Hi

A lot of Aikidoka use the sword as an inspiration for their Aikido. Some styles even use specific swords styles. Nishio style uses his own sword style to emphesize his aikido.

I would like to hear what kind of swords styles poeple use with their Aikido!

/Yari

I like to use suburito or tanrenbo for my practice, even though sensei and all the girls like to joke about my obsession with "remedial" tools.
:)
:jedi1:

Yagyu Shinkage Ryu kenjitsu

No, not Yagyu Shinkage ryu.

I have heard that Iwama Aikido uses a lot of Kashima Shinto ryu Kenjutsu techniques. Also, Ueshiba Morihei's name and signature are on Kashima Shinto ryu's student logs.

I do Iwama Aikido, I also do YSR kenjitsu. Many of the techniques are similar, and my Sensei often demonstrates how certain Aikido techniques are derived from sword techniques. YSR is what we do at our dojo, not what Aikido or even Iwama people do exclusively. I was just answering what we do. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I did read somewhere that O'Sensei had some experience with YSR, but there are a lot of stories out there about what he did and didn't do.

YSR has helped my Aikido a lot. Especially with footwork, distance, and timing. And I can see things with the sword that translate to my empty hand technique.

YSR has helped my Aikido a lot. Especially with footwork, distance, and timing. And I can see things with the sword that translate to my empty hand technique.

I know it can be hard to explain in a thread, but could you share with us were you see the conection.

/Yari

The distance, timing and footwork thing should be self explanitory. I'm at a loss as to how to explain how the sword has influenced my open hand stuff. I'm not quite sure I understand exactaly how they work together and how my technique is effected by it. I just know that it works. I know this is vague, but let me sit on it for a day or two and think about it and I'll try to come up with a more concrete answer.

To me, there is something about seeing a technique with the sword and seeing where it comes from, that makes techniques make sense. It's as if, I see why we move our bodies in that certain way, why we tenkan here and irimi there. I can see where an atemi might be called for. I don't know how it happens, it just does. I can see that stuff in aikido too when we do things with the jo. It's not as prominent to me as it is with the sword, but it could be due in large part to the fact that I play with sword everyday. I play with jo about once a month.

I can fully relate to that.

I've done Arnis, and the way we used to use the knife was an eye opening for me. It has helped me alot in Aikido too.

It's like the sharp edge shows the way. But I feel a jo also helps. Maybe it's not the edge but the extention?

/Yari

I just started at the Indianapolis Aikikai, I did study Aikijujutsu until about 6 months ago at that school we did a variant of Muso Shinden Ryu, I now study Iaido and Aikido at diffenent places, with Bryant Sensei I study another variant of MSR as taught to him by Kotaka Sensei.

James


" It is better to die charging into battle then to wait for the unseen arrow" JLF