Shodokan Aikido

Shodokan Aikido
(昭道館合気道 Shōdōkan Aikidō)

The Shodokan Aikido symbol.
Also known as	Tomiki Aikido
Founder	Kenji Tomiki
Current head	Tetsuro Nariyama
Official website	www.aikido-kyokai.com

Shodokan Aikido (昭道館合気道, Shōdōkan Aikidō) is the largest organized branch of the Tomiki Ryu founded by Kenji Tomiki（富木 謙治 Tomiki Kenji, 1900–1979). Tomiki Ryu is sometimes referred to as "Sport Aikido" because it's use of regular competitions, and although Tomiki used the name Shodokan to remove his name the style is still often referred to as Tomiki Aikido. Nariyama Shihan explains that the only area of the Shodokan system which Tomiki gave his name to is the Taiso exercises used as a warm up, which, ironically is not often practiced within clubs practicing 'Tomiki Aikido' but is a core part of Shodokan style. Shodokan places more emphasis on free-form randori sparring than most other styles of aikido. The training method requires a balance between randori and the more stylized kata training along with a well-developed set of training drills both specific for randori and for general aikido development. The participation in actual shiai (competitive randori) very much depends on the club with greater emphasis being found in the university clubs, although randori is core to all Shodokan clubs.

In 1967 Kenji Tomiki built a Shodokan hombu dojo in Osaka, Japan, to teach, train and promote his style. Shodokan Aikido is organised as the Japan Aikido Association (JAA) with Tetsuro Nariyama as the current chief instructor.

Past Directors of Shodokan Aikido

• First Director Kenji Tomiki (till 1979)
• Second Director Hideo Ohba (1979–1986)

Shihan

Within the JAA there are two Shihan: Tetsuro Nariyama and Fumiaki Shishida. Nariyama is the technical director of the JAA and chief instructor of the Shodokan hombu dojo in Osaka, Japan. Shishida is Professor of Intellectual History of the Japanese Martial Arts at Waseda University in Tokyo.[1]

These two instructors are the head of the JAA as founded by Tomiki and followed by Ohba.

Together, they wrote a key monograph, in Japanese, entitled "Aikido Coursebook" (ISBN 4-469-16288-4), which describes the history of and many technical details about the style of aikido propounded by Tomiki. This book, first published in 1985, was subsequently translated into English by Shodokan Publishing USA under the title, "Aikido: Tradition and the Competitive Edge" (ISBN 978-0964708327).

Nariyama Shihan and Shishida Shihan are the only two Shihan of the JAA. However the term Shihan is used in an organisational way to describe other roles, such as below. In recent years, Sato Tadayuki, also of Kodokan Judo fame was made Shihan of Waseda University Aikido Club. He, along with Kenshi Uno, of Shikoku Japan, have created Shidokan, with the blessing of Shishida Shihan. This system follows the same teachings of Tomiki Sensei, but with different emphasis on teachings. It is important to note this is not a rift within the JAA. All of this is still the teachings of Professor Tomiki's Aikido, but just performed with a different approach. Tomiki Sensei gave his art the name Shodokan, and many people were concerned with the introduction of a new name Shidokan. However this is just to show the various paths available within Tomiki Sensei's aikido.

The late Senta Yamada of Hakata lived and trained with both Tomiki, Jigoro Kano (the founder of judo), and Morihei Ueshiba, the creator of Aikido. On the rare occasions that he stood in line with Shishida and Nariyama Shihans, he would take the senior position. Yamada didn't approve of competition in Aikido, being of the opinion that it would make Aikido lose its roots in the same way that he felt competition Judo has little connection with its roots and good basic movements. Yamada Senta didn't form any big-name organization or dojo, but has a small number of dedicated students and clubs who continue his direct teaching and styles passed down through him from Tomiki, Kano and Ueshiba, as well as a couple of self-promoters who never understood and have corrupted his style and teachings and who disrespectfully use his name for their own interests. Yamada's surviving family and representatives in Japan, correctly, don't give these people the time of day.

Kata

Shodokan defines several kata. Some of the more important kata are listed below.

Junanahon

Randori no kata is the basic kata set for Shodokan Aikido. Junanahon consists of 17 basic techniques, which, with their variations, are legal within Shodokan randori.

Koryu Goshin no Kata

Old stream self defense kata, includes many techniques that harken back to pre-war aikido (when the art was still taught as Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu). This set of 50 techniques is sometimes referred to as the Koryu dai san and includes weapons as well as empty-hand techniques.

Nage no kata omote and ura

A set of throwing techniques: 7 direct and 7 more circular and fluid. This sequence is actually the first part of Koryu dai yon which includes eleven more techniques.

Goshin Ho

A set of 50 self defense techniques that are part of the curriculum for yondan and up.

Competition

Preparation for grading at Shodokan hombu dojo

Competitions take the form of tanto randori or toshu randori, and also embu (演武) in which pairs (tori and uke) are judged on their kata. Toshu randori (徒手乱取) is barehanded, and both practitioners are expected to perform techniques on one another and attempt to resist and counter each other's techniques. The appearance of this form is heavily influenced by judo randori with a few changes designed to enhance the use of aikido technique (for example, one is not allowed to grasp the opponent's keikogi).

In tanto randori (短刀乱取), there is a designated attacker (tantō) and a designated empty-handed defender (toshu). The attacker attempts to stab the defender with a training knife (usually rubber or stuffed) while the defender attempts, with any of seventeen basic aikido techniques, to throw or perform joint-locks on the attacker. Tantō is expected to resist or counter with the first five techniques. In competition, the roles switch, with competitors having the same amount of time with and without the knife. In both these forms of randori, the traditional separation between the performer of technique (tori) and the receiver of technique (uke) no longer exists, as either participant may throw the opponent.

Scoring

Credits

• Tanto tsukiari (短刀突きあり) - 1 point - Awarded for a successful tantō strike. For the strike to count, the tantō must land on the upper half of the torso. The arm must be extended, and the attacker must be moving forward, finished with good balance. Glancing hits do not count. Obviously, this does not apply to toshu randori.
• Yuko (有効) - 1 point - Awarded for a balance break, or for making your opponent retreat out of the designated area.
• Waza-ari (技あり) - 2 points - Awarded for a full throw or lock, but losing good posture and balance.
• Ippon (一本) - 4 points - Awarded for a full throw or lock, keeping good posture and balance.

Penalties

• Shido - 1/2 point - Awarded to the opponent when a competitor commits minor violation. Shido are only counted in pairs.
  • Dogi-mochi shido - Grabbing hold of the gi.
  • Taisabaki shido - Failure to dodge properly, e.g. by swatting the knife away instead of moving out of its path.
  • Tanto shido - Failure to mind the knife: tanto may receive a tanto shido if he or she drops or loses control of the knife; toshu may receive a tanto shido if he or she allows the tanto to be pressed against their body for three seconds.
• Chui - 1 point - Awarded to the opponent when a competitor commits a major violation. In American tournaments, 2 chui end the match.

External links

Japan

• Japan Aikido Association (JAA) Homepage
• Shodokan hombu dojo

International

• Swiss Shodokan Aikido Association
• Japan Aikido Association USA
• Spanish Shodokan Aikido
• French Shodokan Aikido
• European Tomiki Aikido wikispace

Videos

• Tetsuro Nariyama with Sakai as uke on YouTube
• Tetsuro Nariyama with Sato as uke on YouTube
• Competition clip - Shomen-ate on YouTube
• Competition clip - Gyakugamae-ate on YouTube
• Tadayuki Satoh explaining kuzushi on YouTube