Aiki, is frequently mentioned in connection with the ancient Japanese combat skill, the Aiki jiu-jitsu. However, the Aiki jiu-jitsu is, in turn, most widely known by the name, Daito-ryu Aiki jiu-jitsu. The history of this martial art goes back to the early days of medieval Japan and to the time of the foundation of the samurai class. Those who are familiar with the history of Aikido know that Takeda Sokaku (a man who influenced Ueshiba Osensei, when he was young) completed Daito-ryu together with the basic combat skills required for the samurai.

In the medieval Japan, the basic weapon of samurai was certainly the sword. However, practicing other kinds of martial arts was also widely encouraged. Indeed, many techniques were obligatory in the education of a samurai. Here are some examples:

• Shooting bow in standing or other positions and also from horse
• Using spear or halberd.
• Barehanded fight (in essence different forms jiu-jitsus).
• Other martial arts.

Precisely, barehanded fight interests us since the techniques of samurai gave the origins to such widely known modern sport as Judo and Aikido.

What is the specific character of samurai barehanded fight, and what’s the difference from other combat techniques?

In the middle age, any conflict between the soldiers (in duel or battlefield) was resolved with the aid of weapons. Therefore, the old style barehanded combat techniques were mainly used for getting the opponent’s weapon in case you lost your own. (the sword was broken or dropped from hands), or for fighting in close quarters. Barehanded combat techniques we rarely used as primary means of defeating an opponent and were called “URA-WAZA”, or “back up techniques”.

So that we can understand better, let us imagine a situation that a samurai suddenly lost his sword in combat. What can we see all around? There are many people in the armour and with the weapons. In this situation, fist fight technique and also the kicking could be little effective – the kicks and punches would not have proper effect on the soldiers in armour. Therefore, the ancient barehanded fighting techniques for professional warriors used submission holds and twists of the joints, which work well even with the armour on, many kinds of throws with landing of the opponent on their head, and also special techniques that let you immobilize the opponent or get behind the opponent’s back, i.e. various styles of jiu-jitsu.

Here, we have reached jiu-jitsu. But what about Aiki?

Throughout the centuries, jiu-jitsu techniques were polished and refined. As in any combat skill, also in jiu-jitsu, there have been many schools and directions (large and small). Since the key for the success was in the complete secrecy, the specific school techniques of single combat with its secret methods were accessible only to small circle of people – in the majority of the cases, the members of a family clan. Those were the turbulent times in the history of Japan. Feudal disputes and wars raged throughout the entire medieval Japan. Consequently, many schools disappeared with the defeat of clan, but a few survived and flourished, hugely, due to the fact that their technique proved more successful on the battlefield; so the people who possessed the technique could survive and pass the secret knowledge to the next generation.

One of the schools which survived this complex period was the school of Dayto-ryu Aiki jiu-jitsu. And this fact is very important! If a school survived centuries of war, then it surely had something special that the other ones didn’t have. This was technique the Aiki. (Finally, we have reached Aiki!)

II. What does this technique represent?

This technique is frequently used in the Aiki jiu-jitsu, in combination with the throwing and so on. It is rather more similar to the Japanese traditional dance than to classical martial art. Using the motions of the counterpart guiding to its advantageous direction through the harmony with instead of the opposition against, this technique made it possible “to freeze” the counterpart for a few seconds – to hold its motion, or on the contrary, to continue its motion in the direction necessary for you and with the ensuing consequences…

This “freezing” distinguishes the Aiki. Suppose what enormous advantage it appears for you, if the enemy is stopped and cannot control its motions for a couple of seconds! In the world of combat skills, even a fraction of second makes the difference between defeat and victory. In the times of samurai, the loss of control over its motions, even in one sigh, indicated instantaneous death.

As it was already mentioned, motions in the Aiki are somewhat strange and are relatively similar to the dance. Names in the majority of methods generally are absent… except basic ones, “aiki-age” and “aiki-sage”. In the Aiki, all motions are based on the understanding of the basic principles (understanding by body, faster than by mind) and they are directed toward the harmony with the enemy.