Following on from the Winter Aikido Yuishinkai Seminar this weekend, our Chief Instructor,  Peter Kelly Sensei, visited our dojo on Wednesday as guest instructor.

Given our dojo’s particular interest in studying applied kokyu ho applications, Peter Sensei took us through a wide variety of kokyu nage techniques.  Peter Sensei also examined kokyu nage in the context of a direct strike to the face (ganmen-tsuki), which is an attack we have just started exploring at the dojo in recent months.

For those not familiar with kokyu ho applications, they constitute what is often referred to as the 4th pillar of Aikido. Kokyu ho techniques in the early years of our budo were considered secret techniques not to be shared publicly outside the dojo.  The reason for this is that kokyu ho is the method of generating power in our Aikido throws and applications.  Further, while there is a whole of branch techniques in Aikido called kokyu nage, in reality all techniques at their essence require kokyu ho to translate them from cooperative to applied practice.

In addition to paired practice, Peter Sensei also provided instruction on solo heavy bokken exercises to help develop kokyu ho through vertical-horizontal plane movement. While too difficult to explain in a blog, the exercises will be added to the dojo’s regular bokken (wooden sword) exercises.

A huge thank you to Peter Sensei for taking the class.  It’s a major commitment from Peter  to visit Brisbane from Tasmania, not the least of which is time spent away from his family. I think I speak for everyone when I say how much we really appreciate everything Peter is doing to lead our school in its new direction.

Also thanks to Griffith Aikido Institute for arranging Peter’s seminar in Brisbane in the first place. Last but not least, thank you to everyone who attended.

Plenty of instructional videos to come in the next few weeks to make sure we don’t forget what we were shown.

All the best

Ian Grant
Head Instructor
Aikido Warrior Dojo, Brisbane