The Aikido Yoshokai Association of North America - AYANA (合氣道耀尚會) is an

aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a modern Japanese martial art that is split into many different styles, including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practiced in around 1 ...

organization founded in 1991 by former

Yoshinkan Yoshinkan (養神館 ''Yōshinkan'' lit. "Hall of Spirit Cultivation") Aikido is a style of aikido that developed after World War II in the Yoshinkan Dojo of Gozo Shioda (1915–1994). Yoshinkan Aikido is often called the "hard" style of aikido b ...

-affiliated master

Takashi Kushida was a Japanese aikido master and the chief instructor of Aikido Yoshokai Association of North America (also called AYANA). He began his study of Aikido under Gozo Shioda in 1953 and lived at the Yoshinkan Dojo as a professional student (uchidesh ...

.Takashi Kushida-sensei
Its

hombu The Aikikai is the original school of Aikido. It is centered on the Aikikai Foundation in Japan, and its figurehead is the Doshu (the family heir of the founder of Aikido). It is represented globally through the International Aikido Federation. ...

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...

is the Genyokan (玄耀館)

Dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

Style

Yoshokai Aikido is a "hard" style of aikido by common parlance, and very similar to

. Full tenkan movements are present, but partial pivots and more conservative blending motions are perhaps more usual.

Atemi In Japanese martial arts, the term designates blows or strikes to the body, as opposed to twisting of joints, strangleholds, holding techniques and throws. Atemi can be delivered by any part of the body to any part of the opponent's body. Th ...

is common. Yoshokai

ukemi () is in Japanese martial arts the person who "receives" a technique. The exact role of ''uke'' varies between the different arts and often within the art itself depending on the situation. For instance, in aikido, judo kata, and bujinkan ninju ...

is also distinct (similar to Yoshinkan ukemi), with more slapping of the spare hand/foot, and a more forward-feeling 'high fall' (called 'jumping breakfall' or 'hiyaku ukemi') than the other sideways motions employed in different aikido styles. A special emphasis is placed on aikido as a form of conflict resolution and a cooperative study of making harmony between two people. Like Yoshinkan Aikido, Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu names for basic techniques are retained (e.g. "ikkajō" rather than "ikkyō") Yoshokai Aikido is organized in a rather centralized fashion relative to other styles, with technique lists and explanations distributed annually. This goes hand in hand with its emphasis on meticulous attention to detail. Yoshokai Aikido closely links techniques, basic movements, and weapons techniques. Weapons techniques (buki-waza) are prominent in the curriculum, mostly with

bokken A ''bokken'' (, , "wood", and ''ken'', "sword") (or a ''bokutō'' ) is a Japanese wooden sword used for training in kenjutsu. It is usually the size and shape of a ''katana'', but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the ''wakizashi'' ...

, jō, and

tantō A is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords ( ''nihonto'') that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tantō dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ...

References

External links

Aikido Yoshokai
{{Aikido styles Aikido organizations