Aunkai Review

[edg176]

I am back from 9 days in Tokyo training with Akuzawa and Rob. Last year there was quite a bit of discussion about Akuzawa's Aunkai method here on E-budo.

Aunkai Review:
The Aunkai folks were gracious hosts and the training was first rate. I got to feel Akuzawa's kicks as well as the hand raising exercise (age te) from kneeling. He had the hardest kicks I have ever felt, to include pro fighters from China.

More importantly, he can _teach_ what he is doing to his students. That's what is most significant to me because no matter how good a person is, I'm not too interested if they can't/won't teach.

I know some of you have already met Rob, but there are other students as well who also have developed pretty impressive skills. Static demos are impressive enough, but fighting is a whole other deal entirely. While I was in Japan I went with Rob and Manabu (who was originally a Systema practitioner) to an open mat wrestling session with some shooto (MMA) guys, and Manabu more than held his own against the shooto players, one of whom is a pro fighter. Another one of the Aunkai guys , Mitsuhashi is an experienced grappler/mma player and is making the transition to the internal style of training.

For people who are more interested in practice on the aikido-esque side of things, I should mention that Akuzawa demonstrated the age te exercise several times. At one point my friend who is a weightlifter type guy, around 185 lb., piled onto Akuzawa's wrists. Akuzawa threw him backwards effortlessly.

Akuzawa explained several times that his goal is pure motion, and to move without regard for the opponent , by focusing on keeping his own frame. Therefore a step is a step, or a kick, or a sweep.

From other people I have seen, this is just talk. Akuzawa, however, is the real deal.

[Itten]

Thats my experience as well Tim. I've done a weekend in Paris and a few days in Tokyo with Ark and I'm impressed enough to organise his first (I hope!) trip to the Netherlands. I'll also be with him in Paris the weekend before, so I'll get a double dose. It's a lot better than the endless chatter on the Net about inner strength
I'd be interested to hear from you how it affects your aikido and how you cope with the back pains
regards

[edg176]

Hey Alec,

Cool deal. I heard about the seminar in NL. I have a lot of respect for the martial arts community in the Netherlands, since it seems to produce a lot of top rate kickboxers, karateka and judo players. No mean feat. I guess that long relationship with Japan helps?

Actually in all honesty I don't do much aiki-type practice anymore. Most of that was years ago in undergrad when I did hapkido and a number of my classmates were also mainline Aikikai or Iwama practitioners. Nowadays I mostly stick to escrima Serrada and judo.

I find that Aunkai solo exercises have definitely provided a different outlook on my other training. I'll find out more when I return to competing this spring

As to the backpain, that hasn't been too bad. Sore sometimes. When things get to be too much, I mix in some standing-post type training that is sort of generic kung fu stuff I picked up years ago and discarded. After some prompting from Mike Sigman, I realized recently it was worth re-examining. Basically it looks a lot like what the taikiken guys do...I think there is also a contingent of them in the Netherlands affiliated with one of the kyokushin offshoots.

[Charles Hill]

Hi,

Manabu still practices Systema regularly with the Tokyo Systema group. He recently spent two weeks training with Vladimir in Toronto.

Charles Hill

[edg176]

Originally Posted by Charles Hill

Hi,

Manabu still practices Systema regularly with the Tokyo Systema group. He recently spent two weeks training with Vladimir in Toronto.

Charles Hill

Yep. Sorry if I gave the impression that he wasn't doing Systema any more. My bad.

[bu-kusa]

Hi there, is their any websites offering more information on this 'system' or could you point me in the direction of a way to find out more on this 'way' of body training, it sounds interesting to say the least!

thanks for your time - Paul Greaves

[Jeremy Hulley]

www.aunkai.net

[bu-kusa]

Ah, my bad, I swear ive googled that before and not found it, thanks!

[edg176]

There will also be several seminars in Europe coming up in April. I think in France and Holland. You can email the Aunkai for details.

[ryama23]

Does anyone know of Aunkai study groups in Seattle?

[Jeremy Hulley]

There are not any formal study groups that I know of. Chris Moses and I do some aunkai influenced stuff as part of our training at Seattle School of Aikido..

[ryama23]

I've checked your school website after seeing that Chris Moses organized the Aunkai seminar a couple years back. I guess I'll stop in for a visit one of these days here soon.

[hl1978]

Originally Posted by ryama23

Does anyone know of Aunkai study groups in Seattle?

You would have to come to the DC area. Wrong coast, I know....

[edg176]

We still have a study group in California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can email me for details: tyfong919 (remove and insert at) gmail.com