Aikido Center of San Antonio

Aikido Center

of San Antonio

Sho Shin Juku

a Nishio Budo dojo

Aikido Center of San Antonio - Sho Shin Juku is a dojo (place of training) that trains you in budo (martial arts) following the way of Shoji Nishio Sensei and O’Sensei. You learn Aikido and Iaido as well as the use of weapons such as the bokken (wooden sword), jo (four foot wooden staff), and tanto (knife). You can train in Aikido and Iaido regardless of age, gender, size, or physical conditioning. Since these budo do not depend on strength or speed, everyone has equal potential. You ultimately learn a "way" to self-discovery and the tools to manage conflict in every day life. These arts provide you an avenue to lead a non-violent way of life and promote an internal sense of peace and well-being.
Budo Budo (martial arts) is not learned as a means of felling an opponent by force or by lethal instruments. True budo calls for bringing the inner energy of the universe to order, protecting the peace of the world, and molding, as well as preserving, everything in nature in its right form. Ultimately you will be able to respond to any threat instantaneously and in such a way to be able to avoid being attacked. For further details click on About Budo.
		Aikido Aikido is a discipline of one’s body, mind, and spirit in the form of self-defense. To the first time viewer, Aikido can look like nage (the thrower) is winning over uke (the person being thrown or pinned). Very soon after a little practice it becomes apparent that both nage and uke are winning. Both people get to practice their movement for their collective benefit and safety. This is why you will never see trophies and medals in an Aikido dojo. Our prizes are the happiness we share and the better society that we create with one another. For further details click on About Aikido.
Nishio Budo or Nishio Ryu Shoji Nishio Sensei was born in Aomori Prefecture in 1927. He entered the Aikikai Hombu Dojo at the end of 1955. He practiced Judo, Karate, Iaido, and Jodo prior to beginning in Aikido. The skills he acquired through his practice of these martial arts are incorporated seamlessly into his unique Aikido, which is now referred to as Nishio Budo or sometimes Nishio Ryu. Shoji Nishio Sensei is an 8th dan Shihan, Aikikai Federation, and 7th dan Shihan in the Nihon Zendoku Iaido Federation. He also holds a 4th dan in Kodokan Judo and a 4th dan in Shindo Shizen ryu of Karatedo. He has also studied Shindo Muso ryu – Jodo (way of the staff), and Hozoin ryu – Yari (spear). He has developed a new school of Iaido with forms based upon Aikido techniques called Aiki Toho Iai. In Nishio Budo, you study precise footwork to understand irimi (entering) in such a way that you are always in a position of safety and you are also put into a position that is half a step ahead of your opponent. From this point through the finish of the technique you remain in a safe position while controlling the movement of your opponent. This concept has Nishio Sensei often reminding you of O’Sensei’s saying, “Victory is determined at the moment of contact.” For further information read the article taken from the Aikido Journal, 1996, Vol. 24, no.1, pg. 21-22 on the Nishio Sensei page.
		Iaido Iaido, Japanese swordsmanship, is a traditional budo and was developed from combat practice. Swords were the primary weapons of the Japanese warrior class who are know as Samurai. They wore two shinken (real swords) known as daisho. One was the katana (long sword) and the other was the wakizashi (short sword). The sword was seen as the soul of the samurai and was therefore a sacred and very respectable weapon. Iaido is the art of reacting to a surprise attack by counter attacking with the sword. Most Iaido training today is with the katana, usually practiced solo, and eventually with a shinken. For further details click on About Iaido.
Aiki Toho Iai Aiki Toho Iaido is “Iaido using the sword methodology of harmony with energy”. Aiki Toho Iai is a series of kata founded by Shoji Nishio Sensei based directly on Aikido techniques, movements, and principles. These sword kata do not cut your opponent as in the other Iaido styles, although the understanding of how to cut your opponent is presented. The choice, not to kill, is made available; a path of resolution is to cut in order to lead the opponent, releasing them from harm, and the responsibility of harming. When studying Iaido you gain a better understanding of Aikido and when studying Aikido you gain a better understanding of Iaido. Nishio Sensei often says that you cannot truly understand Aikido without studying the sword. The study and understanding of these kata relates directly to the tai-jitsu (empty hand) techniques of Aikido. You also gain further understanding by practicing the same technique using tachi-sabaki (movement using the sword) and then using jo-sabaki (movement using the jo). Further, the application of same Aikido technique is studied in ken-tai-ken (sword vs. sword) and ken-tai-jo (sword vs. jo). For these techniques you use the bokken (wooden sword) and jo (short wooden staff; the length of it is measured from the floor to armpit height). Each of these ways of doing the same technique uses the same footwork and cuts.

The Sho Shin Juku website was last updated on May 28, 2008.

If you have any questions, or suggestions for this site,
contact Sensei John Bollinger at aikido@aikipeace.com

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