John Litchen

In 1993 my article 'Questions often asked' was published in Aikido Today Magazine. 20 years later I am still attempting to answer those questions, but as always, finding answers often leads to finding more questions. Hopefully this book will help those who are also searching for answers to questions often asked.

Contents

Before we begin...casa del aikido
Introduction
Part One
Beyond questions often asked
Tai no henka and kokyu ho
On teaching
Preparation of the body
Basic tai sabaki tenkan tenshin kaiten
Irimi...entering
Suwari waza hanmi handachi waza
Atemi
Part Two
More questions than answers
Duality in aikido
What's in a name?
Like an old pair of shoes
Don't make the technique
More than ne way
No clones in aikido
Part Three
Is there a philosophy of aikido?
The sphere in aikido
Stillness
A martial art
Time is the essence
Training at an older age
A few final words
Remembering
About the author… (altro)

A comprehensive text, fully illustrated, with detailed explanations covering most of teh initial studies a new student will undertake at basic and intermediate levels.

Contents

Acknowledgments
Part One-Introduction to aikido
Reigi Etiquette and bowing
Duality of aikido
Good manners
Dojo etiquette
Common sense rules
A note on terminology
Hakama
Preparation and warming up
Misogi breathing
Funekogi undo
Hai shin undo
Shiho giri
Ai hanmi katatetori iriminage stretch
Wrist exercises (Tekubi kansetsu)
Ikkyo
Nikyo, sankyo
Yonkyo, kotegaeshi
Shihonage
Katame waza, ude ossae (pinning techniques)
Ikkyo ude osae
Nikyo, sankyo, yonkyo
Basic tai sabaki-body movement
Hanmi
Tsugi ashi
Issoku irimi
Ayumi ashi
Tenkai
Kaiten
Tenkan
Irimi tenkan
Moving aikido
The concept of irimi, the concept of tenkan
Shikko (Knee walking)
The moving triangle
Part Two-The art of falling
Ukemi-falling safely
Ushiro ukemi (rolling backwards)
Breakfall backwards
Breakfall to the side
Breakfall rotating around trapped leg
Double breakfall
Partner assisted falling
Mae ukemi (falling forward)
Forward roll from standing
Forward roll over partner
Front breakfall kneeling
Front breakfall standing
Ukemi for ikkyo ude osae omote
Ukemi for ikkyo ude osae ura
Ukemi for hanmi handachi
Setting up to take ukemi by attacking correctly
Commonly used grabbing attacks
Gyakku hanmi katateori, hijitori, katatori, morotedori
Ai hanmi katatetori, roytedori, roykatatori
Katatori men uchi
Munedori with one hand, with both hands
Grabbing attacks from behind
Ushiro ryokatatetori, ushiro ryohijitori
Ushiro ryokatatori, mundakeshime
Ushiro tekubi eridori
Striking attacks
Shomenuchi, tsuki, atemi
Shomen uchi, yokomen uchi
Chudan tsuki, mae geri
Part Three-Responding to an attack
Training with a partner and dealing with an attack
Gyaku hanmi katatetori tai no henko
Morotedori tai no henko
Shomen uchi tenkan resonse
Chudan tsuki tenkan response
Shomen uchi issoku irimi
Gyaku hanmi katatetori kokyu ho
Morotedori koikyu ho
Tai no henko static, leading
Yokomen uchi entering ura respnse
Yokomen uchi entering omote response
REsponding to yokomen uchi
Gyaku yokomen uchi
Dealing with wrist grabs
Gyaku hanmi leading forward
Gyaku hanmi entering soto
Beraking the grip in ai hanmi
Breaking the grip in gyaku hanmi
Moving practice
Two ways of dealing with katatori
Part Four-Applicatin of technique
Application of technique
Aspects of ikkyo ude osae
Gyaku hanmi katatetori ikkyo omote
Somen uchi ikkyo omote
Kata men uchi ikkyo omote
Suwari waza shomenuchiikkyo omote
Ushiro ryokatatori ikkyo omote
Angles andlines of movement for ikkyo omote and ura
Shomen uchi ikkyo ura
Nikyo (kote mawashi) omote
Nikyo hand change
Shomen uchi nikyo ura
Gyaku hanmi kaatori nikyo
Gyaku hanmi katatetori nikyo
Musubi
Thoughts on the duality of aikido
Sankyo (kote hineri)
Shomen uchi sankyo omote
Katatori kubishime sankyo omote
Katatori sankyo omote
Shomen uchi snakyo ura
Yoonkyo (tekubi osae)
Shomen uchi yonkyo omote
Yonkyo up close
A comparison fo basic arm pins used in general aikido practice
