Aiki-jō

is the name given specifically to the set of martial art techniques practiced with a "jō" (a wooden staff about four feet long), practiced according to the principles of aikido, taught first by Morihei Ueshiba (aikido's founder), then further developed by Morihiro Saito, one of Ueshiba's most prominent students.

Development of aiki-jō

Much of the aiki-jō syllabus was developed by Morihei Ueshiba (植芝 盛平 "Ueshiba Morihei", 1883–1969) at his dojo in Iwama, Japan, at the same time he developed aikido's sword training (called "aiki-ken"). It is well documented that Ueshiba studied several different styles of martial arts, including the art of the spear ("sōjutsu"). The aiki-jō techniques taught by Ueshiba were a distillation and modification of that training, with an emphasis upon the use of the "jō" as a method for the refinement of one's empty-handed aikido techniques.Fact|date=February 2007

Most of the practice of aiki-jō was ultimately systematized not by Ueshiba, but by Morihiro Saito (斉藤 守弘 "Saitō Morihiro", 1928–2002), one of Ueshiba's most dedicated students and the person who took over the Iwama dojo after Ueshiba died. Hence the unofficial term "Iwama style" to refer to Saito's style of aikido, incorporating a significant amount of weapons training. In order to preserve the art and to teach an increasing number of students, Saito gathered the teachings of Ueshiba and presented the world with "aiki-jō". The first aiki-jō techniques were published in "Traditional Aikido", Vol I and II by Morihiro Saito, 1973. Before his death, Saito and his son Hitohiro Saito (斎藤 仁浩 "Saitō Hitohiro", born 1957) revived and refined this art.Fact|date=February 2007

Note that the practice of aiki-jō is not pervasive. Some schools of aikido incorporate weapons training that is unrelated to aiki-jō, and others forego weapons training entirely.

Aiki-jō Practice

The primary purpose of aiki-jō practice is to magnify errors in one's aikido technique, and to give the student an opportunity to apply the principles of aikido in different situations. Saito codified three sets of techniques, the first being twenty "suburi" (solo cutting exercises), the second being ten partnered forms, and the third being two "kata" (solo forms). Some dojo also practice "jiyu-waza" armed with "jō" (freestyle technique, without a predetermined form of attack and response).

uburi

Nihongo|"Suburi"|素振り:すぶり, a word that translates literally to something like "elementary swinging", is used to refer to the basic solo movements of aiki-jō, developed by Saito as a distillation of the forms and partnered practice.

There are twenty aiki-jō "suburi". They are divided into sub-groups and named as follows (the English given is an approximate translation):

:Five Nihongo|Thrusting|"tsuki" Movements
1. Nihongo|Direct thrust|"choku-tsuki"
2. Nihongo|Counter thrust|返し突き|kaeshi-tsuki
3. Nihongo|Rear thrust|後ろ突き|ushiro-tsuki
4. Nihongo|Thrust, low counter|突き下段返し|tsuki gedan-gaeshi
5. Nihongo|Thrust, high counter strike|突き上段返し打ち|tsuki jōdan-gaeshi-uchi

:Five Nihongo|Striking|打ち|uchi Movements
6. Nihongo|Front-of-the-head stepping strike|正面打ち込み|shōmen'uchikomi
7. Nihongo|Repeating stepping strike|連続打ち込み|renzoku uchikomi
8. Nihongo|Head strike, low counter|面打ち下段返し|men'uchi gedan-gaeshi
9. Nihongo|Head strike, rear thrust|面打ち後ろ突き|men'uchi ushiro-tsuki
10. Nihongo|Reverse side-of-the-head strike, rear thrust|逆横面後ろ突き|gyaku-yoko'men ushiro-tsuki

:Three Nihongo|One-handed|片手|katate Movements
11. Nihongo|One-handed low counter|片手下段返し|katate gedan-gaeshi
12. Nihongo|One-handed distant-interval strike|片手遠間打ち|"katate tōma-uchi"
13. Nihongo|One-handed "figure-eight" counter|片手八の字返し|katate hachi-no-ji gaeshi

:Five Nihongo|"Figure-eight"|八相|hassō Movements
14. Nihongo|"Figure-eight" counter, strike|八相返し打ち|hassō-gaeshi uchi
15. Nihongo|"Figure-eight" counter, thrust|八相返し突き|hassō-gaeshi tsuki
16. Nihongo|"Figure-eight" counter, rear thrust|八相返し後ろ突き|hassō-gaeshi ushiro-tsuki
17. Nihongo|"Figure-eight" counter, rear strike|八相返し後ろ打ち|hassō-gaeshi ushiro-uchi
18. Nihongo|"Figure-eight" counter, rear sweep|八相返し後ろ払い|hassō-gaeshi ushiro-barai

:Two Nihongo|Flowing|流れ|nagare Movements
19. Nihongo|Flowing counter strike|流れ返し打ち|nagare-gaeshi-uchi
20. Nihongo|Right flowing counter thrust|右流れ返し突き|migi nagare-gaeshi-tsuki

Kumijō

The partnered forms practice of aiki-jō is called Nihongo|"kumijō"|組杖, meaning the crossing/meeting of staves. There are ten "kumijō" in Saito's aiki-jō curriculum. Ueshiba originally taught various partnered drills and techniques with the "jō", and Saito originally codified them into a discrete series of seven such partner drills. In 1983, Saito was set to give a public demonstration, and so devised three more "kumijō" at that time.

The "kumijō" teach students how to alternately control the center line and move off of it to avoid attacks and how to blend with an opponent's attacks, among other skills. Improvisational variations on the "kumijō" (called "henka"), which generally cause the "kumijō" form to end early with one person taking advantage of an opening to strike or throw the other, are also taught.

Kata

"Kata", simply meaning "forms", are typically solo, predetermined series of techniques practiced against an imaginary opponent. In the aiki-jō curriculum, there are two primary kata. The first is called "Sanjūichi no Jō", is generally referred to in English as the "Thirty-one Point "Jō Kata", and was taught by Ueshiba. The second one is "Jūsan no Jō"; "Thirteen Point "Jō Kata". There are also well known partnered versions of these forms, called "bunkai".

ee also

Aiki (martial arts principle)