Aikido

**Aikido** is a Japanese martial art focused on defense. It is practiced by the students at the YMCA. The specific type of Aikido practiced at the YMCA is **Kokikai Aikido**, founded by Shuji Maruyama, AKA Super Sensei, in 1986. It focuses on minimalism, and means "school of radiant ki".

## Basic Principles

* Keep One Point (develop calmness)
* Relax progressively
* Maintain Posture (in everything)
* Positive Mind

## Elements

### Techniques

Aikido consists of attack-defense techniques, with each being a combination of the attack type, defense type, and modifications, such as turn type, two-handed, or weapons. Some techniques are performed while running.

#### Attacks

The main attacks in Kokikai are as follows (spelling may not be correct):

* Tskui: Punch to torso. Pronounced "ski".
* Yokomenuchi: Jab to beck or side of the head.
* Shomenuchi: Jab to front or top of head
* Katatori: Grab of lapel.
* Katatetori: Grab of hand.
* Ushiro: Behind attack (choke)
* Kick (not done in kids' class)

#### Defences

* Kokyunage
* Shihonage
* Kodegaish

#### Modification

##### Turns

Turns in a technique may be either tenkon or something else. A tenkon turn is a pivot.

##### Riyu

Riyu (as in Ryu Katatetori Kokyunage) is a prefix indicating that the technique is to be done with two hands.

##### Weapons

Weapons, such as a Boken or a Jo may be used in a technique. In the name of a technique, the weapon is added as a suffix with "tori" at the end.

##### Name

The name of a technique is as follows:

(Ryu if done) [Attack] [Defense] (turn) (weapon if used)

### Rolls

In a typical Princeton YMCA aikido class, the key development exercises are followed with rolls. The types of rolls done are as follows.

#### Small Rolls

Small rolls are small, short-distance forward rolls done multiple times.

#### Large Rolls

Large rolls are performed the same as small rolls except they are performed running, over a greater distance, and are typically done about twice.

#### Backwards Rolls

Backwards rolls are rolls done backwards from a seated position over small distances.

#### Knee-Walking

While not a roll, knee-walking is done with rolls, typically at the end before "ayuke". This involves walking on your knees, going from a kneeling position.

### Katas

With weapons, katas are performed, which are sequences of movements with weapons. These are commonly done during the Virtual Age of Aikido. Katas include

* First Boken-kata
* Second Boken-kata
* First Jo-kata
* Second Jo-kata

### Belts

Aikido, like many other martial arts, operates on a Belt ranking system. The top belt is the black belt, followed by the brown belt. Each belt has three degrees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, additional limited time degrees were added. The first 5 belts are

* White (no experience)
* Yellow (Beginner)
* Purple (Experienced)
* Green (Very experienced)
* Red (Extremely experienced)

### Warmups

#### Key Development Exercises

KDE are a sequence of warm-ups designed to train the technical aspects of Kokikai Aikido. These are done after stretches at the beginning of class. These include:

* Nikio
* Kodegaish
* Sankio
* Funakoki-undo
* Shomenuchi-undo
* Zengo-undo
* Tenkon
* Hopuendo

## Tests

Kokai Aikido uses tests to determine whether or not a student is ready to obtain their next belt. Whenever a student passes a test, comprised of katas an techniques, they either gain another degree on their belt, or if they have three degrees on a belt they gain another belt.