Iwama-style Aikido(岩間合気道) is the style ofaikido that was taught inIwama by the founder of aikido,Morihei Ueshiba, and especially the lineage passed on throughMorihiro Saito, a close disciple who was given responsibility overIwama dojo by Ueshiba.[1]
It is also known by other names includingIwama-ryū (see:ryū) andIwama Aikido. It is often associated with the termTakemusu afterthe martial concept. It is sometimes also referred to asTraditional orDentō (伝統, lit. traditional).
It is sometimes calledSaito style, though never by Iwama stylists themselves as Saito insisted that he intended topreserve the founder's style.[2][3]
At one point Saito gave out specificIwama-ryu ranks[4] at the insistence of his European students.[citation needed] However, he always awarded ranks through theAikikai (original Aikido organization) out of respect for the Ueshiba family.[5][failed verification]
Saito also gave outmokuroku (scrolls) for hisaiki-ken (sword) andaiki-jo (staff) with levels loosely modeled after the traditional license system of classical Japanese martial arts to students independent ofIwama-ryu ranks.[6]
Today, Iwama-style aikido organisations can be found both within and outside of theAikikai. The main non-Aikikai branch isIwama Shin-Shin Aiki Shuren-kai, founded by Morihiro Saito's sonHitohiro Saito. It continues to issueIwama-ryu grading certificates;[4] however, many of Saito's longest students have remained affiliated with the Aikikai. In Europe some of these groups belong to the Takemusu Aikido Kyokaiumbrella organisation.[7] In the United States, the major organization is the Takemusu Aikido Association.[8]
Iwama style includes the combined study (riai) of traditional Japanese weapons (bukiwaza), specificallyaiki-jō (staff) andaiki-ken (sword), and of empty-handed aikido (taijutsu), both accompanied bykiai.[9][10] Iwama practitioners often claim that their aikido is close to that of the founder, as preserved by Morihiro Saito, largely based on photos taken from theNoma Dojo and a technical manual written by the founder.[11]
Among non-Iwama Aikikai practitioners, a common opinion is that Iwama style mainly is Morihei Ueshiba's aikido of the 1940s and 1950s not taking into consideration his later years, though Ueshiba resided in Iwama until his death there.
Iwama-style aikido tends to be highly codified compared to most aikido practice. Weapons training, includingkata, is stressed. Techniques are generally practiced first from a static grab and footwork is broken up into numbered steps.[12] In addition weapons work involves many repetitions ofsuburi[13] and paired weapons practice is practiced with a pause between each movement until students are relatively advanced.
A great deal of emphasis is placed on a stablehanmi or stance in Iwama-style aikido.[14]
Every class in an Iwama-style dojo begins with thetechniquestai-no-henko andmorotedori kokyu-ho and ends withkokyu-dosa.[9]
Several Iwama-style dojos around the world, such as Aikido in Fredericksburg, offer live-in apprentice programs ("uchi-deshi programs") modeled after Saito's program in Iwama.
Saito believed in a progression from static techniques to the spontaneoustakemusu aiki. Many Iwama-style practitioners practice in stages,[15] most often divided into:
In certain stances, a slight tilt of the hips is characteristic of the style.[16] The feet are kept on a line, but the front foot points forward rather than turned out (in contrast to theYoshinkan) causing the hips to be slightly rotated.
Injo work, the posture ofhito-emi, or standing with a dramatically minimized profile facing the opponent, is another unique characteristic of Iwama aikido.[17]
Many techniques, especially techniques that begin fromshomen-uchi, start withnage (thrower or initiator) initiating a strike touke (receiver) in the basic form of the technique. This is common in Yoshinkan, Manseikan, andMichio Hikitsuchi's basic practices and the founder's instruction inbudo, but opposite of how many other styles of Aikido teach the techniques. Even whenuke is striking, it is emphasized thattori initiates the encounter. Saito referred to this as the "way of the mountain echo" (yamabiko no michi), presumably after a poem by the founder.[18]
In keeping with the above, most grabs in Iwama aikido are formalized as a response to a threat fromnage unlike in most aikido styles that start attacks with a grab. As a result, Iwama-style grabs are firm and static without pushing or pulling and with the intention of immobilizing the body.
Suwari-waza in Iwama style is started completely inseiza. This is in contrast to some other styles where the practitioners often start already on their toes (kiza).[19]
Iwama stylists employkiai[20] andatemi[21] with great consistency.
Koshi-nage in Iwama-style aikido is always performed with the hips perpendicular to theuke and the hips acting as a fulcrum.[9]
Inukemi (responding) Iwama practitioners will usually attempt to parry theatemi being thrown bynage, which may or may not be encouraged in other styles of aikido. Rolls are usually performed with the rear leg tucked.
Focus onbukiwaza andriai (the relationship between weapons andtaijutsu) is a hallmark of this style. Some of thebukiwaza practices were developed by Morihei Ueshiba while others are Saito's distillations of his teachings and practices.
Weapons practice includessuburi,awase (1-step paired exercises),solo and paired kata, andtanren-uchi (striking a log or tire) with thejo andwooden sword. Though not formally part of the curriculum, Saito practicedNegishi-ryu andshuriken (throwing stars) is also sometimes practiced.[22]
Thesword forms of Iwama style are generally recognized as being descended fromKashima Shinto-ryu sword techniques. In particular the first twokumitachi are nearly identical in the sequence of cuts to forms fromKashima Shinto-ryu.[23] It is also believed thatYagyu style had influence through Masakatsu Nakai's instruction of Ueshiba.
It has been widely observed that theken-tai-jo are remarkably similar to spear techniques ofKukishin-ryu.[24] Ueshiba was close friends with the Kuki family;[25] this, along with the spear-like handling of thejo in Iwama style, has led to speculation that the Kukishin-ryu spear is partially the basis of Aiki-jo, though there is not enough evidence that Ueshiba formally studied the art in any depth.
Ara-waza, literally coarse techniques, are occasionally practiced by Iwama-style aikido practitioners. These techniques are intended to explicitly show the injurious applications latent in aikido techniques and include simple kicks targeting the knees and entangling or twisting joints during throws with the option to break them. Somehenka-waza (modified basic techniques) in Iwama-style aikido also include entangling joints, locking large joints, strikes to vital points, and occasionally chokes using the arm or the partner's uniform (dogi). For safety reasons these are never performed fully.