For the next few issues we'll be looking at the background of various kata in the Aikido & Tomiki Ryu universe. Some of these are classically Aikido and some, while taught today, actually pre-date the martial art that is known today as "Aikido"; that is, keeping in mind that "Aikido" (by that name) simply didn't exist until AFTER WW II.
Remember that Tomiki was in the first group of deshi that O-Sensei had back in the "Hell Dojo" days. Tomiki Sensei therefore came away with a different paradigmatic view of the material that today has resulted in our breed of Aikido actually being closer to Ueshiba's original teachings than most other forms. What we train in therefore can be considered closer to Daito Ryu & early Ueshiba-ha Aiki Jitsu/Aiki Budo than other Aikido styles. Additionally it could be considered to be a close cousin to Mochizuki or Shiodo in that we train in a "hard style" of Aikido (other "hard" styles possibly including Ikeda or Chiba ... and I'm certain I've left some others out).
With very (note that I said VERY) few exceptions Aikido dojo and Sensei simply do not teach shime waza (strangulations) at all and if they do it's likely a very light and fast look with no depth to it (and zero efficacy in a randori situation). It seems to be something that was left on the cutting room floor so-to-speak as the art was developing from the pre-WW II Kano, Takeda, Ueshiba time up to today. The bujitsu aspects were glossed over in favor of arcane studies of "ki" and "integrated-ness" and as a result many of today's styles (and Aikido dojo) have become a little too soft in the older concepts of self-defense & combative strategies.
It's also likely that any in-depth study of strangulation waza was so esoteric that few ryu possessed the expertise to teach and preserve it, much less pass it on esp. after the demise of the Samurai class. It's also highly likely that this kata, much like others, was considered dangerous, containing Hanshi-level material that held very advanced ideas; this, in an era of secrecy that had a need to hide any combative advantage from potential opponents. It was therefore hidden away from deshi unless and until they had earned the trust of the Soke/Sensei.
Before and during WW II for example; Judo's "Forms of Hardness" were hidden away as the sempai at the Kodokan (including Kano before his death in '38) refused to teach it to the Japanese military/spy services. It has resurfaced only recently; meaning by definition that someone was continuing to practice the material but doing so away from the public eye.
I personally believe that this kata (and others like it) was hidden until the deshi earned the right (and the priviledge) to be taught it. There is after all, an old saying in the martial arts that when you are ready, the teacher will appear (to teach you). It's been my experience that the number of deshi who are "ready" is damn few and far between so I've taken the reverse tact of teaching this esoterica and not hiding it because I for one do not want it lost forever.
I feel secure in taking this approach of hiding it out in the open since I do most of my screening of new players in the first year or so and this kata is something that they won't see or be trained in until they've been on our mat for at least two years and are preping' for Shodan/Nidan. Even then they will not see the actual applications until later (Sandan/Yondan) so by the time they get to the meaty parts they have been thoroughly vetted and proven themselves as committed and trustworthy deshi.
The strangulation kata is, after all, so advanced that most black belts will not understand it until they've been around for a couple of decades so I am (in effect) hiding it out in plain view and when the student is actually ready to learn the material it will be reflected in their presentation. At that point I'll drop in the variations and subtleties that bring it to life via the randori aspects (much like Tomiki's statement about painting the eye in the dragon).
The strangulation kata comes in two basic sets (offensive and defensive or omote & ura) in which you first learn to apply the strangulations and then defend against them as your training partner applies each in turn to you. There are, of course, multiple variations on both the offensive/application side and the defensive/counter side and there are additionally, readily seen (once you understand the basic templates) openings for various scoops, sacrifice throws and foot sweeps. All of these taken together as a whole provide a very sophisticated answer for the eternal question of "But what do I do if the guy moves to grapple with me or enter for Judo waza?" or, "What can I do to immediately and decisively end the encounter without having to dismember him?"
The part that I find interesting about the kata is that originally it was done in armor and that the entry was made using a helmet breaker (see the photo above) to both sever the cord holding the helmet on and to force the opponent to turn their head and open their throat for the strangulation.
As to applications; they are almost without limit. How many times in randori do we suddenly find ourselves behind uke but fail to capitalize on the position because our subconscious mind has no ready answer? Since all the strangulations from behind begin with entry/kuzushi we have the ability to immediately set control of uke. At that point the strangulation we use (from behind or ushiro) is actually choosen for us as the specific waza is determined by in what direction and how far uke then turns for his escape (which of course is blocked by his entry into the strangulation).
The strangulations from the front are (for tori's part) more offensive in nature and are based not on ato-no-sen but on sen-no-sen, and should the entry fail then a sacrifice throw or foot sweep will immediately manifest for tori. I for one was pleasantly surprised when I discovered it possible to enter for a stangulation which uke blocks and then to do a sacrifice throw and apply the strangulation in mid-air and then ending in a grappling condition with tori on top and the strangulation still on.
Like I said; this kata is a deep, deep study the likes of which I never saw even after years in both Aikido and Judo.
Regarding the background of this material ..... "origins largely but not totally unknown." The kata came to us by way of one of our senior players who trained extensively in Judo many years ago. He and his Judo sempai were training with Keiko Fukuda Sensei (now 98 years old and only recently promoted to 10th Dan by the Kodokan). Fukuda Sensei was teaching them Judo kata (this was over 25 years ago) and the topic of strangulations came up and she then taught them this kata. After Fukuda Sensei left, they spent the next 2 or 3 years training in this every day so-as not to lose the information. (So all apologies to Fukuda Sensei if we do any of the material incorrectly. Any mistakes in our interpretations of her wonderful teachings are solely ours.)
We don't know what ryu the information/kata came out of but we do know that the kata is 500 to 1,000 years old. Granted, over a long period of time, any kata is going to change somewhat as it is taught from teacher to student, to student, to student but the idea that this kata is that old and was originally done in armor (and apparently came to Fukuda Sensei via Jigoro Kano or some other senior at the Kodokan from that time period in the very early 1900's) makes it very unique indeed.
IMHO this background puts it in the same classic category as Koshiki no Kata; another very ancient kata of posture breaking and sacrifice throwing (from the Kito Ryu) that also was originally done in armor. According to the Shihan (not Fukuda Sensei) I learned it from it (Koshiki) is also a "hidden" kata that is only taught to those who are "ready" to learn it. In fact looking back on the moment she announced that she wanted to teach us a "secret kata" that no-one knew, the looks of shock and surprise on the faces around the dinner table were (even now some 12 years later) completely priceless and one of those moments that I'll go to my grave wishing that someone, anyone, had taken the photo.
In the old days (today too) that's the way it happens. You're sitting there and suddenly Sensei offers a priceless gem from the Budo-verse. Therefore; if you're not sitting there when the offer is made ...... well, tough .... you missed it ..... the moral is Go-To-Class .... a lot .....
Consider the concept of "hidden" information or techniques. You can't simply show up at the door and ask to be taught. You have to be around a long time (decades in some cases) before you may be deemed "ready" and even then, if your technical basis is inadequate, no amount of teaching or review work will help. You may think you comprende' but you don't and at that point remedial work is largely useless as your internal patterns are already set.
So all I can tell you is; Go to class, train, pay attention and most importantly, forget about trying to become "Formless" until you know the "Form".
Next issue we'll look at the "Randori no Kata" aka "The 17" aka "The 17 Attack Movements".
L.F. Wilkinson Sensei
