Aikido and Chinese Martial Arts: Its Fundamental RelationsVol.1 - Softcover

Sugawara, Tetsutaka; Lujian, Xing

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0870409344 ISBN 13: 9780870409349

Publisher: Japan Publications Trading, 1994

Synopsis

Foreword
Japanese Aikido and Chinese martial arts are different from each other, but each has its own strong points. Chinese martial arts places stress on strength, speed and rhythm, and attaches great importance to the attack-defense meaning of movements, while Aikido pays much attention to a high degree of coordination of the two partners. On viewing the training of Aikido, some enthusiasts of Chinese martial arts get a feeling that it seems flashy without substance and worthless for practical purposes because of a lack of attack-defense meaning which is essential to martial skills. Conversely, most Japanese martial experts are disappointed in Chinese martial arts and think of it as a showy play. They believe that the true essence of martial arts of ancient times have been lost. However, these ideas are inaccurate.

I have been practicing Chinese martial arts for more than fifteen years. I began studying Aikido three years ago and I now hold a third degree black belt. In my opinion, Chinese martial arts is such a vigorous and energy-consuming exercise that it is difficult to be accepted in developed areas where the working and living pace is high. As for the Aikido of today, it seems that too much stress is laid on health-building, and on harmoniousness and smoothness of movement. The attack-defense meaning which was once distinct has now dimmed, so it doesn't seem very practical.

During the past three years, I have read and studied "Exercises of Martial Arts- Aikido" written by Morihei Ueshiba, the originator of Aikido, several times, and I can savour the intense meaning of attack-defense in every movement described in the book, as I can in the movements of Chinese martial arts. Now I wish to introduce the awareness of attack-defense of Chinese martial arts to Japanese Aikido so as to enrich it and enhance its value of health-building.

This book is composed of two parts, Aikido and Chinese Martial Arts. With regard to Chinese martial arts. fundamental skills are introduced in Volume I and Volume II, and theoretical analysis in Volume III. This book will lead readers to combine Chinese martial arts with Japanese Aikido and in doing so they will become acquainted with the fundamental skills of Chinese martial arts. I hope that this book will become an envoy of peace, enhancing the friendship between Chinese and Japanese people and facilitating exchange between all the enthusiasts of martial arts in the world. That is the main purpose of this book.
I wish to dedicate this book to my dear father whom I love very much.

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my teacher, Miss Yanling Xing who, with over ten years of painstaking instruction, has guided me in the life of martial arts. Many thanks are also due to Mr. Tetsutaka Sugawara who has offered great energies to the publication of this book.

Luijian Xing
Tokyo, Japan
October, 1995

About this title

About the Author

TETSUTAKA SUGAWARA was born in Hokkaido in 1941 In 1960 he began Aikido at the Hombu Dojo, Tokyo, under O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido. In 1961, he became uchideshi under O-Sensei at the Ibaraki Dojo. In 1964, he returned to Tokyo and entered Chuo University. In 1973, he established Minato Research and Publishing Co. (currently Sugawara Martial Arts Institute, Inc.) In 1975 he entered the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu receiving the 'kyoshi' instructor's licence in 1986. In 1995 he was awarded 7th dan in Aikido from Kisshomaru Ueshiba. He has published: Budo Training in Aikido by Morihei Ueshiba, Traditional Aikido by M. Saito, The Deity and the Sword - Katori Shinto Ryu by R. Otake, Traditional Karatedo by M. Higaonna, Shinkage-ryu Sword Techniques by T. Watanabe, and T'ai Chi Ch'uan, T'ai-chi Swordplay/Eightdiagram Palm, Chen style Tai Chi Chuan by Y. Xing, Fukien Ground Boxing by C. Chai, Form and Will Boxing (Shing Yee Ch'uan) by J. Lin. He has also studied Goju-ryu Karate and T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

LUJIAN XING was born in Shandong province in the Peoples Republic of China in 1963. He entered Fujian Chinese Medical Science University in 1980 graduating in 1985. He studied northern/southern style 50 kinds of Chinese Martial Arts under Chuxiang Du, Yanling Xing and other instructors. In 1992, he entered Sugawara Martial Arts Institute as an uchideshi under Tetsutaka Sugawara and learnt Aikido and Katori Shinto Ryu techniques, also studying the relationships between Aikido and Chinese martial arts with Tetsutaka Sugawara. In 1993, he entered the School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University. After graduation, he joined the National Institute of Health Sciences, Japan in 1995, studying to create new medicines using herbs.

Edition details

• Publisher: Japan Publications Trading
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0870409344
• ISBN 13: 9780870409349
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 180