Aikido styles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Contents

[edit] Major styles

The major styles of aikido each have their own headquarters (honbu dōjō) in Japan, have an international breadth, and were founded by direct students of Morihei Ueshiba.[1]

  • Aikikai The largest organization is the Aikikai Foundation, referred to as Aikikai. This style has remained centred on the family of Morihei Ueshiba, and is currently headed by the founder's grandson, Moriteru Ueshiba (植芝 守央 Ueshiba Moriteru, born 1951).

The earliest independent styles to emerge were

The emergence of these styles pre-dated Ueshiba's death and did not cause any major upheavals when they were formalized, with the exception of Shodokan Aikido, which caused some controversy as it introduced a unique rule-based competition that some felt was contrary to the spirit of Aikido.

After Ueshiba's death, two more major styles emerged:

  • Ki Society - Another event that caused significant controversy was the departure of the Aikikai Honbu Dojo's chief instructor Koichi Tohei, in 1974. Tohei left as a result of a disagreement with the son of the founder, Kisshomaru Ueshiba (植芝 吉祥丸 Ueshiba Kisshōmaru, 1921–1999), who at that time headed the Aikikai Foundation. The disagreement was over the proper role of ki development in regular aikido training. After Tohei left, he formed his own style, called Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, and the organization which governs it, the Ki Society.[5]
  • Iwama Ryu - A final major style evolved from Ueshiba's retirement in Iwama, Japan, and the teaching methodology of long term student Morihiro Saito. It is unofficially referred to as the "Iwama style". Although Iwama style practitioners remained part of the Aikikai until Saito's death in 2002, followers of Saito subsequently split into two groups; one remaining with the Aikikai and the other forming the independent organization Shinshin Aikishuren Kai (神信合気修練会?) in 2004 around Saito's son Hitohiro Saito (斎藤 仁弘 Saitō Hitohiro, born 1957).

[edit] Minor Styles

A number of organizations independent from the major styles of aikido have developed some of which are notable in their own right through their size or historical association. These "minor styles" are distinct from independent dojos or small dojo clusters.

  • Shin'ei Taido (親英体道 Shin'ei Taidō) is a style closely related to aikido, founded in 1956 by Noriaki Inoue (井上 鑑昭 Inoue Noriaki, 1902–1994), a nephew and pre-war student Morihei Ueshiba.[6]
  • Tendoryu Aikido (天道流合気道 Tendō-ryū Aikidō); founded by Kenji Shimizu (清水 健二 Shimizu Kenji, born 1940) in 1982. Founded the "Shimizu Dojo" in 1969, renamed it the Tendokan (天道館 Tendōkan) in 1975.
  • Kokikai Aikido International; founded in 1986 by Shuji Maruyama (Maruyama Shuji, born 1940).
  • Fugakukai International Association, founded in 1982, has roots in the Shodokan style, but without the competition element.
  • Yoshokai; founded in 1991 by Takashi Kushida (串田 誉司 Kushida Takashi, born 1935), a senior instructor of Yoshinkan aikido.
  • The Kokusai Aikidō Kenshūkai Kobayashi Hirokazu Ha, or Kobayashi aikido , was founded by Hirokazu Kobayashi.
  • Aikido Yuishinkai International ; founded in 1996 by Koretoshi Maruyama (born 1936).
  • Aiki Manseido (合氣万生道 Aiki Manseidō), founded in 1999 by Kanshu Sunadomari (砂泊扶 カン秀 Sunadomari Kanshu, born 1923), is an independent style centred in Kyūshū, Japan.
  • Keijutsukai Aikido (警術会合気道). The Keijutsukai (Police/Security Techniques Association) was officially established in February 1980, in Tokyo. Founded by Thomas H. Makiyama born in 1928.

[edit] Other Aikido

The above styles can trace their lineage through senior students back to the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. Two further well known martial arts use the name aikido but do not have this direct connection. They are Korindo Aikido founded by Minoru Hirai (平井 稔 Hirai Minoru, 1903–1998) and Nihon Goshin Aikido (日本護身合気道 Nihon Goshin Aikidō) founded by Shodo Morita (Morita Shodo, fl. c.1930s–1962). These schools, with some historical justification, suggest that the name aikido is not the exclusive domain of arts derived from the teachings of Morihei Ueshiba.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Shishida, Fumiaki "Aikido". Encyclopedia of Aikido.  
  2. ^ Pranin, Stanley (2006). "Yoshinkan Aikido". Encyclopedia of Aikido.  
  3. ^ Pranin, Stanley (2006). "Mochizuki, Minoru". Encyclopedia of Aikido.  
  4. ^ Shishido, Fumiaki; Nariyama, Tetsuro (2002). Aikido: Tradition and the Competitive Edge. Shodokan Publishing USA. ISBN 978-0964708327. 
  5. ^ Pranin, Stanley (2006). "Tohei, Koichi". Encyclopedia of Aikido.  
  6. ^ Pranin, Stanley (2006). "Shin'ei Taido". Encyclopedia of Aikido.