Do we need more Aikido styles?
I know this is totally a retoric question, since, for one way or another, a lot of students of martial arts reach a point of learning at which they decide to try a some more personal approach. Very often this is the turning point for a new style, or branch, or variation of the martial art.. It is also a natural step in the martial art training: shu - ha - ri, but I will talk about this later on.
So I am not surprised when I meet at different seminars people coming from never-heard-before Aikido associations. I admit my view might be too narrow, maybe I haven’t been enough around as other norwegian Aikido practitioners.
So, in my limited view of Aikido, I have been a bit surprised when I saw the following video posted by Tenshinkan Oslo Aikido dojo, club founded by Bjørn Erik Olsen, technical chief of Norwegian Aikido Federation and close student of Inaba Minoru sensei and Suganuma Morito sensei.
The clip is from an introductory weekend seminar on Freeform Aikido facilitated by Peri Mackintosh and Enoiki Hiro, from Freeform Aikido London.
…and I did *not* like this clip at all!!!!
Before blogging it with a too bad comment, I searched a bit around and I found the next one:
In this clip I can see a bit more Aikido elements and.. a purpose in the movement, not so much “drunken boxing” footwork as in the first clip.. yeah.. that was the first thought I had watching the first clip! 
While writing this post I decided to have a better look into this Aikido view, so I checked out their homepage and read especially the part about the “breaking apart” from conventional Aikido. It is an interesting reading.
The first reason that the author, Peri Mackintosh , states as separatory from traditional Aikido is the fixation, in the latter, in the roles of uke and tori. Probably the clips proposed are all from beginners student, because what I can see there is exaclty the same thing, except that there are not 4 techniques before changing roles, but it is done every other technique. It’s true, it looks more blended, soft, flexible, relaxed, and this are all *plus* points for me. But still not of the attacks that lead to a technique are anything close to a real attack. You can notice that the one “attacking” is most of the time preparing himself already for the fall or for accepting the change of roles. And *this* I do not like! Is that still a martial art, this Freeform Aikido?
A comment from a guy that does for work something called Integration Training was, in fact:
“…They [Freeform London] do aikido as a movement art rather than martial art…”
I could not agree more!
Some of Peri’s words recalled my previous reading of the book “The Craf of the Warrior“, by Robert L. Spencer. It is an extremely interesting collection and suggestion in the field of warriorship in daily life. “Warriorship” not intended as violence or seek of fight, but as the purity, discipline, awareness characterizing a warrior.. Finding its own way the daily life.. And it is a lot about psycology and philosophy, or better, psycho-therapy. I’m not an expert in any of these fields (Aikido included) but my thoughts reached another book that I have not yet finished reading: A. Lowen “Bioenergetics“. And this is probably closer to Integration Training.
On London webpage, the Oslo seminar purpose is presented as:
“…Work then focused on developing and maintaining a coherent connective awareness - on a partner whilst maintaining awareness of body sensation. This connective awareness was then expanded into more overt energetic/intentional bonding (ki-musubi)…”
Oh, was Endo sensei practicing there? 
Because, in fact, he is doing exactly all that these same people state, even “…engaging with chaos, in chaos…” especially for people that has never seen him before.. but the result is still Aikido, my beloved martial art, my life, my love.. and my approach is still close to Endo sensei ideas about Integration of the Incompatibles.
A last thought about free training, I would recommend the previous post on freedom in practice.. at least, from my own reflection and experience.
December 13, 2007 at 1:54 pm
about “freeform”, I remember the first seminar of Suganuma sensei I have been. When he did calligaphy, he explained us the 3 different ways of doing it: from the fixed form to more soft/free ones. But, he said that even in the most free form, the one which is very difficult to read and recognise, there is still the precise and solid one.
I liked that and I still try to improve my forms… and there is a lot to do there !
December 13, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I totally agree, as also said in the previous post about freedom in practice:
“..As long as you have rules, you have a chance of freedom. To try to obtain freedom without being aware of the rules means nothing..”
At the end also, we are doing a martial art, what I got from their pages is more the contact/awareness psychologic training.. or business!
But also someone else in Norway is trying to have a business bringing conflict solution ideas from aikido to real life company problems..
December 13, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Great to have such a thorough response to our output! Thank you. May I address a couple of points you raise. Freeform Aikido is not a martial art though of course it may have implications for martial situations. There are therefore no “attacks”. What interests me in Aikido and the ideas of O’Sensei are the possibility of experiencing Oneness, connection and creativity - Take musu aiki. This I understand as arising out of kimusubi.
Both participants in Freeform are seeking to engage in kimusubi with their partner and lead the other out of balance. There is no resistance to being lead out of balance as that would obviously rupture the kimusubi. Ki musubi and non-resistance are two sides of the same coin!
There are other very interesting points and observations you make which I may address when I have some more time. Again thanks for you interest and discussion!
December 14, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Peri, thank you very much for your prompt answer!
And also for the explanation about my misunderstanding..
I started answering..
and next I realize that my answer can perfectly be my next post.
Hope we will have a chance to continue this exchange!
December 17, 2007 at 4:11 pm
There are many different levels in Japanese calligraphy from standard kaisho or block writing to soushou or grass writing. See http://www.stockkanji.com/info/Glossary.htm
Many connect the forms of calligraphy and the fighting forms, especially kendo but also others. The flowing strokes of a master calligrapher are like the flowing techniques of an aikido master. The block form is like a beginner for both choppy strokes and clumsy strikes while the grass form of the master is one where there is no stopping, all flows from beginning to end. It takes a master to understand a master’s writing and fighting, the freedom of motion required for each.
All is combined by Zen of course. Zen is all about freedom but not the sort of freedom usually spouted these days. It is about freedom from suffering, cravings, dualism, logic and from the self itself. It is not simply true that walking a mile east is walking a mile west; walking a mile east is also the sound of falling snow.
マイル東を散歩が雪を落ちて音です。
December 19, 2007 at 11:27 pm
I loved the practice I had there.