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A Japanese martial art that does not honour its traditions can hardly be called Japanese. Tradition in Japan is not merely a matter of reverence, but the very basis of Japanese culture and understanding. This is true even in modern Japanese society. Training in Aikido is no different.
While Aikido may be relatively new to North America and generally unknown by most of the population, its roots and traditions are very old; much older than many martial arts forms. Yoshinkan style Aikido, in particular, is considered one of the more traditional forms practiced. As such, it is part of the student's training to learn the customs and understandings of Aikido's samurai heritage. This heritage reveals both the growth and the development of Aikido and the root understanding behind many of our habits and actions.
The Rise and Fall of the Imperial System (4th - 12th Century A.D.)
Japanese history is the embodiment of imperial history. Its story begins with
the Yamato race which established itself in a small province in central Japan
during the 4th century. In the course of about the next three hundred years,
the Yamato family gradually gained control over the numerous warring tribes
and clans in the surrounding provinces.
It was by the way of trade connections with Korea and China (under the Han Dynasty) that Japan gained the political and cultural foundation upon which Japanese culture was built. However, as cultural contact with China was interrupted toward the end of the 9th century, Japanese civilization began to take on its own characteristics and form. Life in the capital was marked by great elegance and refinement. While the court gave itself up to the pursuit of the arts and social pleasures, its authority over the martial clans in the provinces became increasingly uncertain. Effective control passed into the hands of two rival military families, the Minamoto and the Taira, who both traced their descent from previous emperors. The Minamoto family prevailed, annihilating the Taira clan in 1185. This Minamoto victory marked the end of the Imperial throne as the effective political power in Japan,