A Question of Style

[Koga-Shinobi]

Hey All

Ive found 2 MA styles in lately which I was hoping someone on the forums could help me out with:

The first is Tenshinkan Karate: All I know is that Tenshinkan karate is style of karate incorporating various aspects and techniques of both Aikido and Ju jitsu into it making it a more "complete and effective" style. Is there anyone out there who actually practices Tenshinkan or who knows a bit about it who can shed some light on the style. Personally, I find karate not to be more my style, however I do like Ju jitsu and Aikido. I do find thought that the mix sounds pretty good (ie. the strikes from karate, and the take-downs and holds from Aikido and Ju jitsu)

The second I've come across is Yoshinkan Aikido. Aikido is definitely one of my interests...and I find that the Yoshinkan style of Aikido (which is used by Japanese police??) which is a "harder" style is particularly of interest. I was just wondering how does it differ fundamentally from other styles of Aikido, what do they mean a harder style? More aggressive, attacking? But surely that goes against the principles of Aikido?

Any sort of insight from the MAist on this formum would be great.

Thanks.

 

[arnisador]

Did you start either of these?

 

[rmcrobertson]

Such oppositions are conveniences, conventions that we use to structure reality...see Levi-Strauss, "Raw and the Cooked..."

And if I'm gettin' what you're laying down, it's off the "hard/soft?" style discussion, the "old, "internal/external arts," argument.

At bottom, there are no such differences...

Remember, aikido was developed by one of the biggest...let's just say, over-combative right-wing maniacs of his generation (see John Stevens, "Abundant Peace"), who insisted that the foundations of aikido lie in spear and sword...if I rememeber right and Stevens is to be trusted, one of the last things Mr. Ueshiba ever did was a spear form...

And as for internal arts...Donn Draeger, of course, insisted that this really meant, "inside" China and "outside," China...

 

[OULobo]

Check out "Angry White Pajamas" Its a book about the style of Aikido that the Japanese riot police train. I think it is very traditional, but a little more rough and macho (the Japanese version of macho). Supposedly, since the Japanese can have no military since WWII, the riot police is where all the toughies end up.

 

[OULobo]

Originally posted by rmcrobertson

Remember, aikido was developed by one of the biggest...let's just say, over-combative right-wing maniacs of his generation (see John Stevens, "Abundant Peace"), who insisted that the foundations of aikido lie in spear and sword...if I rememeber right and Stevens is to be trusted, one of the last things Mr. Ueshiba ever did was a spear form...

I have heard some crazy things attributed to O Sensei, but I always wondered where the stories were coming from. Is this the book?

 

[rmcrobertson]

Uh...the Japanese have continued to have a military. The surrender simply limited it to self-defense forces only...whatever that distinction is...

The Stevens bio seems pretty good. Certainly, it balances nicely between what appears to be fact and what appears to be silly mysticism...

 

[Shinchoku]

I trained for seven years in the Yoshinkan style of Aikido uner T. Kimeda Sensei and have to admit that when it comes to techniques that count both in the dojo and out then the Yoshinkan is the real deal!

 

[OULobo]

The Japanese had no military from the end of WWII to about 1954. During this time they had a 75,000 man internal police force to deal with domestic issues and natural disasters. After 1954 the name was changed to the SDF (Self Defense Force) and began to take a military feel because it was larger (295,500), divided into air, sea and land divisions and the military style of high tech hardware. I guess this is called a military, but its a matter of semantics.

http://hkuhist2.hku.hk/nakasendo/sdf.htm

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Shinchoku
I trained for seven years in the Yoshinkan style of Aikido uner T. Kimeda Sensei and have to admit that when it comes to techniques that count both in the dojo and out then the Yoshinkan is the real deal!

Is it correct that this is the style used by the Police forces in Japan?

 

[Shinchoku]

The Yoshinkan Hombu dojo runs a Senshusei program designed to be an intensive study program and is often frequented by the Tokyo riot police.
The book Angry Whit Pajamas mentioned above does do some justice to the severity of the program, but at the same time has a little more of a Western view on the pratices of the program. A great read none the less!
A lot of systems knock the Yoshinkan style as straying away from O'Sensei's line of teaching and I cannot truly speak to that effect. But what I do know is that as a system it is totally comprehensive, and that I haven't met a Yoshinkan instructor yet that wasn't down to Earth and very practicle in his/her application of the curriculum.

 

[arnisador]

What does Senshusei mean?