Aikido – a historic perspective, K. Yosigasaki

All over the world people used to fight using swords, spears and other weapons. When they had no weapons at hand, they boxed or wrestled. Techniques of fighting were almost the same all over the world until guns were invented. Use of guns for fighting completely changed the way of fighting in war. In Japan guns were imported by Portuguese in 1543 and Japanese quickly started to make their own guns. Around 1590 guns were used in war fighting and turned out to be more efficient than traditional weapons. However use of guns were still limited because of limited fabrication. Around 1600 Japan was dominated by the Tokukawa clan and the Tokugawa clan managed to create a system of domination by samurai. In order to stabilize their domination, production and use of guns were prohibited and communication with the outside world was basically prohibited. By this opportunity arose for developing fighting methods without guns for 250 years, whereas in Europe guns were developed as the main weapon of fighting.

Since 1800 Europe started to colonize China. Europeans were not interested in Japan because it was too small compared with China. However US also wanted to participate in colonization of China and wanted to use Japan as a port before arriving at China. Around 1860 US navy came to Japan and forced Japan to give them a port as their territory. Then European countries also wanted to use the port so Japan was in danger of being colonized like China. Japan decided to create a strong army in order to defend itself from US and Europe so sword was prohibited and an army with guns was created.

Samurai in clans that kept the tradition of sword techniques were unhappy and tried to keep the tradition. One way was to convert to sports. This created Judo, and Kendo and Karate followed. Those sports type of martial arts were supported by university students. Those who did not want to go the sport way were called Kobudo or Jujitsu. One of Jujitsu was called Daitoryu Jujitsu and this was the technical basis of aikido. It is necessary to know that Judo techniques came from a martial arts that did not use sword, the same as with karate. That is why karate techniques include stick techniques but not sword techniques. Kendo was based on sword techniques but became a sport. Daitoryu Jujitsu was created by someone who liked sword and was good at sword techniques. He developed techniques without weapon using his ability of using swords. That is why Daitoryu Jujitsu techniques are very different from Judo or karate techniques.

Actually Daitoryu techniques are very similar to Kendo techniques. However as the techniques are practised, people forget sword and think of the situation of street fighting in their society. After the World war 2, there was a general idea that Japan should not fight and people had no guns and no sword. People thought of street fighting without weapon or maybe with stick or knife. So the new name of aikido was born in that situation. The idea of aikido was to control the situation without fighting. This mentality corresponded the tendency in US and Europe after 1960 and Aikido started to get supported philosophically. The idea of solving conflicts without fighting became a part of the aikido philosophy.

Then came the idea of self defence. What is self defence? Actually there is no difference between attack and defence. When one does certain action toward the other, it is called attack. Then the other does same thing, it is called defence. So defence is permitted only when one is attacked. If the attack comes without weapon, it is possible to wait until the attack comes and do something about it. But if the attack is done by guns and other highly developed weapon, it is almost impossible to defend oneself after the attack has started. It means you have to shoot the other before he shoots you. Then the question of knowing the intention of the other person arises. If a person has a gun in his hand, policemen doubt his intention so policemen immediately demands him to drop his gun and put both hands up. If it is dark, what should policemen do? Maybe a policeman is obliged to shoot the person before it is possible for the other to shoot him. Then there is the question if a police man has judged the situation correctly or not. If the attack and defence happens between two countries, it is more complicated. First one country is attacked but it is difficult to know who attacked. Then the country may assume that the attack is done by its enemy country and start the attack in the name of defence. Between two human beings, this is called revenge and prohibited by law. However the government can punish the criminal so that the victim does not have to revenge. Between two countries, there is no authority above them, so revenge is permitted. Again it is not easy to distinguish between revenge and defence. The whole problem arises because the act of attack, revenge, and defence are the same. It is only a matter of interpretation.

In aikido it is possible to create a completely new philosophy. Aikido does not have to be self defence. Defence is the same as attack. Aikido is a way to create situations in which an attack is not likely to occur. If an attack does not occur, defence is not necessary. I think this is the only way to achieve peace.

Dansk oversættelse

Aikido, et historisk udsyn.

Overalt på jorden har mennesker brugt sværd, spyd og andre våben for at kæmpe. Når de ingen våben havde, boksede eller brød man. Kampteknikkerne vær næsten ens over hele verden indtil ild våbnene blev opfundet. Brugen af skydevåben ændrede fuldstændig krigens kamp metoder. I Japan blev disse importeret i 1543 og japanerne begyndte ret hurtigt at lave deres egne ild våben.

I 1590 blev geværet brugt i krig og viste sig at bære mere effektive end traditionelle japanske våben. Men brug af disse våben var stadig begrænset på grund af begrænsningerne i fabrikationen.

