A common criticism of any martial arts video, especially those demonstrating internal skills, is that they are shown primarily with partners that are not actively resisting, such as in a live match or fight. This is a rather old clip (January 2022), but one morning while filming some promotional videos, one of my students brought his brother to watch. Of course, his brother was naturally skeptical of what he saw and so I invited him on the mat to experience what was being demonstrated, and describe what he felt. This is that unedited first interaction.

"As soon as his arm touched me, my body and mind immediately became distraught and I fell down."​ -- Sumo wrestler Tenryu Saburo, describing a match with Ueshiba Morihei

​It's important to note that he is not an untrained bystander, but instead accomplished high school and college wrestler, Joe Wilson. No this isn't a live match, but it does show how we can use the aiki body to neutralize an opponent's take downs. While I'm certainly not claiming to be anywhere near Ueshiba's level of proficiency or refinement, I'd say that quote above accurately summarizes some of Joe's reactions...

"Aiki requires an enormous amount of solo training. Only amateurs think that techniques are enough. They understand nothing." - Yukiyoshi Sagawa.

​A common idiom in the internal arts is that the secrets guard themselves. Essentially, you can openly share high level internal martial arts with the masses without fear of it being learned unintentionally for two major reasons.

​First, the body mechanics of internal martial arts are foreign to the general public (especially other martial artists) and so while some may be able to regurgitate and copy specific partner drills, they won't come close to understanding the underlying principles in how to actually make it work outside of those drills.

​Secondly, the work to actually integrate the body to develop any measure of connectivity is boring and hard. These exercises, collectively known as Tanren 鍛錬 (forging), condition the body by strengthening the connective tissue (fascia, tendons, and ligaments). They also create neural pathways to consciously access lesser used muscle groups to generate movement and force without exerting conventional muscular strength.

In our system of American Yoshinkan, we have several categories of Tanren, including Aiki Taiso, Suburi, Kiko, and Naiko. Some of these come directly from our Daito Ryu origins, while some were adopted from my cross-training in other internal arts, such as Baguazhang. Collectively, they are the boring work that the casual observer has no interest in. Tanren is the "secret" that they continually chase, and consistently fall short of. So for those who are serious about developing Aiki 合気and Nairyoku 内力, here are those secrets...

Of course, a lot has changed in my personal level of refinement since this interview (and I assume the same for Akagi sensei), so I was definitely looking forward to meeting in person and sharing the mat.  We trained for about six hours a day, and covered a lot of material. 

When two martial artists get together there is always a short period of feeling each other out, even more so with internal practitioners. The first 10 minutes with Akagi sensei were no different, and we each had an interesting time feeling each other out. Much like two karateka who take turns throwing a reverse punch at each other and blocking, we took turns trying to find the weak points in each other's structure as well as using our own internal connection to shut it down. 

The origin of Aiki Jujutsu is called Oshiki Uchi 御式内, and is a set of techniques meant to be practiced from the seated position for a multitude of reasons. The name loosely translates to "inside the threshold," "inside the palace," or "indoors ceremony." Essentially, they were martial techniques designed for formal occasions, such as rituals, ceremonies, and prayer/meditation, where the wearing of weapons would be restricted and you are suddenly attacked. 

Here is a quick example of an Oshiki Uchi technique. In this scenario, an assailant attempts to restrain your dominant hand so that you cannot draw your sidearm. Aiki techniques allow you to regain control of the situation through minimal effort and external motion, which is then followed up with a traditional pin (uki Gatame, better known as "knee-on-belly" in grappling circles) where they can be dealt with.
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Context is everything...

In American Yoshinkan, rather than accumulating countless numbers of techniques, we catalog our training by principle. That being said, each technique has three different levels of refinement (Jujutsu, Aiki Jujutsu, Aiki no Jutsu) in addition to adaptations for Tanto Jutsu (knife), Kenjutsu (sword) and Jojutsu (4' staff). For example, here is a quick demonstration of what we call Aiki Otoshi being applied at each level of refinement.

Each level of refinement has its own purpose, context, and application. To understand the differences, here is how we break it down:

Jujutsu - Techniques focusing on skeletal or muscular manipulation, may also use striking to create disruptions in structure or stability. 

Aiki Jujutsu - Modification of the Jujutsu technique to emphasize moving with an integrated structure. Initial disruption and connection is created immediately upon contact, and power is generated through the release of tension. 

Aiki no Jutsu - The geometric and gross motor shape of the technique is preserved while removing the emphasis on manipulating the opponent's body. Instead, the focus is on maintaining one's own structural integrity and moving within a connected framework. ​

Few things are more hotly debated than the subject of aiki, and largely it comes down to semantics. When every instructor uses their own terminology to describe a similar phenomenon, misunderstandings are bound to happen. That is because aiki by itself is an adjective, not a "thing" in and of itself. To avoid any confusion, here is a brief rundown of the terminology we use in our system:

​Nairyoku 内力 - Internal power (sometimes called Nairiki). The result of very specific biomechanical processes, which include engagement of the fascia and other connective tissue rather than firing up large muscle groups, engaging the body as a single cohesive unit, and coordinating the breath to create either suction/connection or expansion. Movement originates in the tanden (lower dantien), and priority is given to maintaining structural integrity above all else. There's more to it, but without these attributes it's definitely NOT internal power. 

Aiki no Rentai 合気之錬体 - The pre-conditioned state of being, a body that has been conditioned to move, carry weight, and express power with the processes described above. There are many ways to integrate the body, with the fascia model being the most common among Japanese internal arts practitioners. Other integrated structures include the bone reference model, a deeper level of connection most commonly seen in Chinese internal arts. 

