Adopting alternate art names: Aikijutsu, Aikibujutsu, Aikibudo, Aikido?

[wagnerphysed]

A posted response by Nathan Scott found here

AJBB T. Obata - Aikido or Aikibujutsu?

has prompted me to ask why practitioners of arts like Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu would teach their art using a name different than the name of origin. Here is an example.
Originally posted by Nathan Scott:

On a side note, it is interesting to note that, even though Sokaku selected the term Aikijujutsu as the name of his art, many of his licensed students selected variants of the name to describe what they were teaching - even while teaching Daito ryu under Sokaku's authority. These groups were the first to come up with variants like Aikibujutsu (Sagawa), Aikijutsu (several instructors), Aikibudo (Tokimune and Ueshiba), Aikido (Ueshiba), etc. I wonder why they chose not to use the same name that their teacher used?

It would seem probable that all of these practitioners / teachers had the right to maintain the name Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu. Instead, they chose to teach the art under a different name. I'm sure that there are different reasons why each practitioner chose to change the name. What were the reasons? Was there some underlying reason that necessitated the change in name? Maybe subtle changes to the curriculum were included as in Aikido? Was the change due to rules of etiquette? Or are there other reasons?

Why the change in name?

[Rev]

Hi there, I'm a first time poster and about to start in earnest, training with a group in Auckland NZ "Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu Shouyoukan"

I have been doing quite a lot of reading through this forum and find the effort people here put into understanding and expressing this art quite extraordinary and encouraging. I have even purchased my first book from the Aikidojournal.

I am seeing that some name it either Aiki-jujutsu, Aikijutsu or Aikibudo etc. I wondering as it is now being taught outside of Japan to Westerners, is Aiki-jujutsu a "jutsu" or a "do" really?

Thanks in advance.

[Bob Blackburn]

I don't think aikibudo is very common. It means Aiki martial way.

Generally aikijujutsu is used. There are 3 main levels. Jujutsu that has no aiki in the technique. Aikijujutsu that has aiki but will also work as a jujutsu technique without aiki. And, aikijutsu (aiki no jutsu) that is a pure aiki technique. If you aiki fails the whole technique fails.

Don't over complicate it for now. The Japanese language is a whole study in itself.

[Rev]

Thanks very much for your reply Bob.

[DDATFUS]

I am seeing that some name it either Aiki-jujutsu, Aikijutsu or Aikibudo etc. I wondering as it is now being taught outside of Japan to Westerners, is Aiki-jujutsu a "jutsu" or a "do" really?

As I understand it, Westerners sometimes overplay the differences between "jutsu" and "do," which are not always as clear-cut in Japanese. There is a certain sense in the West that meditative arts of self-improvement are "do" and that serious, practical arts of combat are "jutsu." However, my understanding is that some Japanese instructors of very intense combat-oriented arts will routinely refer to what they teach as "budo."

Having said that, the proper name used by most branches of Daito Ryu is "Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu." The only time I have ever seen the term "aikibudo" used was by Tokimune Sensei, who used "Daito Ryu Aikibudo" as the name for the particular set of arts that he taught in his dojo (which included both Daito Ryu and a line of Ono-ha Itto Ryu). It is not a name used by Tokimune Sensei's successor, Kondo Sensei.

[Cliff Judge]

I have read in a number of places that, when Ueshiba initially decided to break from Takeda and do his own thing, he called what he was teaching "Aikibudo."

At a seminar hosted by Aikido of Northern Virginia a couple years back, Roy Goldberg or the Kodokan asserted that what Ueshiba was teaching at the time was the first scroll of the Daito Ryu syllabus.

There is a tendancy in Aikido circles to want to get back to the better, more awesomer, more ass-kicking Aikido that existed in the good ol' days. If I were to come across someone teaching "Aikibudo" the first thing I would try to figure out is, whether they were simply trying to teach a more "old-school" Aikido.

[Rev]

As I understand it, Westerners sometimes overplay the differences between "jutsu" and "do," which are not always as clear-cut in Japanese. There is a certain sense in the West that meditative arts of self-improvement are "do" and that serious, practical arts of combat are "jutsu." However, my understanding is that some Japanese instructors of very intense combat-oriented arts will routinely refer to what they teach as "budo."

Having said that, the proper name used by most branches of Daito Ryu is "Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu." The only time I have ever seen the term "aikibudo" used was by Tokimune Sensei, who used "Daito Ryu Aikibudo" as the name for the particular set of arts that he taught in his dojo (which included both Daito Ryu and a line of Ono-ha Itto Ryu). It is not a name used by Tokimune Sensei's successor, Kondo Sensei.

Thanks very much David, great explanation which enabled me to think further and make sense of the relationship between "jutsu and do" (for me that is).

Seems to me that the "do" component is inherent. The particular flavor of "do" varies depending on the teacher (who may or may not emphasize it), and it may be your own personal "do" that is ultimately drives you through the "jutsu", growing personally as this takes place.

Clear as mud :-)

[Nathan Scott]

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[Rev]

Yes, even though the reasons suggested for the name changes vary, I'm suspect that the Judo and Aikido success in terms of numbers is behind much of it? Not judging that, but just observing it.

[bwhite33]

From http://hakuhoryu.whiteoakdojo.com/

The technical curriculum of Hakuho-ryu Aiki Budo consists of the techniques of Daito-ryu Aikijujitsu and Onno-ha Itto-ryu Kenjutsu as transmitted to Okabayashi Sensei from Takeda Tokimune Sensei and Hisa Takuma Sensei. The difference between Hakuho-ryu and its parent styles is therefore not so much its technical curriculum, but rather the methodological and philosophical foundations of the style.

For what it is worth

[bwhite33]

Sorry the info, other than the "For what it is worth", was from the web site linked.

[Nathan Scott]

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