@ememe1412

1 year ago

When I studied Aikido 30yrs ago, my sensei was straightforward to say that the study was of Budo and esoteric Shinto specifically Omoto Kyo ideas. We studied combat and self defence separately in JJ and Judo (traditional).
Since after WW2, Ueshiba was so devastated by the destruction (he was part of Omoto group looking to set up what we would term a 'hippy' commune in Hokkaido and Manchuria during the 20s and 30s), he started to drop all the more practical techniques and practices (even more) so that the art became more focused on the ideas of principle. Pre-war students started to set up break-aways at this point. It was not the art Kano saw that had him sending top kodokan students like Tomiki to study, anymore. (One of the Judo Katas was heavily influenced by Aikido...)
This one story about how his school got tense. They received a challenge from a young officer with a bokken for a 'demo'. Ueshiba's senior went to the mat. As the man went on his stance with the bokken, the aikidoka lunged and struck the man down and took the bokken. Ueshiba was infuriated at his student for being too violent and not allowing the bokken to be swung at him.
In advance concepts shin shin no shin, the attack begins when the intention is formed. Once the man started to take a combat stance, his attack had begun, defence begins at this point Other concept, go no shin, the attack begins when the strike is made. Differentiating the state of being under 'threat' and 'attack'. Ueshiba wanted the student to go with the latter principle, to make Aikido more passive and reactive and therefore less violent. A lot of students did not find this realistic then against someone trained let alone armed.... This esoteric spiritual slide went full out of practical practice, even in stratagem, in groups like Ki society and Iwama.

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