Arts that use the name Aikijujutsu

[Usagi]

In old books the name Aikijujutsu is seldom seen, even for Daito ryu (frequently called jujutsu instead), but recently it seems like new "ancient" styles are popping at every corner.

In an Orkut based forum an US resident brazilian aikidoka insisted that Daito ryu is not the only style to traditionally use the name Aikijujutsu.

If that is correct which other styles of aikijujutsu exist(ed)?

[Cady Goldfield]

Hi Renato, it's been a long time since you have posted here. Nice to "see" you!

From what I have read or been told "aiki" was a term used by various groups. My understanding is that it certainly not restricted to Daito-ryu, and in fact, use of the term probably pre-dated Daito-ryu by hundreds of years. Many ryu had some form of what they considered to by "aiki" in their systems. Some may have called what they did "aiki" while others just "did stuff" for which they had no name.

Don't know about "Aikijujutsu," though.

If you read Stanley Pranin's excellent book on Daito Ryu (Interviews with the Masters), I believe he does bring up the origin of the use of "aikijujutsu" in Daito-ryu. I'll have to re-re-read that book again for a refresher.

[chrismoses]

Current consensus seems to be that Aikijujutsu was used by Daito Ryu and Yanagi Ryu. Other than that, I'm not aware of any koryu/older schools that used the term Aiki. As always I welcome correction.

[Cady Goldfield]

I think you may be right, Chris. I recall learning that Takeda Sokaku was calling his stuff "aikijujutsu" but in going back over my references, I can't find any referral to the term being used in early arts. "Aiki," on the other hand, seems to have been quite commonly part of old systems, and either called that or "nothing at all."

[chrismoses]

Agreed Cady. I think the problem comes from aiki being a relatively common term, particularly with weapon arts for a strategy or principle. But that as a way to describe an art (as opposed to martial principle), is too often used to imply a connection to Daito/Yanagi that does not/may not in fact exist.

[Usagi]

I have been busy working to get a scholarship, training and moderating a list, so i kept e-budo mostly for keeping in touch with the news and using the search engine

When are you coming to take vacations on the South seas?(Bring together your training partners!!)

Originally posted by Cady Goldfield
From what I have read or been told "aiki" was a term used by various groups. My understanding is that it certainly not restricted to Daito-ryu, and in fact, use of the term probably pre-dated Daito-ryu by hundreds of years. Many ryu had some form of what they considered to by "aiki" in their systems. Some may have called what they did "aiki" while others just "did stuff" for which they had no name.

Don't know about "Aikijujutsu," though.

That is precisely my point.

Arts such as Kashima Shinryu use the term Aiki since earlier times, but the term "aikijujutsu" seems to be unheard until Hokkaido and the meeting of three men: Takeda, Yoshida and Ueshiba.

I strongly believe that this change in the use of names had to do with the low reputation held by many jujutsu ryu, in the same fashion of Jigoro Kano's Judo, or at least it is the impression i have after reading both "Conversations.." and "Aikido Masters" by Pranin and other books.

Books such as "Judo & Aikido" by Tomiki and "Modern Budo & Bujutsu" by Draeger use the term Jujutsu instead of Aikijujutsu to refer to Takeda's Daito ryu.

But recently i've found an brazilian web page calling Kito ryu Aikijujutsu and such nonsense.

As far as my sources go, Aikijujutsu (as the name of the art, instead of the name of a PORTION of the curriculum) starts with Daito ryu; then it becomes a fashionable "brand"

It is fun to see how people tend to accept TV and webpages as reliable and dismiss backed up opinions in Orkut...

[don]

Originally posted by Usagi
[B]...the term "aikijujutsu" seems to be unheard until Hokkaido and the meeting of three men: Takeda, Yoshida and Ueshiba.

I haven't read the AJ books for a while either, but I was thinking Takeda, Ueshiba, and DEGUCHI. Didn't Takeda change the name of his art in Ayabe despite the mutual antipathy of Ueshibas teachers for each other?

[Richard Elias]

Just to clarify… Yanagi ryu’s use of the term Aiki was originally Aiki Bugei, not Aikijujutsu. It would refer to a military or martial art based on the principle of Aiki, but not confined to just jujustu. It could then be extrapolated that the jujustu portion is Aikijujutsu by association. There is a photo from the 1920’s of Don Angier’s teacher in his teens sitting in front of a tokonoma with a scroll that reads “Yanagi ryu Aiki Bugei”. That would have only been between five and ten years after Yoshida met Takeda. In the 50’s and early 60’s Don used to refer to the empty-hand portion of the art as jujutsu because that was what was accepted. Back then he had been told by the Japanese martial artists he had met that Aikijujutsu didn’t exist.

[Dan Harden]

I had an Aikido Shihan state a similar thing in 1991; That Daito ryu Aikijujutsu no longer existed. It's always sad to hear these things from those we are supposed to respect for accuracy of information. It leaves one wondering if they were sincerely misinformed or disseminating misinformation by intent. Well, in light of Stanleys excellent research and skills in interviewing I guess we know the answer to that question in regards to Daito ryu.

Cheers
Dan