Yoshinkan Aikido vs Other Aikido Styles

Aikido, a Japanese martial art, has a variety of identifiable styles within the family of organizations descending from the teachings of Morihei Ueshiba. 

One of these styles is Yoshinkan Aikido, often referred to as the “hard” style. This article will explore how Yoshinkan Aikido compares to other Aikido styles.

Yoshinkan Aikido

Yoshinkan Aikido was founded in 1955 by Gozo Shioda, a student of Morihei Ueshiba. It is sometimes referred to as the “hard” style due to its exacting training methodology. 

This methodology reflects the early years of the development of Aikido when Shioda sensei was a direct student of the art’s founder.

Yoshinkan’s distinctive stance, or kamae, stresses the position of feet and hips. The style has developed a training style for teaching Aikido, each technique is broken down and analyzed in detail. 

This training is referred to as kihon dosa (basic movements) and kihon waza (basic techniques).

Yoshinkan Aikido has some 150 kihon waza (lit. “basic techniques”), which are practiced repeatedly and designed to teach principles of movement, balance, timing, etc. 

In addition to set techniques, the style includes kokyunage (lit. “breath throws”), or techniques in which uke attacks and shite makes a non-mandatory, short, and decisive response.

Comparison with Other Styles

Traditional Aikido can be left without quotes and caps to denote something more generic. On the other hand, there are other styles of Aikido - Aikikai, Iwama, and Tomiki, for example - and they’re distinct from each other.

The main difference between Yoshinkan and other styles is its structured method in which beginning students learn the foundation techniques. 

As Yoshinkan practitioners get more advanced, they learn how to do techniques more smoothly and in a flowing manner while still retaining the precision with which they learned them.

In contrast, some other styles like Aikikai focus more on the flow and harmony of movements. The emphasis on blending with the attacker’s movements and using their energy against them is more pronounced in these styles.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while all styles of Aikido share common principles and techniques, each style has its unique characteristics. Yoshinkan Aikido stands out for its structured teaching methodology and emphasis on precision. 

However, it’s important to note that no style is superior or inferior to another, they simply offer different paths to mastering the art of Aikido.