Ikkyo ude osae, nikyo kote mawashi
Sankyo kote hineri, yonkyo tekubi osae
Gokyo ude nobashi, rokyo higigime
Iriminage arm bar, shihonage pin
Gokyo ude nobashi, Yokomen uchi gokyo
Chudantsuki rokyo hijijime
Part Five-Nage waza-Throwing techniques
Tenchinage
Tenchinage omote
Ryotetori tenchinage omote
Ryotetori tenchinage ura
Ryotetori tenchinage ura irimi kaiten form
Kaiternage
Kaitenage (Circular throw)
Gyaku hanmi katatetori uchi kaiitenage omote
Gyaku hanmi uchi kaitenage ura
Gyaku hanmi katatetori soto kaitenage omote
Gyaku hanmi katatetori soto and uchi kaitenage variations
A word about kaiten
Kotegaeshi outward wrist turn
Ai hanmi katatori kotegaeshi
Ushiro ryotedori kotegaeshi
Turning uke over
The grip
Chudan tsuki kotegaeshi ura
Chudan tsuki kotegaeshi omote
Hanmi handachi tsuki kotegaeshi
Ushiro ryokatatori kotegaeshi
Thinking about advanced techniques and difficult forms
Kotegaeshi from yokomen uchi
Shiho nage (four directions throw)
Gyaku hanmi katatetori shihionage omote
Gyaku hanmi katatetori shihonage ura
Hanmi handachi katatetori shihonage omote
Hanmi handachi
Yokomen uchi shihonage omote
Yokomen uchi shihonage ura
Morotedori shihionage (three appraches)
Ryotedori shihionage (two appraches)
Ushiro ryokatatori shihionage (two approaches)
Hanmi handachi katatetori shihonage ura
Hanmi handachi ryotetori shihonage omote
Iriminage entering throw
Ai hanmi katatetori iriminage ura
Shomen uchi iriminage ura
Ai hanmi katatetori iriminage omote
Chudantsuki iriminage omote
Chudantsuki iriminage, angles of entry
Sokumen iriminage (shomen uchi)
Shomen uchi iriminage with submission hold
Iriminage ura, deep entry with shoulder drop
Morotedori iriminage ura
Hanmi handachi shomen uchi iriminage
Yokomen uchi iriminage ura
Yokomen uchi iriminage omote Direct entry
Yokomen uchi iriminage ura
Morotedori iriminage omote, three variations
Gyaku hanmi katatetori iriminage (shiho giri variation)
Gyaku hanmi katatetori iriminage ura (chudan entry)
Gyaku hanmi katatetori iriminage ura (jodan entry)
Ushiro ryokatatori iriminage
Ushiro ryotetori iriminage
Eridori riminage
Kokyunage brath throw
What is kokyu?
What is ki?
Shomenuchi kokyunage omote
Shomen uchi kokyunage
In and yo-omote and ura
Shomen uchi kokyunage
Ushiro ryokatatori kokyunage
Mundakeshime kokyunage
Eridori kokyunage ura
Ushiro ryotetdori kokyunage omote
Munedori kokyunage
Chudan tsuki kokyunage
Morotedori kokyunage, kokyuho
Gyaku hanmi katatetori kokyunage
Morotedori kokyunage omote
Chudan tsuki kokyunage
Part Six-Adding complexity and a degree of difficulty
Adding complexity and a degree of difficulty
Ushiro waza
Ushiro ryotedori juji garami nage
Hand positions for ushiro ryotedori juji garami nage
Receiving juji garami
Morotedori juji garami nage
Shomen uchi juji garami nage
Tekubi mochi eridori juji garami nage
Koshinage
Gyaku hanmi katatetori koshinage
Katatetori kubishime koshinage
Chudan tsuki koshinage
Shomen uchi udekiminage
Udekiminage with koshinage finish
Ryokatatori kubinage
Hanmi handachi eridori kokyunage
Men tsuki ikkyo omote
Hanmi handachi ushiro ryokatatori sankyo
Suwari waza-Seated techniques
Suwari waza katatori ikkyo omote
Suwari waza shomen uchi sankyo omote
Suwari waza kokyu ho
Suwari waza kokyu ho
Suwari waza shomen uchi iriminage ura
Looking for openings
Iriminage to iriminage
Iriminage to okyunage
Kaeshiwaza from nikyo
Nikyo from chudan tsuki, gyaku hanmi katatetori
Kaeshiwaza from nikyo
Nikyo from chudan tsuki, gyaku hanmi katatetori
Kaeshiwaza from nikyo
Two additional kaeshiwaza from nikyo-kokyunage-sankyo
Mae gerii-aiki nage omote and ura
Part Seven-Training with weapons
Training with weapons
Shomen uchi iriminage taking bokken away
Kokyunage while taking bokken from the ura side
Kokyunage while taking bokken from the omote side
Yokomen uchi shihonage omote, taking bokken
Gyaku yakomen uchi shihonage, taking bokken
Chudan tsuki shihonage omote-taking jo
Chudan tsuki shihionage ura-taking jo
Glossary… (altro)