Guys,
I really hate to get into this muck again but maybe for just one step.
It's best to simplify the term "aiki" and stay away from the "my aiki is real and your isn't" silliness.
As has been pointed out in the past, aiki as a tactic shows its greatest strengths in the weapon arts where the momentary gap created by it's application often resulted in a decisive or killing blow with the cut of a blade. In empty hand arts it's application although impressive is practically much less decisive. This is why the concept existed in the weapons arts long before it migrated into taijutsu focused arts.
Simply defined......(I said simply) aiki is mental, psychological, and physiological disruption, so subtle that the victim is not aware of it's application until it's too late into the encounter to do anything about it. In a worst case scenario you are literally dead before you know what happened. Any attempt IMHO to more specifically define aiki is futile and only leads to illustrate the limitations of language in describing such a complex concept.
Is there aiki in Aikido? Of course there is... depending on the instructor. Is there aiki in Daito ryu? Uhhhhhh.....yeah, depending on the instructor again! With some there is more than others. Yanagi ryu......oh yeah, seamlessly integrated with weapons I might add. And Shinkage ryu ... yeah. And Jikishinkage ryu and Kaishin ryu and..............yadda yadda yadda.
So is there a "king of aiki" ? Nope. Some akikdo & daito ryu folks like to think because "aiki" is in the their arts name that this somehow gives them bragging rights or something.
Well, I gotta tell you guys I have met several instructors out there whose art's names don't mention aiki at all and who can employ "aiki" so effectively that they stand right at the pinnacle of ability in this most elusive of martial concepts. These guys are second to none.
Okay.....now I can just hear some bozo say "But thats not real aiki. What we do is different"
Good, I hope you can use it to keep from getting your @#$@@%@ kicked in!
Tobs
(This is my only post on this subject)