Aiki no Inyo'Ho 合気之陰陽法 - The study of intertwining opposing forces for the creation of aiki, and maintaining the balance of In and Yo. Aiki no Inyo'Ho is the relationship between In and Yo, and while they are opposites, they do not resist each other but instead come together to create aiki. 

Aiki no Jutsu 合気之術 - Techniques of aiki, that do not rely on any joint or skeletal manipulation. This is somewhat misleading however, more on that later. 

Fure Aiki 触れ合気 - A subset of Aiki no Jutsu that expresses the technique through minimal touch instead of full-force grabs/strikes, meant to show one's ability to connect and disrupt immediately upon contact. In Chinese internal arts, this is referred to as Na Jin 拿勁 (seizing power).
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Aiki Jujutsu 合気柔術 - Jujutsu techniques (joint locks, manipulations, throws) powered by the aiki  body and that affect the entire structure through the use of nairyoku, rather than simply the joint being attacked. 

Aiki Kenpo 合気拳法 - Striking techniques powered by the aiki body rather than conventional karate or kickboxing mechanics.

​Hatsuriki 発力 - The ability to generate and project force upon contact using subtle biomechanical shifts. Most commonly used in Aiki Kenpo. In Chinese internal arts, this is referred to as Fa Jin 發勁 (explosive power). In Okinawan arts, this is referred to as chinkuchi チンクチ (single force).

Chushin Ryoku 中心力 - Power of the centerline. Refers to the importance of maintaining your own structural alignment while simultaneously compromising your opponent's. 

Shuchu Ryoku ​集中力 - Power of focus. The meaning of this is two-fold. It refers to the importance of intent in the success of a technique, but also refers to using the body as a single, cohesive unit. 

Kokyu Ryoku 呼吸力 - Power of breath. Refers to the coordination of breath and efficient body movement. It can also refer to the conscious engagement of the muscles used in breathing, without necessarily drawing or expelling breath (i.e. expanding the diaphragm, elongating the chest, etc.). 

Tanren 鍛錬 - Forging. Solo exercises designed to help integrate and connect the body, broken down into two types: Kiko 気功 and Naiko 內功 (Qigong and Neigong respectively in Chinese internal arts). Kiko are breathing exercises that incorporate specific movements, whereas Naiko are isometric postures designed to strengthen the soft tissue. 

Awase 合わせ - Refers to the principle of non-resistance in relation to another person, blending with their movements rather than fighting against them. This principle is what is mistakenly described as aiki in modern Aikido. 

We are excited to announce the opening of our Arizona branch under the direction of John Youngblood sensei. John has been a direct student of mine here in Florida since 2018, and has recently relocated to Arizona where he plans to share our art.

​On September 12th, he was awarded the Kyoju Dairi license in American Yoshinkan Aiki Jujutsu, and appointed the Arizona Shibucho for my personal system of San Budo Sogo Bugei. It's always a bittersweet feeling when a student leaves to open a school of their own, but we are confident that John will represent us with pride and that he's more than ready for this next step on his martial arts journey.

​His full martial arts credentials include:

• Arizona Shibucho (Regional Director) - San Budo Sogo Bugei
• Kyoju Dairi (Representative Instructor) - American Yoshinkan Aiki Jujutsu
• Menkyo Shoden - San Budo Sogo Bugei
• 2nd Dan - San Budo Sogo Bugei
• 2nd Dan - American Yoshinkan Aiki Jujutsu
• Black Belt - Reylson Gracie Jiu Jitsu
• 2nd Kyu - Kontei Kodokan Judo
• ​3rd Gup - Hapkido

Anyone who is familiar with me or the American Yoshinkan system knows that my primary instructor is Steven Hatfield, the previous headmaster of the art. However, when it comes to the internal arts he is not my only source of information and that shows in my personal expression. More than one instructor has seen their influence in my work, and it would be dishonest to say everything I do and understand about aiki comes from one person. So in this article, I thought I'd pay tribute to all those that have directly and indirectly helped me grow in my journey of aiki, as well as chronical my time with each of them. 

2010-2011
​My first introduction to the aiki arts was actually Shodokan Aikido under a gentleman named Steven Mumford. He ran an Aikido class out of my dojo for several months in 2010, and even after his classes had ended we stayed in contact for several years until some philosophical differences ended our relationship. 

2012
In May of 2012, I first met Steven Hatfield in person after speaking online for several months. Shortly after, I asked to be his student and my first official class in American Yoshinkan Aiki Jujutsu took place. During the first few years, what I learned from Hatfield sensei was primarily Jujutsu (various joint locks and throws) with the principles of aiki hidden in the teachings. Unlike myself, Hatfield sensei is an extremely private person and believes aiki should only be revealed to the closest students and quite simply, I hadn't earned my place yet. To this day, I look back on those initial training sessions and see the internal principles he was trying to convey, that I was too ignorant to perceive. This quick clip from 2013 shows the type of material I was working on with Hatfield sensei at the time. 

Quantum entanglement is the phenomenon of a group of particles being generated, interacting, or sharing spatial proximity in such a way that the quantum state of each particle of the group cannot be described independently of the state of the others, including when the particles are separated by a large distance. The University of Ottawa, as part of their research on this phenomenon, has been able to capture a visualization of the quantum entanglement of photons in real time (click here for article). Martial artists all over the world should be able to recognize the image presented by their research...

Several months ago, I wrote an article entitled "Jujutsu Gives Form To Aiki" (click here) that was intended to be a standalone piece. However, I recently came across two Judo video clips that exemplified the point I was trying to make and so I want to expound upon it. 

Something stood out to me in both of these clips. If you watch the initial kuzushi (structural disruption), they are nearly identical to some of the aiki connection drills we teach in American Yoshinkan, followed by a more conventional technique to complete the throw.