Shunpookan Aikido North Carolina

I was going back through Gozo Shioda's book Dynamic Aikido the other day. I always look for similarities and differences between the original instructors and what we do today. A big difference is stance or hanmi. But a similarity I see in SPK aikido that I don't see in most other aikido systems is in his illustration of shihonage. As he taught, we cut down the back, not allowing the uke to rotate and take an "over the top" breakfall. The whole technique is done as a set of sword cutting exercises. Today many toris allow the uke to rotate into the technique and perform a forward rotating breakfall. When you do this with the sword cut approach that ukemi isn't really an option, you just go down with no chance to rotate. The point I guess is, make sure you understand what the tori is going to allow you to do. If you expect the freedom to rotate and leap into the technique, and you run into a Gozo Shioda, you are going to get hurt.

SPK USA is providing the safety team again for the 2025 Juneteenth festival.

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Course reminder. Sunday 13th April