Daito-ryu full technical curriculum
The technical curriculum of the Aikibudo is made up of armed and unarmed techniques. There are in excess of 2,800 unarmed techniques and about as many armed techniques. The full curriculum comprehends all the bujutsu that was taught to the Takeda clan’s bushi in feudal times. In ancient times these individuals would train all day for all their lives. It was their full time occupation. Today, obviously, students will have to train gradually and might prefer to focus their attention towards the most practical aspects of the curriculum (in black). From Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu derive more or less directly many modern disciplines: Aikido(아이키도), Hapkido(합기도), Hakko-ryu(팔광류), Shorinji kenpo(쇼린지켐포-일본소림사권법), and Yoseikan budo.
1. Armed Techniques
Kenjutsu: Sword techniques (see below).
Gotenjutsu: Defence techniques used inside imperial palaces (Oshikiuchi) both armed and unarmed.
Kumiuchi: Combat techniques. With the use of the light armour.
Sojutsu: Spear techniques.
Wakizashijutsu: Short sword techniques (kodachi).
Tantojutsu: Knife techniques.
Tessenjutsu: War fan techniques.
Shurikenjutsu: Small knifes throwing techniques.
Bojutsu: Stick techniques.
Toraejutsu: Techniques to harness a prisoner.
Juttejutsu: Japanese feudal police weapon techniques.
2. Unarmed Techniques
Jujutsu: unarmed techniques; method of relying primarily on atemi.
Aiki no jutsu: unarmed techniques; method of replying mainly aiki concepts .
Aikijujutsu: unarmed techniques; method of combining atemi with aiki concepts.
Kenjutsu
Daito’s School Kenjutsu is divided into 4 sections:
Kendo no gata: 10 Kata.These are a modern (1911) and basic introduction to kenjutsu developed by all the Kenjutsu schools that met together and developed these 10 common kata.
Go gyo no gata: 5 Kata. These are a transition system between the Kendo no gata and the Ono-ha Ittoryu Kata, they introduce some typical movements and concepts of higher kata.
Ono-ha Ittoryu: 120 Kata. After the defeat of the Takeda clan in the battle of Aizu-Wakamatsu (1868), many original Daito Kenjutsu techniques were lost. Takeda Sokaku thus introduced in the School’s armed curriculum the Ono-ha Ittoryu Kenjutsu.
Daito-ryu: 20 Kata. These are the only original Daito School kata that were transmitted to our times.
Ono-ha Ittoryu is a traditional kenjutsu school (a sub-style of the Itto School) created around 1580 by Ono Tadaaki(1565-1628). Ono was a disciple of Ito Ittosai, who in turn founded the Ittoryu. Ono-ha Ittoryu was the Shogun’s kenjutsu school until the Meiji restoration (1868). The senior captains and commanders of the Tokugawa Shogun guards came from the Aizu clan that were taught this Kenjutsu stile.Takeda Sokaku (1860-1943) learned this sword style not from his family, but from Toma Shibuya in Aizu at the Yokikan dojo. Sokaku was named Aizu’s tengu for his formidable fencing ability (in feudal Japan a tengu was semi-god representing the apex level of ability in a specific art martial or classical as painting). Naturally Sokaku transmitted to his son Tokimune(1915-1993) his fencing knowledge, which, in turn taught Ono-ha Ittoryu kenjutsu to his disciples. Today Arisawa Gunpachi Shihan teaches Ono-ha Ittoryu at the dojo of Abashiri, and it is practiced in the traditional style of kumi-tachi, which is a particular manner of representing sword fighting in Japan. Students who train make use of bokuto (which is a wood imitation of the katana). The uchidachi (who is the student guiding the kata) wears thick gloves called Onigote. This is the full curriculum (120 katas):
Odachi: 43 kata, katana against katana.
Kodachi: 5 kata, katana against kodachi (wakizashi).
Aikodachi: 6 kata, kodachi against kodachi.
Sanju: 2 Kata.
Habiki: 11 katas.
Houshato: 7 katas.
Kojo Gokui Goten: 5 kata, katana against katana.
Haraki: 12 katas.
Kuko no tachi: 9 katas.
Taryu gachi no tachi: 11 katas.
Batto jutsu: it's composed of 5 katas, katana against katana katas; practiced with iaito (a more realistic metal imitation of a katana sword) or shinken (real sword) according to students' abilities.
B. Aikinojutsu is a particular defense concept that makes use of the aggressors energy against himself by harmonising it with one's own energy after a first moment of resistance that induces our opponent to react as we desire.
C. Aikijujutsu the vast curriculum (in excess of 2,800 techniques still taught here) is divided into 5 catalogues (Mokuroku). Of these 800 techniques are Omote (basic) and about 2,000 are Ura (variations). These 5 catalogues are themselves sub-divided into groups and sub-groups.
SHODEN: is the basic teachings, that comprehends only the 1st and 2nd catalogues.
CHUDEN: are the median teachings, that comprehend the 3rd and 4th catalogues.
SOUDEN: are the advanced teachings, that comprehend the last catalogue and secret teachings.
1. SHIDEN MOKUROKU: (118 techniques)
All techniques of the 1st catalogue are performed in:
idori: (both students kneel),
hanza handachi: (tori kneels and uke stands),
tachiai: (both uke and tori stand),
ushiro dori: (uke attacks from behind, tori defends himself).
Gokajo: 13 techniques. Of these 6 are jujutsu in tachiai, and 7 are sub-groups:
5.1 Tasu dori: 2 or more aggressors attack simultaneously.
5.2 Emono dori: both hands are engaged. No holds on uke.
5.3 Tanken dori: defense against knife attacks.
5.4 Bo dori: defense against stick attacks.
5.5 Jutte dori: defense using jutte (police instrument).
5.6 Daito dori: defense against sword attacks (katana).
5.7 Kasa dori: defense against any attack by using only one hand. The other is used to hold an umbrella (kasa).
2. AIKINOJUTSU MOKUROKU (65 techniques)
Aikinojutsu , also known as aiki nage, is a series that comprehends 65 beautiful techniques with a precise characteristic: Only throws are used to defend oneself applying Aiki principles. Only as a basic explanation, uke attack an projects his energy (force) against Tori, who responds by resisting for a small fraction of time, which makes uke react in the opposite direction, and then tori yields in that new direction using both energy to his advantage to throw uke.
4. GOSHIN' YO NO TE MOKUROKU
(32 techniques) personal defence teachings.
5. SOUDEN MOKUROKU
(about 477 techniques) final teachings.
<OKUDEN>
"Secret teachings" orally transmitted only from one Soke to the next.
All present Daito-ryu Aikibudo techniques (the only original ones) are executed exactly as they were during the feudal times by Aizu clan's bushi; in fact each technique has been faithfully and secretly handed down through the Takeda family for many centuries. These have been preserved unchanged and are still taught with the classical Kata method.