next-higher level of aiki. This is not an endeavor about which you can say, just because you’ve received an explanation, that you’ve reached the “third level of aiki,” or the “fifth...”
Considering the physical nature of jujutsu, it might be better to say that aiki is an expression of the effect on the spirit of the individuals involved. This aiki comes not from initiating an attack, but only from waiting and intercepting an attack. When you initiate an attack, you are unable to manifest this idea of interception (which is also the heart of self-defense).
Finding a way to manifest this “absolute victory” depends solely on the creation and extinguishing of aiki at the time you receive an attack.
We call aikijujutsu the practice of physical jujutsu with the incorporation of aiki. As I said before, there are various levels within aiki. Since students must master each of them, one at a time, the things particular students can or can’t use will vary between individuals. However, sooner or later, you will get closer to the concept of aiki, and your jujutsu will become aikijujutsu.
Because this is self-defense, you become conscious of the fact that aiki is absolutely unforgiving. The very act of developing an unforgiving attitude toward unreasonableness helps to make acquiring aiki easier. Because we are talking about actualizing a phenomenon that has no real shape or form, you must realize you will probably never be able to truly understand aiki until you fully transcend your own set ideas and way of thinking. It is of no use to analyze techniques created by people if you are trying to transcend techniques created by people.
After establishing a strong foundation in the basics, I would like us to train together in this deep, traditional Japanese martial art of Daito-ryu aikijujutsu.
Okabayashi Shogen studied Daito-ryu under both Hisa Takuma and Takeda Tokimune, receiving from the former a kyoju-dairi (teaching license) and from the latter a shihan-level license, as well as a menkyo in Ono-ha Itto-ryu (Sokaku-den). Believing that modern schools of the Daito-ryu go astray by incorporating present-day body mechanics to ancient techniques, Okabayashi Sensei founded the Hakuho Kai in order to research and preserve the classical forms of the Daito-ryu.
This article is reprinted from the Hakuho Kai Journal, Volume 1, Number 5, by permission of the author.
It is very hard to express aikijujutsu in words, but I will give it my best effort. I expect that all of you reading this want to become stronger, but have you ever considered exactly how strong is strong enough? Is it enough to be the strongest in your neighborhood? Or would you like to be the strongest in your city or state? Perhaps strongest in the country?
This type of goal is what I call a “relative” desire — it will disappear at the same time (and only when) the “relative” existence does.
At the Daito-ryu Hakuho Kai branch dojo in Fukuoka, Japan, there are people ranging from age two to 83 who are training diligently. Along the “relative” lines mentioned above, if there were a competitive arena sanctioning fighters in their 80’s, our 83-year-old would definitely be among the top 50 fighters in his age group in Japan. He’d certainly be Number One in the prefecture.
However, in reality, this has nothing to do with the reasons we train. This is because aikijujutsu requires we have the idea of capturing the single, “absolute moment” in time and space that exists for just a split second in any relative situation.
Everyone has probably experienced at one time or another the recognition of just how prevalent these concepts of relativity are in everything we do. Aikijujutsu is fundamentally different from other martial arts because of the very fact that it doesn’t put its main emphasis in relative principles, but rather it puts its focus on how to benefit from capturing the absolute instant of time and space created somewhere during the period of engagement between you and your opponent.
Understanding the concept that aikijujutsu is not a thing that requires you to have “relative” strength should be your first priority. How strong you are in relation to your opponent is not important — so long as your opponent lives in the world of relativity, no matter how strong he is, you will prevail. This is a very difficult way of thinking, but without gaining an understanding of the real truths contained therein, aikijujutsu is impossible. In fact, you could say that this is the true principle of aiki.
The purpose of our training is to capture (or try to capture) this absolute interval of time and space — an interval created and extinguished in a single instant. As an end result, the opponent may be thrown or taken down, but completing a throw or pinning someone is not the goal, and relying on strength is something that, although necessary in practice at the jûjutsu level, only becomes a hindrance at the level of aikijujutsu practice.
If you were able to use the two levels of practice interchangeably, you could probably become very strong in competition. This is a vitally important point: the shoden (basic teachings) of the Daito-ryu are jujutsu, and therefore touch on things that are recognizable to the competitive world of the strong; i.e., the “relative world.”
