Hey there. Does anyone here care to share some details about Saito Sensei's Ken Awase?
Hey there. Does anyone here care to share some details about Saito Sensei's Ken Awase?
Ken awase is a series of 6 paired exercises (7, if you cound ki-no-musubi-dachi) aimed at teaching "blending" (hence the "awase" part of the name) before progressing to the kumitachi exercises.
Andrew Smallacombe
Aikido Kenshinkai
JKA Tokorozawa
Now trotting over a bridge near you!
I understand that. I also understand that some of the awase have variations, or henka. Do you have any information regarding what the Awase and Henka are, and how they are performed? I have a copy of Saito Sensei's book, but, I'm afraid that the pictures may not tell the whole story, as is the case with the depiction of the Jo Awase.
Mr. Goldsbury,
Unfortunately, I don't currently have access to Ethan's books.
Aikido Journal were selling a DVD set with Saito Senseis demonstrations of weapons (re-mastered from original films).
Don't know if they're still available.
Philip Smith
I am aware of henka for the kumitachi set (2 variants for each kumitachi exercise for both ken-no-ri and tai-no-ri) but haven't heard of any for ken awase. Perhaps you were thinking of kumitachi?
Andrew Smallacombe
Aikido Kenshinkai
JKA Tokorozawa
Now trotting over a bridge near you!
No, I mean the awase. I have GOOD reason to believe that there are a few henka in the awase sets too.
There are a great variety of henka for each of the kumitachi. Almost every one of the tachi-dori techniques can be fit into a kumitachi henka. There are several places in each awase to perform an empty handed henka if such is not already apparent in the tachi-dori sequence.
There are 'standard' henka and then sensei calls out 'another' henka for a different than 'standard' henka.
There are also exercises like go ken no awase which is a paired fifth suburi that sensei says 'you can never do enough'.
Now, if only I can remember the 'standard' henkas ...
Do you mean the awase drills?
Migi no awase
Hidari no awase
Go no awase
Shichi no awase
Some would also include ki musubi no tachi in this list ...
I thought you mean't the kumitachi executed as awase as opposed to 'basic' step by step fashion...
Sorry, I’m a bit slow these days …
If you are not ready to plunk down the ~$150 for Ethan Wizard’s books there are also a couple of DVDs on budovideos.com for quite a bit less
This one runs through the entire weapons curriculum
http://www.budovideos.com/shop/custo...cat=572&page=1
This one focuses more on ken
http://www.budovideos.com/shop/custo...at=276&page=18
Yes, yes, the Awase sets at per Saito Sensei's first book. You have been most helpful. If you at all interested in the scale of what I'm undertaking, please PM me. You will have a better idea of what I'm trying to get done.