Omkring 1600-tallet var Japan domineret af Tokukawa klanen og den formåede at skabe et system som var domineret af samuraier. For at stabiliserer deres dominans, blev produktionen og brugen af gevær forbudt og kommunikationen ned den omkringliggende verden blev faktisk forbudt. Ved denne lejlighed opstod udviklingen af kamp metoder uden ild våben i 250 år, medens i Europa blev ild våbnene udviklet som det vigtigste våben i kamp.


I 1800-tallet begyndte Europa at koloniserer Kina. Europærerne var ikke interesserede i Japan, fordi det var for lille i sammenligning med Kina. Men også US ønskede at koloniserer Kina og ønskede at bruge Japan som en havn før ankomsten til Kina. Omkring 1860 kom US flåde til Japan og tvang dem til at afgive et landområde som deres havn. De Europæiske lande ønskede også at bruge havnen, så Japan stod i fare for at blive koloniseret på samme måde som Kina. Japan besluttede at skabe en stærk hær for at forsvarer sig selv mod US og Europa, derfor blev sværdet forbudt og en hær med ild våben blev skabt.


Klaner som opretholdt sværd teknikkernes tradition, var ikke glade og forsøget at opretholde traditionen. En af måderne var at overgå til idræt. Dette skabte Judo, og Kendo og Karate fulgte efter. Disse idræts grene var kampkunst og de blev understøtte af universitets studerende. De der ikke ønskede at gå idræts vejen, blev kaldt for Kobudo eller Jujitsu. En af disse Jujiutsu grene blev kaldt for Daitoryu Jujitsu og dette var det tekniske udgangspunkt for aikido. Det er nødvendigt at vide, at judo teknikkerne kom fra kampkunst linier, som ikke brugte sværd, det samme som i karate.

Det er derfor karate indbefatter stav teknikker, men ikke sværd teknikker. Kendo tog sit udgangspunkt i sværd teknikker, men blev en sport. Daitoryo Jujitsu blev skabt af en som kunne lide sværdet og var god til sværdteknikker. Han udviklede teknikker uden våben, idet han brugte sine evner fra våbenteknikkerne. Det er derfor at Daitoryu Jujitsu teknikker er meget anderledes en Judo eller Karate teknikker.



I realiteten svarer Daitoryu teknikker meget til Kendo teknikker. Men når øvelsespraksis blev udført, glemte folk sværdet og tænkte på situationen fra gade kampe i samfundet. Efter anden verdenskrig, opstod den almene ide i Japan, at mennesker ikke skulle slås og at de ikke skulle have våben og ingen sværd. Man forestillede sig gade kampe uden våben eller måske med stav eller kniv. Så det nye navn Aikido, blev født ud af denne situation. Idéen med Aikido var at kontrollere situationen uden kamp. Denne mentalitet svarede til tendensen i US og Europa efter 1960 og Aikido begyndte at få filosofisk støtte..


Da opstod ideen om selvforsvar. Hvad er selvforsvar? I realiteten er der ingen forskel mellem selvforsvar og angreb. Når nogen gør noget mod en anden, kaldes det angreb. Så gør den anden noget, det kaldes forsvar. Så forsvar er kun tilladt når man angribes. Hvis angriberen kommer uden våben, er det muligt at vente til angriberen kommer og så gøre noget ved det. Men hvis angrebet udføres med gevær eller andre højt udviklede våben, er det næsten umuligt at forsvarer sig selv efter at angrebet er startet. Det betyder at du må skyde den anden før han skyder dig. Her er spørgsmålet om at vide hvornår intentionen hos den anen opstår. Hvis en person har en pistol i sin hånd, vil en politibetjent betvivle hans intentioner og straks forlange at han smed sin pistol og strakte begge hænder op. Hvis det er mørkt, hvad skulle politibetjenten da gøre? Måske er politibetjenten nødt til at skyde personen før denne skyder ham. Så er der spørgsmålet om politibetjenten har bedømt situationen rigtigt eller ikke. Hvis angreb og forsvar sker mellem to lande, er det mere kompliceret Først bliver et land angrebet, men det er vanskeligt at vide, hvem det var som angreb. Så kan landet formode at angrebet blev udført af en fjendtlig nation og begynde et angreb i forsvarets navn. Mellem to mennesker kaldes det for hævn og ifølge loven er der forbudt. Men regeringer kan straffe den kriminelle, så individet har ikke brug for at hævne sig. Mellem to lande, findes der ikke nogen autoritet højere en dem, så derfor er hævn tilladt. Men igen, det er ikke let at skelne mellem hævn og forsvar. Hele problemet ligger i at handlinger som angreb, hævn og forsvar er det samme, det er kun et spørgsmål om fortolkning.