Wood and Steel

I finally purchased a Shindo Yoshin Ryu bokken from Tozando online. As you can see in the picture below it just so happens it is the same length as my custom made sword (which is quite long due to my height).

TSYR uses a sword with a longer tsuka (handle) and a deeper sori (curve), which in turn means the bokken must mimic this. In fact the dimensions of the blade determine how some of the kenjutsu techniques work.
Up until now I have been using a VERY old aikido bokken that was too short and had been taped in three places to prevent the blade splitting. Sensei has been kind enough to let me use a TSYR bokken that belongs to the dojo from time to time to allow me to improve my technique.
I'm looking forward to using the new bokken in 2014.

TSYR and aikido cross paths.

In the week just been my Sensei took Toby Threadgill and the other visitors from abroad to an amazing dojo found in the Coromandel, New Zealand. Three members from our branch also went. The Koru dojo was designed by an aikido practitioner called David Lynch and as far as I know there is nothing like it in the world.

Toby Threadgill Sensei with members of TSYR.

The dojo is surrounded by native New Zealand bush and has a unique roof. Over four nights this was their home. David and his wife made the kobudo group very welcome and the setting and hospitality impressed so much that it is likely the branch will visit there again. 

Battojutsu

Needless to say, I am extremely happy to see the two arts that I practice combining in the name of budo. It is times like these I realise just how lucky New Zealand is to have such quality in budo locations and practitioners. Despite being on the bottom of the world. 

What's wrong with aikido?

For years now, people have rubbished aikido by saying it isn't a practical martial art. I can see their point. But I think the Founder's aikido was very practical. So what has happened?

In this article:
http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=519

Todd Jones says the following about students of O'Sensei, "Yes, so they understood these things fundamentally. He didn't have to waste time teaching basics… they were either qualified to step into his dojo or, “Sorry, we don’t have time.” I think, partly because of that, aikido — the way it’s taught today - is built on an expectancy of those fundamentals; those basic skills should already be there. I see aikido as a high level, or graduate school, martial art. If you've done ten years of judo, or if you've done ten years of karate, or if you've done ten years of kendo… it’s very easy to step in and say, “Oh yes, I see.” This just makes training all that much easier, all that more efficient, all that much better."

Let's look at the implications of this. If aikido was originally taught to students who had come from other martial arts backgrounds we can assume they were already taught how to strike, use timing and understood ma-ai. 

Morihei Ueshibi then advanced them further with aikido. 

Now move forward to contemporary aikido and untrained people are walking off the street into that kind of training paradigm. Here, I believe the problems begin. 

Aikido as a set of principles and techniques is a solid martial art in my opinion. However, the training paradigm is wrong. 

I can speak from personal experience around this. I now study a kobudo with others trained in another martial art, most people on the mat are Dan-ranked in a gendai budo. The training is intense as every practitioner is competent in their ability to move their body around. Of course we have our strengths and weaknesses. The karateka strike well but have had to learn how roll and breakfall. I can roll about all day (coming from an aikido background), but must learn to strike correctly. Those trained in Judo find the body throws a piece of cake. 

If I was to take this experience and retrofit it to an aikido dojo, I'm sure the training would be very satisfying. Imagine a group of Judoka, karateka and kendo practitioners working through aikido techniques. Alas, this is simply not the case now. 

I think this would solve problems of colluision between uke and nage. It would stop problems around poor attacks and it would turn aikido back into a serious martial art once more. 

Enter the Kaicho...and his students!

I have just spent a weekend training with the headmaster of TSYR, Toby Threadgill. Now, he has been over to New Zealand quite a few times but never with some of his senior students in tow. We had the pleasure of training with Marco Pinto of Portugal, Brent Carey from Hombu Dojo, Colorado and Douglas Walker from Portland, Oregon. These three men hold Shoden teaching licences and could teach a seminar by themselves. 

How would I describe the two days I attended? EXHILARATING! 

We covered tanto disarms, kumitachi, taijutsu and kumi tanto. Just being on the receiving end of an attack from one of these guys is an experience. They bring another level of intensity to the training. 

Threadgill Sensei was at his best. His techniques were subtle and he took my centre so early in a technique that he had me from the moment of contact at times. Better still he had great ways of explaining how to do some of the stuff he was doing. 

The members of the Hamilton dojo are progressing as well. No matter who I had as a training partner on the mat, I was working with a competent martial artist. It made for a fulfilling experience.

So thank you to all those who stepped onto that mat over the weekend. My training was better for it.