BUDO JAPAN

MEET AT THE FOUNDER’S BIRTHPLACE WORLDWIDE AIKIDO

Global Aikido family gathered at Tanabe city, Wakayama prefecture, Japan, the birthplace of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba, in October 2008.

A series of events taken place from 6 to 12 October included: Founder’s Day (Buddhism ritual dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Founder’s death); seminars of training conducted by masters at home and abroad; Aiki demonstration dedicated to Kumano Hongu Taisha (Shinto shrine located in Tanabe city, Wakayama prefecture, deep in the rugged mountains of the Kii Peninsula of Japan. It is included as part of the Kumano Sanzan in the UNESCO World Heritage site Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage routes in Kii Mountain Range) to which the Founder paid more than 150-time homage visit; and the seminar by Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba. Explore the enthusiasm and experience how Aikido expanded on a global scale.




		The No.1 Japanese DVD site for Budo and Bujutsu! How much do you really know about Japanese martial arts and the culture behind? Aikido, Karate, Judo, Jujutsu,Kendo, Kenjutsu, traditional Budo and Bujutsu, Ninjutsu ... >This site offers a choiceof original Japanese videos by the greatest Japanese masters, a choice that has not beenavailable before.

		CONTENTS
		・Aikido ・Daitoryu ・Kenjutsu&Iai ・Jojutsu ・Ninjutsu&Bukijutsu ・Karate ・Training method ・Self-defense ・Other


		DVD 10th International Aikido Federation (IAF) Congress Demonstration Outstanding opportunity to learn the Aikido techniques! This DVD features the 10th IAF Congress, the most significant international Aikido event, which is held every four years and hosted by the Aikikai Foundation. It covers seminars of training conducted by Doshu and well-known instructors as well as the international demonstration. It will provide you with many valuable insights to accelerate your progress in everyday training of Aikido. Get it as a token of your participation.

Seminar by Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba, Bujin (Samurai) Destined to Pass down Aikido


		Pick Up DVD

		DVD Course of Master "Nobuyoshi Tamura" at the 10th IAF Price:5,000JPY DVD Course of Master "Yoshimitsu Yamada" at the 10th IAF Price:5,000JPY DVD The 46th All Japan Aikido Demonstration Our Price:5,775JPY


		Budo Magazine
		A publisher specialized in Budo! This site is managed by BAB Japan,a publishing and production company based in Tokyo and specialized in Japanese martial arts.BAB, whose name stands for 'Budo and Bujutsu', has been publishing the monthly Budo magazine 'Hiden' for 18 years. Well known and connected in the Japanese martial arts scene, we are producing about 3-4 DVDs and books on Budo and Bujutsu every month.
		New Item HIDEN MAGAZINE FEB 2009 Price:990JPY

Training went on further with demonstrations of ikkyo, shihonage, katadori-nikyo, and tenchinage. Doshu emphasized the same taisabaki (body turning movement) responding to any kind of attack like shomen-uchi, morotemochi, katatedori, yokomen-uchi while employing iriminage. Based on the principles of irimi and tenkan, it is also similar to other techniques. Since no space could be secured for katame-waza like ikkyo, nikyo, and sankyo in particular, “it is critical to hold down firmly,” he reiterated. “Today I will show you up to the point of holding down. You may practice the procedure towards kuzushi (balance breaking).” His instruction incidentally imprinted that the waza completes with katame waza. Doshu’s perspective of sharing the right things with others could be recognized.

Actually it was found that Aikido requires larger space in suwariwaza than in tachiwaza.

Whenever Doshu started demonstrating each waza, he stressed at the very moment of contacting the opponent, “employ kokyuho.” Kokyuho, an abbreviation of “kokyuryoku no yojoho” (development of breath power), is one of the important basic techniques of Aikido. It has become widely acknowledged as Aikiage in Daito-ryu Jujutsu. Kokyuho refers to a seated technique performed in an attempt to unbalance the opponent while holding both wrists with the development of kokyuryoku. It does not mean the breathing method in a general sense. “Kokyuho, simple though, plays a pivotal role in integrating mind, ki, and body. Once acquired, one can make a significant improvement in Aikido,” says the former Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba in his book.

In performing iriminage with morotemochi (grip with both hands), “Some practitioners lower their wrists when grabbed, but be sure to enter with kokyuho at the moment your wrist is most likely to be grabbed,” instructed Doshu, defining that its action will unbalance the opponent. Further he underlined the way to absorb the opponent momentum with kokyuho not only when responding with waza towards the opponent’s shomen-uchi or yokomen-uchi but when being grabbed.

Different shihans have different views on kokyuryoku. Founder Morihei Ueshiba studied Koshinto (Kotodama refers to the belief that mystical powers dwells in words and names) which influences the name of kokyuryoku.

In any event this technique must be one of the fundamental theories and plays a significant role in embodying the seemingly unique essence of Aikido. Time did not allow Doshu to elaborate kokyuryoku at the seminar, but “Aikido technique consists of kokyuryoku trained in kokyuho and taisabaki,” he concluded.

→NEXT

→another feature　The 46th All Japan AikidoDemonstration
→another feature　32nd Japan Kobudo Demonstration