Takemusu Member Dojos
About Takemusu
The Founder considered Takemusu Aikido to be the highest form of Aikido. Takemusu contains two Japanese characters: Take (Bu) = Martial, and Musu = To be born. These two characters combine to refer to martial movement spontaneously created, without active thought, resulting in a pure Aikido technique.
He felt that one’s training went through four major periods of development: Basic Technique, Flexible Technique, Flowing Technique, and finally Takemusu Aiki. He considered this final form of Aikido to be attainable by anyone through practice.
About the Takemusu Aikido Association
The Takemusu Aikido Association is dedicated to the development and dissemination of Aikido based on the highest ideals of the Founder, Morihei Ueshiba, O-Sensei. The Association does this by continuing and promoting the Founder’s traditional teaching and training methods as passed on by his longest direct disciple, Morihiro Saito, Shihan.
The Takemusu Aikido Association is an association of dojos, clubs, and individuals who have a common interest in Aikido. It functions for the mutual benefit of its members, serves as a center of support to its members, and promotes Aikido nationally and internationally. The Association is managed by a Board of Directors of Senior Instructors. Members take turns volunteering to fill the administrative roles of President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
The Association is recognized as a qualified Aikido organization by the Aikikai Foundation, the Hombu, in Tokyo, Japan. It seeks to work cooperatively with other Aikido organizations nationally and internationally. This recognition enables the Association to obtain from the Aikikai Foundation internationally registered and recognized ranks for qualified students of its members.
The Association follows the teaching and training philosophy of Morihiro Saito, Shihan. Saito Shihan’s method of training and teaching has greatly influenced the senior members of the Association. We have all trained for various lengths of time with him and feel his training methods, style of Aikido, and his long personal association with the Founder, have significant value to our own progress in Aikido. We have found that this view has strengthened our relationships with each other and gives us a common purpose.
Aikido Philosophy
Aikido is primarily a self-defense art. One of its philosophical pillars is the notion of being in Harmony with your attackers rather than being in conflict with them. The ideal of Aikido is not to think of overpowering, competing or defeating an opponent. Instead the focus is to harmonize with them both spiritually and physically. To apply no more of a response than is necessary to protect yourself or others. This gives you options so that you can deal with the conflict at hand, without causing undue harm.
During practice sessions, partners work in harmony with each other, learning when and how to yield, how to lead and guide another person’s movements and how to control an opponent through non-resistive techniques.
Most people find that because of this deeply held philosophy, they can apply the principles learned in the dojo, in their every day lives with profound results.
Movements and Techniques
Aikido techniques express elements of philosophy, psychology, and physics. As we practice the movements, we will, at the same time, train our minds, improve our health and develop self-confidence. Through the physical practice of the self-defense techniques, the Aikido student comes to appreciate and understand the mental and spiritual aspects of Aikido.
Aikido movements emphasize flexibility, balance, and circular motions. The aim of the Aikidoist is to have their mind and body unified and to maintain a calm, alert posture and spirit. Aikido movement originates at the hips and expresses itself through the arms and hands as a dance-like graceful, spherical flowing motion. The beauty of Aikido movements comes from the coordinated motion of the entire body–each part contributing to the integrated sequence of movement. The joint locking techniques, such as those applied to the wrist or elbow, flex the joints in the direction of natural bending. They result in no permanent damage to the joint or tissues even though the techniques are effective and can be painful.