The chuden (middle-level teachings) of aiki-no-jutsu are something that enter into an area that goes beyond the relative. To teach aiki to a youth whose body is not yet trained and whose spirit is still soft and weak will not amount to anything useful. Simple jujutsu is much easier to understand, and still has great utility for gaining control of one or two unreasonable people. Students who are young and have the strength of youth quickly become enchanted with the competitive aspects of jujutsu, but it will be of no use for them to try to go further in their training while remaining at the relative level.
While training to a certain level in the relative world, it is necessary for students to begin their quest for the absolute world.
Older practitioners, because they have an abundance of life experiences to draw from, are at a point where they can understand the idea of incorporating this created “absolute world,” and this created “absolute moment” of time and space to their jujutsu. This is the practice of aikijujutsu.
The flexibility of the technical makeup of the Daito-ryu is a magnificent thing. Even though we say that the shoden techniques are jujutsu, they are designed in such a way that by adding or reducing power, moving faster or slower, drilling with or without putting in aiki, many types of practice are possible.
From the time someone enters the Hakuho Kai, we explain the idea of aiki in an easy to understand way, make clear the fundamental principles of kobudo (old-style martial arts), and incorporate the concept of aiki into our jujutsu to train in aikijûjutsu. But even this does not seem to prevent people from being stiff and using strength, and consequently they forget other important elements such as angles, touch sensitivity, and breathing.
Trying to steal techniques from things like video tapes is almost the same — you cannot understand anything deeper than the physical aspects of the technique displayed. However, even if you practice at this lowest level, by using only the physical form and your own strength, you can become very strong in the relative world. If you were to practice just one hour per day, every day for three years, you would become quite strong. If you consider the fact that various rules exist in the relative world of sporting competition, you could probably reach a level high enough to make a living in the ring.
You can train yourself to be quite formidable using the shoden of the Daito-ryu. No matter how well you develop techniques based on physical strength, however, it is of little value when it comes to using aiki. This is because aiki is a system designed to negate physical strength — therefore, it is impossible to remain in the world of relative strength and do aiki.
Also, in order for you to understand aiki it is necessary for you to transcend winning and losing. While fully acknowledging this, however, practitioners still have a tendency to dwell on winning and losing. In reality, it is this dwelling on winning and losing that forms an unnecessary barrier to progress.
I would like everyone to direct their consciousness away from this idea of who is number one, two, or whatever, and toward trying to capture the phenomena of the absolute moment. It is a pursuit that is very different from the fighting arts that compete to determine who is number one or two; number 5,000 or 5,001.
The first priority is self-defense. There is no room for the entry of relative matters of strong or weak in self-defense situations. Rather, no matter how weak an opponent may seem or how strong he makes himself out to be, you must gain mastery over the opponent in the same way.
Along these same lines, in olden times students were not permitted to show even one part of a technique to someone outside the circle of their immediate school. The reason is obvious: Why give a potential enemy the ability to even imagine what type of technique you might use in defense? If an opponent were to know a technique of yours, he could imagine the ways in which you might respond, and from this determine the most advantageous way to attack you.
In order for you to be able to defend yourself against any type of opponent, you must capture the absolute moment. This absolute moment is not the same thing as a suki, or opening, in your opponent. In response to the opponent’s attack, you must create this moment by causing an effect in the attacker. This effect has no form, leaves nothing remaining after it passes, and is something that should disappear in an instant. Nevertheless, the moment is something that is definitely created; it is a work of art that appears in a flash.
The second priority for you should be acquiring the fine art of finding a way to create the absolute moment.
Recognition and development of the principles of aiki occurred only in Japan, perhaps because of the way our ancestors lived in accordance with — rather than in conflict with — nature. Arts that contain the same, traditional roots, and follow the same path, are what we should call kobudo.
Should Daito-ryu groups that inappropriately combine one technique with another or move with modern, sports-like twisting of the body really call themselves Daito-ryu? At the very least, we must not confuse ourselves with those people who copy only the outer layer of a technique. To know only the form of the technique is not sufficient. You should try to get to the bottom of the very roots that form the basis of the technique, and then begin your study from there.
