Mastering Aikido Weapons for Personal Safety and Spiritual Growth.

Despite that Aikido is recognized for being among the less aggressive martial arts forms and training with weapons is frowned upon in certain Aikido institutions, you will still find several good reasons for learning about Aikido weapons.

 

Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba (1883 – 1969) advocated unarmed combat. However, he still understood the wisdom of being skilled in the use of weapons. Ueshiba was unique in his ability to manipulate Ki force, and he realized that proper training in using Aikido weapons will allow you extend your Ki power even further.

Aikido training incorporates a strong weapons foundation and any training with Aikido weapons will simply enhance the basic techniques of the martial art. The circular motions of sword strikes share the same fundamental moves as many open-handed Aikido techniques.

Consistent with its focus on defense over offense, Aikido weapons training does not concentrate on teaching students the way to attack with particular weapons, but on how to protect themselves in the event of being assaulted by someone carrying one.

Aikido weapons training ordinarily consists of learning the traditional Japanese weapons of the bokken sword, jo staff and tanto knife. These three serve as the primary Aikido weapons being taught today, and have been included in Aikido weapons training since it was founded in the 1920s by Morihei Ueshiba.

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The Bokken sword is basically a wooden version of the ever popular Katana and is used primarily for the practice of aikido sword techniques (aka aiki-ken). Nonetheless, do not underestimate what a good Bokken can do in the hands of a well trained user. The bokken sword is considerably more than a practice sword and is to be considered a weapon in it’s own right.

Known as The Wooden Sword of the Samurai bokken swords at one time were favored over the Katana due to their resistance to the humidity that is prevalent in Japan. Over time, a Katana can be structurally weakened by moisture, and unless you know what to look for, you can end up with a shattered sword in your hands. Not good if you are in the middle of battle with a samurai. I guess it’s better to have a bokken sword than a broken sword.

Bokken were also favored by Ninjas due to their lighter weight and they were easier to hide. Miyamoto Musashi, a kenjutsu master, was renowned for fighting fully armed foes with only one or two bokken. In a famous legend, he defeated Sasaki Kojiro with a bokken he had carved from an oar while traveling on a boat to the predetermined island for the duel.

You’ll find quite a few legends that tell of warriors for one  reason or another utilizing the bokken against a steel blade-carrying opponent.

There are just as many legends of those same warriors beating their opponents. Occasionally these types of victories were simply because of the talent of the warrior using the bokken, most of the time, though it was due to the fragility of the katana.

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The Jo staff, often referred to as “The Wooden Staff of Japan” is one of the most popular of the wooden aikido weapons. Versatile, lightweight and easy to handle, you can quickly fashion one from a tree branch.

Japanese farmers of old were known to make weapons from farming tools, and quite a few martial arts weapons were crafted in this way, including the Jo, Bo, Tonfa, Sai and Nunchaka’s, to name a few.

 

The proper length for a Jo staff is one that fits just under the armpit when standing flatfooted. This can be anywhere from 4 to 5 feet, depending on the person. Widths are generally 15/16 of an inch to 1 inch in diameter.

Staffs are also referred to as spears, sticks, staves or yari. Although Jo staffs can be made from common everyday materials, most Aikido students that practice aiki-jo with them prefer to use staffs made to specific lengths and widths. The Jo staff is also referred to as the 4 four staff or short staff. The Hanbo or half stick is around 3 feet in length, and the popular Bo staff comes in at around 5 feet in length.

Canes and walking sticks have been used as weapons for ages. They don’t draw much attention, but can be quite effective when used by a trained individual. Nowadays, shovel handles, broomsticks, garden rake handles or any other straight and sturdy stick can be converted into a Jo staff.

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The third of the classic wooden aikido training weapons is the tanto, or knife. Tanto knives used for training are either made out of wood or plastic. The length of the blade is around 13 inches (33 centimeters). A live Tanto knife is quite a powerful weapon, therefore wooden versions are used for training.The first tanto knives were said to have been a result of Chinese artisans taking broken swords and making knives from the left over parts.

Regardless of the origins, Tanto knives were favored by Samuai men and women, for both protection, and in the case of the ritual suicide. Tanto knives therefore have a darker history and energy associated with them.

Tanto knives come in varying lengths from 5 to 12 inches. Anything over 13 inches was generally classified in the wakizashi range of knives that were also quite popular with the Samurai.

The main battlefield advantage of the Tanto knife was it’s ability to pierce the armor of other Samurai when engaged in close quarter combat.

The Tanto knives designed with long, narrow blades and thicker spines were great for this, as they were pointed directly up and under or between the layers of armor, and thrust into the opponent.

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I invite you to join me on the rest of this website as we further explore these three Aikido training weapons as well as another of the popular Aikido weapons, the Katana aka Samurai sword.