The Seikido Curriculum

Seikido self defence techniques are designed to be the most scientifically advanced and sophisticated available anywhere. All techniques must be able to stand the test of scientific scrutiny before they can be incorporated into the Seikido curriculum, regardless of their origins and traditional purpose. If better techniques are discovered and proven to be effective, the curriculum is changed to incorporate them.

Inherent in all martial art is a risk of injury. Instructors are cautioned against slavish adherence to outmoded techniques if better conditioning exercises, sparring strategies, or self defence techniques become available. Seikido was created to be a dynamic art, and will continue to evolve and keep up with the latest scientifically sound principles of sparring, self defence, and conditioning exercises.

BACKGROUND

The sport aspects of Seikido, including tournament competitions, with their striking and blocking techniques, are derived mainly from modern Tae Kwon Do, which was founded by General Choi Hong Hi shortly after World War Two. He, along with other Korean masters, set out standardized principles and rules after studying many older Karate and Kung Fu style arts, especially Japanese Shotokan Karate and Chinese Kung Fu. These masters spent years researching the physics of striking and kicking methods, and developed very effective sparring techniques, as well as establishing a standardized tradition of Patterns, which are called " Tul" in Korean, for tournament competition. (Pattern competition is called "Kata" in Japanese).

Seikido uses self defence techniques which are based mainly upon the art of Hombu style Aikido, which was founded by Morihei Ueshiba ("O-Sensei" ) in Japan around the turn of the century. Ueshiba was a master of Jujutsu and Aikijutsu, as well as sword and spear fighting, before developing his own "Do" . Aikido is the culmination of decades of refinement of these older Japanese martial arts, and incorporates their most effective principles. It is generally considered the pinnacle of the modern self defence arts, and treated almost as a religion in Japan , where Aikido grand masters attain the formal status of national treasures.

The original Aikido has recently evolved into mostly a demonstration art with no extensive punching and kicking techniques. Modern Aikido schools teach almost entirely defensive techniques, with no aggressive sport fighting aspects, propagating the art mainly through traditional schools, as well as by means of seminars and demonstrations put on by visiting masters.

The Hombu style of Aikido is acknowledged as the foundation of many of the self defence techniques taught in Seikido schools, because they have proven to contain the elements necessary for effective defence against larger and stronger assailants, and even against attacks by armed assailants. However, Seikido goes well beyond the traditional demonstration art of Aikido, as some of those foundation techniques have been developed and tested to produce uniquely practical applications for realistic defensive situations.

The founders are well aware that only diligent and persistent practice will produce proficiency in practitioners, and the teaching methods have been set up to facilitate accomplishing that goal.

It is the blending of the most modern and scientifically correct techniques derived from older martial arts, particularly Tae Kwon Do and Aikido, and the development of those techniques to ultimate effectiveness for true self defence that makes Seikido unique. The founders built upon those foundation arts, taking from them what can be considered as the pinnacle of their respective styles, and developed the Seikido 'Way'.

Seikido includes throwing and pinning techniques to neutralize punches and kicks, and striking techniques to disable grappling attacks. Releases from static holds as well as counters to dynamic strikes are essential aspects of Seikido training. Seikido techniques are not dependent upon artificial rules of sparring competition, nor upon co-operative movements of a partner, to be effective in countering aggression. Every technique must be effective, even if the attacker does not cooperate with the defender, and in spite of any efforts on the part of the attacker to overcome the defence.

Seikido self defence techniques involve subtle and supple movements, grips, and applications of pressure against vulnerable points of the assailant's anatomy to render him/her incapable of further assault, often by utilizing the assailant' s own strength, weight, and momentum against him/her. Many techniques are designed to disarm and immobilize attackers who are armed with weapons such as a knife, sword, club, or staff.

Seikido techniques follow and harmonize with " the Way of the Universal Force", the natural and intrinsic or "mental" energy that pervades everything, everywhere. Seikido practitioners learn to draw upon and channel that universal energy to accomplish feats which would have previously been considered impossible. The differences between applications of the same sources of energy which characterize different martial arts have been stripped away, leaving sound scientific principles and philosophical ideals as the foundations of the art.

The underlying essence of most Seikido techniques is the principle of non-resistance, to minimize dependence upon the use of force to accomplish the goal of preventing any detrimental effects of action. This is particularly important because it is always assumed that an assailant would be larger and stronger than the defender, in which case it would be impossible for such a smaller defender to overpower the assailant with strength. Non-resistance to the assailant' s momentum and application of his/her strength is therefore the only way to neutralize the assault.

This principle of non-resistance is also applicable to more than physical contact, it can be applied to dealing with potential conflict in daily life, where "a good offence" is not necessarily the best defence. Sometimes it is possible to defuse a potentially destructive situation and redirect it into a positive experience, perhaps by avoiding direct confrontation and replacing it with conciliatory and complementary behaviour, which may be as simple as being amiable.

Seikido instructors often share newly acquired knowledge with other schools. This can be accomplished through traditional means such as seminars, guest appearances at branch schools, and attending promotional gradings at other schools, as well as by more modern methods such as keeping the "World Seikido" website up to date.

Instructors need never fear their students going to other schools, seminars, or tournaments where they could be exposed to other techniques and philosophy. It is the duty of every Seikido instructor to keep up with the latest in self defence and competition techniques, recognizing that Seikido itself evolved in much the same way as other now traditional martial arts, by building on a foundation of older styles.