I said before that you can become strong with just jujutsu, but it is also necessary for you to gain an understanding of the reasons why the techniques have the effects they do on an attacker. Failing to do so will block your path to understanding aiki.
You must continue to reduce the amount of strength you use in technique. In direct proportion to the strength you use, your ability to discern such critical factors as angles and direction from touch alone is reduced, and this will prevent you from understanding the principles of the technique.
There is a very old saying, “In winning, there is a mysterious victory.” This is to say that when you win with aiki by capturing the absolute moment, there appears to be no obvious reason for your victory. To the onlooker who sees only relative differences such as weak or strong, the outcome is inexplicable. When you capture the absolute moment, it goes beyond time and space and cannot therefore be measured by the brevity of a single instant in the world of relativity.
It could also be said that this is the point at which you cross into the sphere of the supernatural: the aiki which creates and disperses the absolute moment is like a vision or phantom that has no real substance to grab hold of. There is no place to grab hold of because it is such a mysterious place in time and space.
Of course, there are levels within this aiki, ranging from the artless and immature, low level, to the extremely complex, high level. In this sense, training is really the striving of every individual practitioner to master the next-higher level of aiki. This is not an endeavor about which you can say, just because you’ve received an explanation, that you’ve reached the “third level of aiki,” or the “fifth...”
Considering the physical nature of jujutsu, it might be better to say that aiki is an expression of the effect on the spirit of the individuals involved. This aiki comes not from initiating an attack, but only from waiting and intercepting an attack. When you initiate an attack, you are unable to manifest this idea of interception (which is also the heart of self-defense).
Finding a way to manifest this “absolute victory” depends solely on the creation and extinguishing of aiki at the time you receive an attack.
We call aikijujutsu the practice of physical jujutsu with the incorporation of aiki. As I said before, there are various levels within aiki. Since students must master each of them, one at a time, the things particular students can or can’t use will vary between individuals. However, sooner or later, you will get closer to the concept of aiki, and your jujutsu will become aikijujutsu.
Because this is self-defense, you become conscious of the fact that aiki is absolutely unforgiving. The very act of developing an unforgiving attitude toward unreasonableness helps to make acquiring aiki easier. Because we are talking about actualizing a phenomenon that has no real shape or form, you must realize you will probably never be able to truly understand aiki until you fully transcend your own set ideas and way of thinking. It is of no use to analyze techniques created by people if you are trying to transcend techniques created by people.
After establishing a strong foundation in the basics, I would like us to train together in this deep, traditional Japanese martial art of Daito-ryu aikijujutsu.
Okabayashi Shogen studied Daito-ryu under both Hisa Takuma and Takeda Tokimune, receiving from the former a kyoju-dairi (teaching license) and from the latter a shihan-level license, as well as a menkyo in Ono-ha Itto-ryu (Sokaku-den). Believing that modern schools of the Daito-ryu go astray by incorporating present-day body mechanics to ancient techniques, Okabayashi Sensei founded the Hakuho Kai in order to research and preserve the classical forms of the Daito-ryu.
This article is reprinted from the Hakuho Kai Journal, Volume 1, Number 5, by permission of the author.
Contact Us
Class Location:
Colegio MIT, 3F C/ Severo Ochoa, 63, Parque Technologico, Malaga, Spain
Hours:
Mon: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Wed: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Sat: 8:30 am - 11:00 am
Email:
Colegio MIT, 3F C/ Severo Ochoa, 63, Parque Technologico, Malaga, Spain
Hours:
Mon: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Wed: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Sat: 8:30 am - 11:00 am
Email:
Why Study Classical Budo?
Budo, or Martial Ways, are warrior arts continuing traditions dating prior to the dissolution of the samurai and the inauguration of the modern era in Japan. These old-style arts are definitely not kid’s stuff.
Everyone knows that martial arts are excellent paths to improved fitness and self-defense skills, but did you know that classical Japanese military strategy has applications to both business and everyday life? Long ago, the Japanese discovered systematic methods of achieving success, methods that have been preserved and are accessible to us today. Forbes, Time, and Inc. Magazine, for example, have all described The Book of Five Rings, a manual of classical strategy composed by a master swordsman, as one of the most useful books ever written for business strategists.
