Introduction

Several martial art schools have a symbolic name that can be interpreted in different ways. This is not different for our school. Please pay attention to the fact that Japanese names cannot be translated literally. They are mostly a paraphrase of a concept.

                                    Ai: harmony, unification
                                    Ki: vitality, basic energy, inner ( spiritual) force
                                    Ju: flexible
                                    Jutsu: skill, technique, art

                                    Yo: encourage, train
                                    Sei: integrity
                                    Kan: house

‘Aikijujutsu’ can be translated as: "The harmonious canalisation of energy by means of flexible techniques."

Mochizuki sensei explains de name 'Yoseikan' as "The house in which one is educated to integrity"

Aikijujutsu is a Japanese martial art of which the origins go back for more than a 1000 years.

From a purely physical point of view it's a martial art that uses grips, throws, strangleholds, jointlocks and atemi. The techniques were merely developed in feudal jujutsu schools and in sword schools.

The system is based on non-resistance to the force of the adversary. The person, who performs the technique, tries to gain control of the attacker by taking over the offered energy (the attack) and by using it against the attacker. Striking are the circular movements and the flexible mind of the defender. The pursuit of a technically correct and mentally mastered performance makes an excessive use of force unnecessary.

Body and spirit are trained only to react when there are no other options. Although we mainly train unarmed fighting in our school, armed fighting is not neglected. The weapons are the bokken (a wooden replica of a sword), the tanto (a wooden replica of a dagger), the tambo (a 30 cm long baton), and the jo (a 1.28 meter long wooden staff).

In the twenties of the twentieth century Mochizuki sensei, Jan Janssens' teacher, was sent to Morihei Ueshiba to learn aikibudo. He was sent there, together with among others Kenji Tomiki and Gozo Shioda, by his teacher, Jigoro Kano. According to Kano, Ueshiba had developed the ideal budo.

Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) was a pupil of Masayoshi Minamoto no Sokaku Takeda (1859 -1943), the soke of Daito Ryu aikijujutsu.

This history goes back to Tenno (emperor) Seiwa (850 -881) of the Minamoto clan. Around the 10th century, the sixth son of Tenno Seiwa, Prince Sadasumi, developed a martial art that was based on the principle of non-resistance. In the 11th century the techniques were organised and listed by Shinra Saburo (Minamoto no Yoshimitsu (1056-1127)).

During the second half of the 11th century, the eldest son of Shinra Saburo was appointed governor of the province of Kai. He took on the name ‘Takeda’. It's under this name that the clan would become famous afterwards.

The reason why we can still speak of Daito Ryu aikijujutsu is due to Kunitsugu Takeda, who moved to Aizu Province, Yamanshi Pref. in 1574. When the rest of the clan was murdered in 1582, he was the only remaining Takeda. From this moment on, the secret martial art of the Takeda-clan known as 'oshiki uchi’ was passed on to members of the clan, until Sokaku Takeda incorporated elements of In-Yo Ho (the priciples of ying and yang) and techniques of Tenshin Shinyo Ryu jujutsu.

Sokaku Takeda named his system after the castle of Shinra Saburo, ‘Daito no Yataka’. From this moment on his school was called ‘Daito Ryu aikijujutsu’ and it’s one of the top-students of this school, Morihei Ueshiba, who awarded his student Mochuzuki the ‘Daito Ryu aikijujutsu okuden inka’ scrolls, bearing the Daito Ryu seal, in the 1930’s.

Aikijujutsu Yoseikan contains 84 forms of defence. 23 forms of attack are being practised. They consist of grips, punches, thrusts and strangleholds. By means of different combinations you become a total of 1932 techniques of attack and defence.

The basis of the school contains 16 kihon waza. These forms of practice are practised with a partner as kata.

Which budo disciplines have contributed to the creation of aikijujutsu Yoseikan?

Aikikai aikido (Morihei Ueshiba): wa no seishin (canalisation of energy), muto dori (unarmed defence against the sword), jo waza (techniques with the staff)

Shotokan karate (Gishin Funakoshi): kihon te waza (thrust and block techniques), kihon geri waza (kicking techniques)

Aikibudo (Alain Floquet): kihon nage waza (kata with throwing techniques), kihon osae waza (kata with controlling techniques)

Yoseikan aikijujutsu (Minoru Mochizuki): te hodoki (release forms), sutemi waza (sacrifice throws), henka waza (variation techniques), tambo en tanto waza (baton and dagger techniques), kaeshi waza (counter techniques)

The grading consists of kyu and dan ranks. The kyu ranks start with 6th kyu and end with 1st kyu,

The keikogi or the training dress is a white suit that is also used in several other martial arts.

The traditional way of thinking of our school is shown by the hakama, a wide pantskirt which was worn by the samurai.

Starting from 3rd kyu, mudansha can wear a white hakama. Yudansha wear a dark blue (or black) hakama.

Minoru Mochizuki (1907-2003) is one of the most famous martial artists of the 20th century. Mochizuki sensei holds a 10th dan (Mejin) in aikido, an 8th dan (Hanshi) in judo, a 4th dan in karate, an 8th dan (Kyoshi) in Katori Shinto Ryu and a 5th dan in kendo.

Mochizuki sensei also developed a form of yoga based on budo.

Sensei added Gyokushin Ryu jujutsu, judo, karate and Katori Shinto Ryu kobudo techniques to the aikibudo of Ueshiba and called his new creation 'Budo Yoseikan'. Yoseikan aikijujutsu (or Yoseikan aikido) is the part of the school that is focused on ‘aiki’.

• About the Name	• What's ?	• History	• Techniques
• Budodisciplines	• Grading System	• Keikogi	• The Founder

Mochizuki was the first Japanese who taught aikido in the West (France, 1951). Under the name 'aikido-jujutsu' he taught a group of French judoka. At the end of the fifties the French budoka Jim Alcheik resided in Japan for several years to become skilled in Yoseikan aikido. Back in the West, Alcheik sensei got killed in an accident and his assistant Alain Floquet took over his task.
Floquet sensei now holds the 8th dan in aikibudo, a creation of Yoseikan aikido, Daito Ryu aikijujutsu and Katori Shinto Ryu kobudo.