In November of 2000, Lou Perriello challenged me to think about the concept of "American Aikido". It is his view, developed in conversations with Walter von Krenner sensei that Aikido in the United States has taken on a style of its own, distinct from its origins in Japan. I've mulled over the idea for more that a year now and I find that I agree with Perriello sensei.
Aikido has a pure essence that trancends its origins. O-Sensei believed that this essence was universal in nature and was part of our very being. If we are to agree with O-Sensei, then Aikido is not owned or controlled by anyone. We are free to explore and understand in our own ways. I believed that we are all fundamentally shaped by our own culture and we cannot escape the impact that it has on us. That being the case, it is inevitable that American Aikido came into being as a cultural approach to the study of a martial art that was originally Japanese.
Japanese vs. American Aikido
Why Study Aikido? - Jan. 11, 2002
Politics and Power - Access to Knowledge
Teaching Aikido to Americans
Aikido arises spontaneously from first principles
Harmony, Directed Energy, and the Way (a new definition)
USMA and American Aikido
Japanese as a Barrier to Learning Aikido - Jan. 3, 2002
The need for a new technical jargon
A New Nomenclature of Technique
Amaiki: american aikido (a new name for aikido)
Classical vs. Modern Weapons
Weapon Study in American Aikido - Jan. 10, 2002
New Weapon Forms and Katas
AIBUKIDO: A Systematic Approach to Teaching Weapons - Sept. 2, 2002
AIBUKIDO Curriculum - July 18, 2002
Creating new weapon techniques
The need for mythical prowess
Transmission of knowledge from the godhead
Unusual attacks
Applications of The Flow to Work and Personal Life
Social Aikido