The best way to learn the lessons of classical strategy, however, is by practicing physical techniques that manifest the particular lesson to be learned. Just discussing theory makes one a theorist, and no more. But practicing a technique that embodies a strategy encodes the lesson in the more primitive areas of the human brain — the idea is to make the ability to reach optimal business or life decisions a reflex, like instantly pulling away your hand when you accidentally touch a hot stove.
Most importantly, the study of classical martial arts is an incredible amount of fun. Very few activities are as fascinating, challenging, and fulfilling; an inexhaustible source of insight and personal development. The ultimate benefit is becoming a much more capable person.
The classical martial arts are not widespread, and in most cases must be sought out, but anyone willing to extend himself or herself is likely to find the training he or she seeks. Members of Itten Dojo enhance their lives through training in the arts of aikijutsu (unarmed self-defense) and/or kenjutsu (swordsmanship), and we invite you to join us in this journey.
Everyone knows that martial arts are excellent paths to improved fitness and self-defense skills, but did you know that classical Japanese military strategy has applications to both business and everyday life? Long ago, the Japanese discovered systematic methods of achieving success, methods that have been preserved and are accessible to us today. Forbes, Time, and Inc. Magazine, for example, have all described The Book of Five Rings, a manual of classical strategy composed by a master swordsman, as one of the most useful books ever written for business strategists.
The best way to learn the lessons of classical strategy, however, is by practicing physical techniques that manifest the particular lesson to be learned. Just discussing theory makes one a theorist, and no more. But practicing a technique that embodies a strategy encodes the lesson in the more primitive areas of the human brain — the idea is to make the ability to reach optimal business or life decisions a reflex, like instantly pulling away your hand when you accidentally touch a hot stove.
Most importantly, the study of classical martial arts is an incredible amount of fun. Very few activities are as fascinating, challenging, and fulfilling; an inexhaustible source of insight and personal development. The ultimate benefit is becoming a much more capable person.
The classical martial arts are not widespread, and in most cases must be sought out, but anyone willing to extend himself or herself is likely to find the training he or she seeks. Members of Itten Dojo enhance their lives through training in the arts of aikijutsu (unarmed self-defense) and/or kenjutsu (swordsmanship), and we invite you to join us in this journey.
Tenshin-ryū kenjutsu
Swordsmanship is the premier martial art of Japan. Over 1,000 years of research, study, and refinement have been dedicated to this complex and esoteric form of combat. Generations of swordsmen devoted their lives to the exploration of every possible application of the Japanese sword. Not satisfied with mere variations in technique, the old masters of Japan also examined the strategy and philosophy of the sword in an unending quest for knowledge.
Yamate-ryu Aikijutsu
Aikijutsu is an unarmed combat art derived from Daito-ryu aikijujutsu and closely related to Japanese swordsmanship. In many other martial arts, strength and speed are emphasized in nearly every situation. Aikijutsu utilizes a softer and slower type of movement, with power added only after the attainment of excellent form. Many of the techniques, when done properly, require only a few ounces of pressure to yield rather spectacular results.
Students of aikijutsu learn to neutralize attacks by throwing or pinning an opponent, most often by means of locking one or more of the opponent’s joints. Because the opponent is controlled through a mechanical linkage, rather than by application of pain, aikijutsu is a matter of skill and not brute force. The objective of the art is to gain absolute control of an attacker, both physically and spiritually, allowing the possibility an opponent can be deterred or restrained with minimal harm. The art provides a wide range of responses to aggression, and is especially appropriate for study by women, law enforcement officers, and those who enjoy the challenge of sophisticated technique.
According to legend, aikijujutsu was created in the 12th century as a secret art of the Minamoto clan. Training in aikijujutsu was first opened to the general public by Takeda Sokaku in the early 20th century, and at that time the art became known as Daito-ryu. More than 30 varieties of aikijujutsu and aikido are taught today, embodying a wide range of technical and philosophical approaches to the art.
Although aikijutsu and aikido share a common heritage, there are distinctive differences in the arts. Modern aikido has been shaped to a large degree by the esoteric religious beliefs of its founder, Ueshiba Morihei, an aspect that does not in any way apply to aikijutsu. Within the Yamate-ryu, we believe philosophical insights are best engendered by honest sweat in the dojo.
