Aikido is a modern art founded in the 1920s but its techniques are derivative from older material. With a penchant for hierarchy, Japan classifies its arts as Gendai (new) and Koryu (old) with the Meiji Restoration (1868) as the demarcation line. A great resource to begin researching Koryu martial arts is >here< and Don Draeger‘s worksContinue reading “KORYU 古流”
Author Archives: protectivearts
MASTER JAMES A KEATING
The triadic structure is nearly universal. There are three levels of learning: freshman/sophomore/senior; apprentice/journeyman/master; shu/ha/ri; all triads: triskelions. Learning is progressive. First one follows instructions, memorizes patterns, absorbs variations; once the basics are mastered, one starts to learn the linkages, the theory connecting the techniques; then one starts to learn from his own practice, createsContinue reading “MASTER JAMES A KEATING”
KIRI KAESHI
Uchi komi is an exercise from the low guard to the midline (ge-dan to chu-dan) and finding shidachi’s blade on the center-line. In FMA terms, it is a vertical play on the 11/12 line. Kiri kaeshi is a horizontal play on the 3/4 line delivered from 5 – seigan-no-kamai position. I am blending ‘languages’ to illustrateContinue reading “KIRI KAESHI”