In Ki-Aikido we use three different weapons in our
training in addition to bare hand techniques. The jo, a wodden staff
about 5' long; the bokken, a wooden sword in the shape and size of a true
Katana; and the tanto or wooden knife. While the weapons training
may seem to have little practical purpose, except for training in defending
against the wooden knife, it actually has a great deal of practical application.
Working to defend oneself from a knife is in some ways practical but it
is really the heightening of your awareness by having it there that is
beneficial. The same can be said for the jo and the bokken.
Weapons training brings to the surface many things that lie underneath
and can not be easily seen in hand to hand (taijutsu) training. Weapons teach
precision of movement, timing and sharpens your awareness. There
are solo-forms that we practice pique our self awareness and train on our own or
with others. This is a practice often utilized by higher ranking
Ki-Aikido practitioners and is usually most useful after some mastery of
the basic hand to hand movements. For me it is a critical part of
my training, especially now that I am some distance form higher ranking instructors.
