T.K. Chiba Sensei.
"Recently it has come to my attention that there has been increasing argument in aikido circles concerning whether or not the weapons training in aikido is a right
thing."
"In my opinion, there seems to be a lack of sensitivity to individual differences and the particular history of each individual, and therefore may not bring productive
results. I believe that the martial arts are and ought to be
very individualistic, and therefore every individual teacher should be treated
as such, before generalization.
" It is not my intention nor am I interested in making an open statement about whether or not the weapons training in aikido is a right
thing. Furthermore, I am not interested in making comments about other teachers in the field and
whether or not they conduct weapons training in aikido ..."
"Aikido can be taught sufficiently and effectively without the weapons and still maintain its richness, like many teachers do. On the other hand, aikido can be
taught with the weapons without losing its purity as a body art. It is not a
question of which is better or worse, or which is more effective as a martial
art. It totally depends on the knowledge and quality of the
teaching."
"I believe that the essence of aikido is found within the empty hands technique ... I practice the weapons because I like to, to begin with ... I do see
a strong bond between the body art and the weapons, but which comes first is
not very important to me. The interaction and the dynamic between the two is
fascinating to me."
My Relationship to Weapons Training
by T.K. Chiba
Sensei.
Sansho, Aikido Journal of the USAF Western Region
Vol. 11, No. 2&3 - Summer/Fall 1994
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