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If you are not familiar with the aikido approach of Shoji Nishio, 8th dan, the video highlights below will quickly acquaint you with the essentials of his martial system. Particular points to watch for are Nishio Sensei’s initial set up movements, often accompanied by atemi strikes, rapidity and precision during application of techniques, and final controling movements and pins. In this system, for the most part, empty-handed techniques (taijutsu) have corresponding movements using the ken and jo…
May
17
Video: Shoji Nishio — “Aikido represents a major departure from its predecessor arts”
May
17
Video: “Jo tai Ken… Nishio Syle”
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“A total of 4 downloadable videos are included and cover the following subjects: Gyakuhanmi Katatedori, Aihanmi Katatedori, Shomenuchi (1), Shomenuchi (2), Yokomenuchi, Ryotedori and Sodedori, Katadori Menuchi, and Aikido Toho Iai.”
May
17
Popular! Do NOT Punch In A Street Fight… Over 8,000,000 views!
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An interesting analysis of the dangers of using a punch in an actual altercation along with a series of suggestions for accomplishing the effects of a punch without causing injury to your hand. This video has over 8,000,000 views!…
May
16
Sadateru Arikawa, 9th dan:“He was talkative, tireless, severe yet cheerful, fearsome on the mat, and fiercely loyal to the Ueshiba family.”
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My staff would dread these visits by Sensei because it would interrupt their work flow. Also, no one other than me had such an unquenchable interest in aikido history that I shared with Arikawa Sensei. Besides, many people found it difficult to understand his speech, myself included, because he talked in a scarcely audible, raspy voice. I never could figure out why Sensei talked in this way until much later when he told me the story…
May
16
Video: Shoji Nishio — “Restoring Aikido’s martial effectiveness”
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“Certain people in the world of Japanese martial arts began to doubt that aikido was a martial art. This doubt concerning the martial nature of aikido is often voiced both in Japan and abroad. We have done our best to convey the words of O-Sensei to present-day practitioners and exemplify these principles in our own practice…”
May
16
Video: Shoji Nishio — “Aikido represents a major departure from its predecessor arts”
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“Aikido represents a major departure from its predecessor arts that focused exclusively on winning or defeating an opponent. It is natural that the way to present aikido techniques differs greatly from that of other martial arts. It goes without saying that aikido techniques are very complex and sophisticated…”
May
16
Popular! Joe Thambu’s dazzling Yoshinkan Aikido demonstration… nearly 2,000,000 views
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Joe Thambu is an Australian teacher of Yoshinkan Aikido, currently ranked 7th Dan, with over 35 years experience in the art. He began his training in 1972 and was the first person to teach and disseminate Yoshinkan Aikido in Australia. He teaches out of the Aikido Shudokan school located in Melbourne…
May
16
How it all started! “The Improbable Launch of My Career as an Aikido Historian,” by Stanley Pranin
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I had great hopes of being able to conduct research on aikido history while I was there, but got almost no cooperation from the Japanese side. I did have one success of great importance on the research side. I had Bob Frager’s articles on O-Sensei with me in Tokyo, and one day sat down to take a good look at them. I knew I had only some of the articles, but did not know how many there were in the series, or when or where they were published. Let me tell you how I solved this problem…
May
15
Video: Shoji Seki’s powerful display of technique at 10th International Aikido Congress
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Shoji Seki, 7th dan, is one of a group of Aikikai Hombu Dojo instructors who began their careers in the late 1960s. He has maintained himself in excellent physical condition, and his technique is fast and precise. Although Seki Sensei is not verbose in his explanation, he repeats the technique he is demonstrating many times, and it is possible to catch the fine points of his movements through careful observation…
May
15
Video: “Shoji Nishio — Developing an innovative Aikido system that includes the missing weapons training”
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Over a span of decades, Nishio Sensei and his senior students developed an elaborate system built on aikido’s fundamentals, but that reintroduced martial integrity and the use of weapons. The four lengthy instructional videos compiled by Nishio Sensei in the late 1990s present his unique system. Here we present highlights of these videos for the study of our audience of aikido practitioners….
May
15
Video: “Crosstraining to fill the gaps in the Aikido curriculum in Tokyo”
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Being unable to get satisfactory answers to his questions, and absent weapons training, Nishio Sensei set out to crosstrain in other martial arts to fill the gaps. He already had a background in judo and karate. Nishio Sensei expanded his training by studying the use of the jo and ken, and also took up iaido training…
