Aiki-jō is the name given specifically to the set of martial art techniques practiced with a jō, according to the principles of aikido. Jō techniques were introduced into aikido by Morihei Ueshiba, aikido's founder, and further developed by Morihiro Saito, one of Ueshiba's most prominent students.
Development of aiki-jō
Much of the aiki-jō syllabus was developed by Morihei Ueshiba at his dojo in Iwama, Japan, at the same time he developed aikido's sword training. It is well documented that Ueshiba studied several different styles of martial arts, including the art of the spear and the modern art of the bayonet or "Jūkendō". The aiki-jō techniques taught by Ueshiba were a distillation and modification of that training, with an emphasis upon the use of the jō as a method for the refinement of one's empty-handed aikido techniques. Some practitioners of traditional Japanese martial arts have noted that aiki-jō techniques bear more resemblance to jukendo than to classical Japanese spear Sōjutsu and staff Bōjutsu systems. Note that the practice of Aiki-jō is not universal. Some schools of aikido incorporate weapons training that is unrelated to aiki-jō, and others cast aside weapons training entirely.
Aiki-jō Practice
Aiki-jō practice can help uncover errors in the student's empty-handed aikido technique, and provides an opportunity to apply the principles of aikido in different situations. Saito codified three sets of techniques, the first being twenty suburi, the second being ten partnered forms, and the third being two kata. Some dojo also practice jiyu-waza armed with jō.
Suburi
Suburi, a word that translates literally to something like "elementary swinging", is used to refer to the basic solo movements of aiki-jō, developed by Saito as a distillation of the forms and partnered practice. There are twenty aiki-jō suburi. They are divided into sub-groups and named as follows : 1. Direct thrust 2. Counter thrust 3. Rear thrust 4. Thrust, low counter 5. Thrust, high counter strike 6. Front-of-the-head stepping strike 7. Repeating stepping strike 8. Head strike, low counter 9. Head strike, rear thrust 10. Reverse side-of-the-head strike, rear thrust 11. One-handed low counter 12. One-handed distant-interval strike 13. One-handed "figure-eight" counter 14. "Figure-eight" counter, strike 15. "Figure-eight" counter, thrust 16. "Figure-eight" counter, rear thrust 17. "Figure-eight" counter, rear strike 18. "Figure-eight" counter, rear sweep 19. Flowing counter strike 20. Right flowing counter thrust
Kumijō
The partnered forms practice of aiki-jō is called kumijō, meaning the crossing/meeting of staves. There are ten kumijō in Saito's aiki-jō curriculum. Ueshiba originally taught various partnered drills and techniques with the jō, and Saito originally codified them into a discrete series of seven such partner drills. In 1983, Saito was set to give a public demonstration, and so devised three more kumijō at that time. The kumijō teach students how to alternately control the center line and move off of it to avoid attacks as well as how to blend with an opponent's attacks, among other skills. Improvisational variations on the kumijō, which generally cause the kumijō form to end early with one person taking advantage of an opening to strike or throw the other, are also taught.
Kata, simply meaning "forms", are typically solo, using a predetermined series of techniques practiced against an imaginary opponent. In the aiki-jō curriculum, there are three primary kata. The first is called "Sanjūichi no Jō", generally referred to in English as the "Thirty-one Point Jō Kata", and was taught by Ueshiba. The second one is "Jūsan no Jō"; "Thirteen Point Jō Kata". The third one is "Roku no jō". There are also well known partnered versions of these forms, called bunkai.
