Aikido

Aikido is a hand-to-hand martial art form that teaches the strategy of first avoiding and controlling the opponent's attack, before using a striking, throwing, or joint locking  technique to neutralize and defeat the attacker.  

Aikido is a dynamic martial art, useful for self-defense and used by various police departments but it is safe to practice in the dojo. 

This is why Aikido is a required part of the training curriculum at the Kaisho (Japanese Police Academy) in Tokyo and why all Japanese police officers have black belts in Aikido developing high-level ability in practical self-defense on the street.

Training for beginners is slow, controlled, and intended to gradually build intuitive reflexes and movements.  Being able to do the movements slowly and correctly eventually leads to being able to do them at full speed so the beginning of your training is more important than one might think.       

A study of Aikido includes learning how to use and defend against knives, swords, and staffs.  The style of Aikido that we teach has a direct historical link to Daito Ryu Aiki-jujutsu which the Samurai used in combat hundreds of years ago and has a strong flavor of Judo. 

Kodokan Judo

Judo (literally. "gentle way") is  categorized as a modern martial art, which has since evolved into a combat and Olympic sport.  The sport was created in 1882 by Jigoro Kano as a physical, mental, and moral educational system in Japan. 

With its origins coming from jujutsu, Judo's most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the objective is to either throw or take down an opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue an opponent with a pin, or force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke. 

Strikes as well as weapons defenses are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata) and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori, ).  Also referred to as Kanō Jiu-Jitsu until its' introduction in the Olympic Games, A judo practitioner is called a judoka and the judo uniform is called "judogi"

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The philosophy and subsequent educational system developed for Judo became the model for other modern Japanese martial arts that developed from koryū (traditional schools).  Judo also spawned a number of derivative martial arts across the world, such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Krav Maga, Sambo.

Old Flow Weapons

Shinto Muso Ryu Jojutsu ("The Way of the Stick") is documented as being over 400 years old.  The Jojutsu class is taught separately from our other classes as a specialized martial art form.   SMR Jojutsu was developed by Muso Gonnosuke, the only man to defeat Mushashi (known as "The Sword Saint") in individual combat.  

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Originally practiced as a dueling art it was considered so effective that it was eventually adopted for use by today's Japanese Riot Police.  Fast paced, sophisticated, and intricate in it's practice, it provides a window into how the Samurai fought during the warring periods.  The use of the stick and sword teaches very close tolerances as each struggles for control over the other. 

This school of old flow weapons includes other forms of practice including the use of sword breakers, war fans, and chain and sickle as it teaches the Samurai mindset that was a part of ancient one-on-one combat.  SMR Jojutsu players are not ranked by colored belts but instead are given a scroll that indicates overall knowledge and ability.