Aikido Yoshinkan
Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido, taught many students during his
lifetime. Many went on to found their own schools of aikido based on the
principles that they learned from the master. Gozo Shioda was just one
of those students and his style of aikido tends to reflect the stage of
development aikido was going through in the 1930's and is often referred
to as "pre-war" aikido.
The Yoshinkan style of aikido is easily distinguishable from the main stream aikido schools due, in part, to the way students are trained. There is a strong emphasis on the six basic movements (Kihon Dosa) throughout all levels of training, these "basics" are considered the cornerstone of Yoshinkan Aikido. These basic movements are constantly practiced and instilled in students. The practical effectiveness of the Yoshinkan techniques is a byproduct of this repetitive training. On the other hand, a major criticism of this style is that it tends to produce aikidoka that are too "robotic" in their technique. This tendency may be noticeable in the early stages of a student's development but usually diminishes with experience.
"....our ability to capitalise on the very powerful strength inherent in our bodies is enhanced when we have a straight back, with shoulders down, and a posture where our feet are strongly rooted on the ground." (Aikido Shugyo - Shioda, Vol 3. No. 4.)
"Though aikido is normally practised in kata form, this does not mean that the movement is 'dead'; on the contrary, each repetition must be effective. The essence of aikido practice is that both partners perfect their movements and try to obtain real strength by applying the techniques correctly. Though aikido differs from other sports in that it goes beyond the normal concepts of victory and defeat, the object of controlling the opponent and gaining superiority must never be forgotten". (Dynamic Aikido, P.17 1982)
Yoshinkan Aikido, although sometimes referred to as the "hard" style, does not believe in the concept of competition and consequently does not hold tournaments to find a champion. Competition in aikido would be of no benefit to the student.
"Competitions are subjected to a lot of regulations; to avoid dangerous injuries a lot of rules are made. In Aikido there are no rules, which is why it is efficient as a means of self-defence. Emphasizing only the competition aspect takes away the true effectiveness of the technique. There is some evolution and progress as a sport but as a bujutsu it is incomplete". (Aikdo Shugyo - Shioda Gozo, P.4, 1995)
Virtually all Yoshinkan Aikido techniques begin and end with the attacker (uke) and thrower (shite) standing in kamae (basic posture), except maybe when performing Jiyuwaza (freestyle techniques). Yoshinkan Aikido, arguably, produces good posture in aikidoka because of the emphasis on maintaining a strong centre line. In kamae, the hands, the feet, the hips and the head are aligned. The idea is to create a very strong axis along a straight and vertical line on which to centre the aikidoka's weight. The main purpose of this training is to make it possible to utilize total body power.
References
Shioda Gozo, February 1995. "No need for competition in aikido"
- 'Aikido Shugyo', Aikido Yoshinkan International, Vol 6.
No.6 April 1996, p.4.
Shioda Gozo, 1982. Dynamic Aikido, Kodansha International Ltd,
Tokyo.
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Aikido Yoshinkan
"House for the Cultivation
of the Spirit."