Through the efforts of its’ membership, the BAA has maintained a broad understanding of the Koryu no Kata over the years. Continuing that tradition is seen as a key part of the role of the BAA.
The importance of the Koryu no Kata both from a historical perspective and as a tool to promote an understanding of core principles in general practice is widely recognized.
Moving forward the Executive Committee feels that it is important that we continue to promote the teaching of all the koryus, both to this and the next generation of aikidoka. With this in mind, we will select one of the Koryu no Kata each year to be the designated kata of that year. We want to encourage every club coach to teach the chosen kata in club or encourage their members to attend the BAA courses where the chosen kata will be taught.
This year we have selected the Dai Ichi, it is the first Koryu after all.
- Dai Ichi is the Tomiki School’s exploration of traditional aikido techniques performed at distance.
To support these efforts the Dai Ichi will form part of the technical training offered nationally.
Seminars will be offered to support clubs and coaches, which will look at the principles underpinning this Koryu and the elements which are unique to this kata. At the same time providing a reminder of the sequence of techniques for those who may be new to the Dai Ichi or have not practiced it for a while.
We encourage the inclusion of Dai Ichi as part of competitive practice whether it’s part of the open kata or as a standalone event within competitions.
We hope over time to ensure that all aikidoka in the UK will have a working knowledge of the full canon of the Koryu No Kata.
M. Aldridge
Technical Development Officer BAA EC