Dharmakaya Aikido's Direct Linage
Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu (大東流合気柔術)
Aiki-jūjutsu is a form of jujutsu which emphasizes "an early neutralization of an attack. Like other forms of jujutsu, it emphasizes throwing techniques and joint manipulations to effectively control, subdue or injure an attacker. It emphasizes using the timing of an attack to either blend or neutralize its effectiveness and use the force of the attacker's movement against them. Daitō-ryū is characterized by the ample use of atemi, or the striking of vital areas, in order to set up their jointlocking or throwing tactics. Some of the art's striking methods employ the swinging of the outstretched arms to create power and to hit with the fists at deceptive angles as can be observed in techniques such as the atemi which sets up gyaku ude-dori or 'reverse elbow lock'. Tokimune regarded one of the unique characteristics of the art to be its preference for controlling a downed attacker's joints with one's knee in order to leave one's hands free to access one's weapons or to deal with the threat of other oncoming attackers.
Takeda Sokaku (武田 惣角 Takeda Sōkaku, October 10, 1859 - April 25, 1943)
Aikido (合気道)
Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying (with) life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury.
Aikido is primarily a grappling art in which attacks are neutralised with various types of throws or joint locks. Aikido techniques are intended to be implemented after first blending with the motion of the attacker, so that the defender may redirect the attacker's momentum without directly opposing it, thus using minimum effort.
Aikido derives mainly from the martial art of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, but began to diverge from it in the late 1920s, partly due to Ueshiba's involvement with the Ōmoto-kyō religion. Many of Ueshiba's senior students have different approaches to aikido, depending on when they studied with him. Today, aikido is found all over the world in a number of styles, with a broad range of interpretation and emphasis. However, they all share techniques learned from Ueshiba and most have concern for the well-being of the attacker.
Morihei Ueshiba (植芝 盛平 Ueshiba Morihei, December 14, 1883–April 26, 1969)
Shodokan Aikido (昭道館合気道)
Shodokan Aikido is the style of aikido founded by Professor Kenji Tomiki. It is sometimes referred to as Sport Aikido due to the fact that it is the only style of aikido to hold regular competitions, and also referred to as Tomiki Aikido, after its founder. It places more emphasis on free-form randori sparring than most other styles of aikido. The training method requires a balance between randori and the more stylized kata training along with a well developed set of training drills both specific for randori and for general aikido development. The participation in actual shiai (competitive randori) very much depends on the club with greater emphasis being found in the university clubs.
Kenji Tomiki (富木 謙治, Tomiki Kenji, March 15, 1900-December 25, 1979)
Fugakukai Aikido (富嶽會合気道)
Fugakukai International Association, is an organization that promotes the teaching of the martial arts of Kihara aikido, Kodokan judo, and Shindo Muso-ryu jodo. The name Fugakukai (富嶽會) means "place of higher learning". Currently, Fugakukai dojo are located in the United States with one dojo in Canada.
Aikido in Fugakukai began as a direct transmission of Tomiki’s style of aikido through Geis to his students in Houston Texas, but the system rapidly evolved in the new environment. Geis found his students to be typically older than Tomiki’s university students and he found those students to be generally uninterested in shiai (competition) even as a training tool. A group of Japanese instructors characterized Geis’ students as more concerned with developing the self-defense aspects of aikido than were Japanese students. Under these conditions, the tanto randori of the Shodokan was dropped and toshu (empty hand) randori developed into the primary randori method.
As Geis’ students became more experienced with the new randori system, their randori experiences began informing their practice of kata, leading to greater differences between the kata practiced in Fugakukai and Shodokan. In the late 1990’s this mass of evolutionary changes in the randori and kata systems led to Geis renaming the Fugakukai aikido style Kihara Aikido or Karl Geis-Ryu.
Karl Geis (1933-)
Dharmakaya Aikido (法身合気道)
Dharmakaya Aikido is a method, or style, of instruction for aikido and the specific application of aikido techniques. First and foremost, it must be understood that ALL techniques of aikido, and there are literally thousands of them, come directly from O’Sensei and his unequivocal teachings. The saying ”aikido is aikido” is completely true and profound. All of aikido is O’Sensei’s aikido. It must also be said that not every aikido instructor, dojo or organization teaches aikido in the exact same manner, with the same attitude or application.
Dharmakaya Aikido teaches that effective self-defense requires responsive, rather than reactive movement. Focused awareness, centered movement and assertive presence, not physical resistance, deliver the power behind Aikido techniques. Aikido practice encourages intelligent action and cultivates precise movement. Self-defense skills acquired in training provide a broad range of responses to attack while developing an attitude of protection for both self and aggressor.
Charles M. Crist ( October 14, 1968 -)
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