As a supplement to the unarmed practice, Yamate-ryu incorporates training with the bokken (wooden sword), jo (four-foot staff), and tanto (wooden knife). The use of weapons in aikijutsu is intended to inform and enhance the unarmed techniques, rather than purely for combative purposes.
Itten Dojo aikijutsu practices are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. In addition, there are open mat periods throughout the week during which students can receive individualized help. Prospective students of aikijutsu must be at least 14 years of age. Required training equipment is limited to a proper uniform and a bokken.
Students of aikijutsu learn to neutralize attacks by throwing or pinning an opponent, most often by means of locking one or more of the opponent’s joints. Because the opponent is controlled through a mechanical linkage, rather than by application of pain, aikijutsu is a matter of skill and not brute force. The objective of the art is to gain absolute control of an attacker, both physically and spiritually, allowing the possibility an opponent can be deterred or restrained with minimal harm. The art provides a wide range of responses to aggression, and is especially appropriate for study by women, law enforcement officers, and those who enjoy the challenge of sophisticated technique.
According to legend, aikijujutsu was created in the 12th century as a secret art of the Minamoto clan. Training in aikijujutsu was first opened to the general public by Takeda Sokaku in the early 20th century, and at that time the art became known as Daito-ryu. More than 30 varieties of aikijujutsu and aikido are taught today, embodying a wide range of technical and philosophical approaches to the art.
Although aikijutsu and aikido share a common heritage, there are distinctive differences in the arts. Modern aikido has been shaped to a large degree by the esoteric religious beliefs of its founder, Ueshiba Morihei, an aspect that does not in any way apply to aikijutsu. Within the Yamate-ryu, we believe philosophical insights are best engendered by honest sweat in the dojo.
As a supplement to the unarmed practice, Yamate-ryu incorporates training with the bokken (wooden sword), jo (four-foot staff), and tanto (wooden knife). The use of weapons in aikijutsu is intended to inform and enhance the unarmed techniques, rather than purely for combative purposes.
Itten Dojo aikijutsu practices are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. In addition, there are open mat periods throughout the week during which students can receive individualized help. Prospective students of aikijutsu must be at least 14 years of age. Required training equipment is limited to a proper uniform and a bokken.
The Dojo
Daiseki Dojo is a private center for the practice of budo, located in Malaga, Spain.
We regard the martial arts as a special and significant part of our lives, and we admit as new members those persons we believe will likely share our enthusiasm and dedication. Previous experience is not required. An applicant’s initial call to make an appointment to observe class is the first step in undertaking the challenge of a lifetime.
In the same way a Japanese sword is created through the heat and pressure of a forge, a martial artist is crafted by means of the intensity and shared purpose of a dojo. Within the dojo, rank is determined solely on the basis of demonstrated performance, and expectations of women are the same as those for men of comparable size.
New students — especially those without prior martial arts experience or current participation in athletics — are guided very carefully in their early training, so that they are able to build the requisite level of physical conditioning and basic skill without undue risk of injury or discouragement.
While the necessary uniforms and equipment required for training can be obtained through the dojo, only the prospective student can provide the most important ingredients for the creation of a martial artist — enthusiasm, dedication, a strong sense of fun and adventure, and the ability to retain forever the receptiveness of a beginner’s mind.
We regard the martial arts as a special and significant part of our lives, and we admit as new members those persons we believe will likely share our enthusiasm and dedication. Previous experience is not required. An applicant’s initial call to make an appointment to observe class is the first step in undertaking the challenge of a lifetime.
In the same way a Japanese sword is created through the heat and pressure of a forge, a martial artist is crafted by means of the intensity and shared purpose of a dojo. Within the dojo, rank is determined solely on the basis of demonstrated performance, and expectations of women are the same as those for men of comparable size.
New students — especially those without prior martial arts experience or current participation in athletics — are guided very carefully in their early training, so that they are able to build the requisite level of physical conditioning and basic skill without undue risk of injury or discouragement.
While the necessary uniforms and equipment required for training can be obtained through the dojo, only the prospective student can provide the most important ingredients for the creation of a martial artist — enthusiasm, dedication, a strong sense of fun and adventure, and the ability to retain forever the receptiveness of a beginner’s mind.
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