# Aikikai



## albert (Aug 14, 2002)

Hello everyone.  

I've been thinking about doing aikido, as their is an aikido club at UW Madison.  I have been exchanging emails with the secretary of the club, and he told me that their instructor trained at the US West Aikikai for 12 years, whatever that is.  I saw aikikai on the "styles" thread.  Can anyone tell me more about it?  Especially those who practice/practiced in it.


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## arnisador (Sep 3, 2002)

You might look here if you haven't yet:
www.shugenkai.com/astyles.htm


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## Humble artist (Sep 3, 2002)

I´d say that aikikai is probably the biggest and best known style of aikido,but different styles of aikido don´t differ so much from each other like kung-fu as a stretched example.
Techniques remain basically same.
Biggest differences lie in principles I think,some examples:
tomiki aikidonly competitive aikido style around (competition is basically against aikido philosophy)
Ki Aikido:Big emphasis on life force=Ki development,has it´s own principles.
Iwama-ryu:Style of Morihiro Saito,as far as I know,may include a bit more weapons training (not to say this would be the character of the style)
These are some of the main styles,then there are some smaller ones which I know very little about.

You might also want to go to www.aikidojournal.com biggest aikido message board around can be found from there,besides smaller ones like this and such as www.e-budo.com


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## Chris from CT (Sep 3, 2002)

A classmate of mine trains at the New York Aikikai.  

http://www.nyaikikai.com/

You can find some more info there.

Take care.


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## Caine (Sep 5, 2002)

Hi gents, just found this site, first time post so don`t slaughter me yet.

The aikikai is not actually a style of Aikido, it is an umbrella organisation (actually Aikikai Foundation) set up by ni dai doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the son of O Sensei with the intention of promoting Aikido throughout the world. It actually encompasses many different teachers and styles throughought the globe, including "Iwama style" or "Iwama Ryu". Whichever terminology you use to describe the Aikido from Iwama, Saito Sensei maintained that he was preserving Aikido as taught to him by the founder, it is not Saito Sensei`s style.

The use of the term Aikikai in an organisation name would indicate that they have some link back to the Aikikai foundation in Tokyo. I wouldn`t like to say that is guaranteed, but there is a good chance that it is or was at some point. As organisations grow, and split for whatever reasons, names change, affiliations change.

just a few noodles for thought

Caine


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