Ken-tai-jo: stick against sword

Ken-jo no riai training (sometimes called “ken-tai-jo”) consists of a series of partner practices, one with sword, the other with stick, and should be approached after one has become proficient in both the sword and stick’s suburi and awase, and before one approaches the kumi-tachi and kumi-jo. The stick is of slightly longer length than the sword, adding one step’s distance to the ma-ai in an encounter with an opponent. The stick can strike at a distance where the sword cannot, and so an extra dimension to Aikido training is established.

The practices are designed to show the distance relationships between body, sword and stick, and alongside the awase, prepare the body movement for weapon taking, and ultimately empty-hand training. In the ken-tai-jo, the sword is always the attacker and stick the defender, perhaps this is a link to Shindo Muso Ryu jo-jutsu, perhaps not…

An organisational overview

(NOTE: The term “old series” refers to the techniques performed as they appear in Saito Sensei’s first series of books, “Traditional Aikido”

1. Three ken-tai-jo awase

1. Choku barai - from tsuki kamae, sliding back on right foot, matching against shomen uchi
2. Kaeshi barai - from tsuki kamae, stepping back and parrying without changing grip on jo
3. Kaiten barai - from tsuki kamae, stepping back and parrying with hasso gaeshi movement

2. Ten ken-tai-jo

(10 set patterns with sword and stick, each with 2 weapon variations, and 1 body variation)

Each of the ten carries the same three variations: Henka #1 (sword), Henka #2 (sword) and Henka #3 (body).

1. Ichi no riai - from tsuki kamae, kaeshi barai, choku barai against yokomen uchi (old series)
2. Ni no riai - from tsuki kamae, yokomen uchi, gedan gaeshi, kaiten barai against 7th suburi (old series)
3. San no riai - from tsuki kamae, jodan gaeshi uchi against shomen uchi komi (old series)
4. Yon no riai - from tsuki kamae, kaeshi barai to face, catch elbow and throw against shomen uchi (old series)
5. Go no riai - from tsuki kamae, kaeshi barai against shomeun uchi, kaiten barai against shomeun uchi (old series)
6. Roku no riai - from tsuki kamae, tsuki, toma uchi, catch right elbow and throw against shomen uchi komi (old series)
7. Shichi no riai - from tsuki kamae, jodan gaeshi, gedan gaeshi against shomen uchi komi (old series)
8. Hachi no riai - from tsuki kamae, migi hanmi “sumi-otoshi” with jo against shomen uchi komi (old series)
9. Kyu no riai - from tsuki kamae, migi hanmi, kaiten barai kokyu nage against shomen uchi komi (old series)
10. Jyu no riai - from tsuki kamae, jodan gaeshi, yokomen uchi to knee against shomen uchi komi (old series)