Aunkai Bujutsu
Classes: Tuesdays and Thursdays 8-9:30pm @Crofton Park
What is Aunkai Bujutsu
Aunkai Bujutsu was founded by Akuzawa Minoru Sensei in Tokyo, Japan in 2003. Akuzawa Sensei began practising martial arts at a very young age. He studied under experts proficient in a variety of traditional and modern Chinese and Japanese martial arts, including Hsing I/Xing Yi, Tai Chi, Sanda, Yagyu Shingan Ryu, Daito Ryu Aikijutsu, and others, and gained extensive and successful competition experience.
Over time and through periods of intensive and personal study with highly skilled teachers, Akuzawa Sensei has turned his focus away from the training of forms and techniques, to focus on a specific type of body conditioning that enables techniques to emerge freely at any given moment.
The method is divided into three complementary parts:
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Solo Tanren to create the frame of the body and internal connections
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Partner training (Kunren) to get feedback on the frame created
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Applications
(source https://hkbujutsu.com/aunkai/)
The London Aunkai Study Group
This study group based in London focuses solely on Akuzawa Sensei’s body organisation and training, which does not rely on conventional muscular strength but on a set of exercises to progressively develop whole body connection and power.
The study group is open to anyone regardless of their background or level who is interested in developing internal strength and working towards a ‘bujutsu body’ and practical applications.
Classes will typically involve a warm up followed by working through each of the foundation tanren of Tenchijin, Shiko and Maho. These exercises provide the corner stone to a connected body and ultimately to strikes through punching and kicking. These exercises have many variations that can be performed solo or with a partner. Classes will involve a mixture of individual and paired work.
Is Aunkai for me?
If you are interested in exercising your body in a different way, or if you are looking for an alternative way of learning how to adjust your body to absorb, redirect and generate power, from a variety of attacks and which can ultimately be expressed through a variation of strikes and takedowns then I would say 'yes'. However, it takes time and dedication to develop, and the more time you devote to training the sooner you will experience results. You will be surprised at what your body can do.
What's the purpose of the study group?
The study group's purpose is to share information and to collaborate. I regularly attend intensive seminars with Akuzawa Sensei and additional seminars with some of his top instructors, Rob John and Manabu Watanabe who regularly visit London to provide additional tuition and guidance. All of these seminars are open for anyone to attend.
Who am I?
My name is Alex Damon and I will take the class through the exercises and techniques that I have been taught. My primary focus is Aunkai and my first goal is to share with you what I can to help you gain a good understanding of Aunkai and to build the foundations of a bujutsu body. My second goal is to encourage you to attend Akuzawa Sensei's seminars and also those of Rob John and Manabu Watanabe, which are held in a variety of locations including France, Switzerland and also here in London. It is at these events that you can experience first hand how powerful and effective Aunkai is as a martial art.
Over the years I've been active in a variety of sports ranging from rugby, cycling, weight training, running and Aikido. More recently I have also got into yoga which I find really beneficial to Aunkai as it is gradually undoing all of the tension and stiffness that sports and work can cause.
Class info and contact
Classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Crofton Park, Brockley, between 8pm and 9:30pm at St Hilda's Church, Courtrai Road, London SE23 1PL (see map); and
First class is free. All other classes £10. Please pay in cash on the night. All money goes towards covering the cost of room hire and insurance. Over 18s only.
Track suit and t-shirt are fine as are traditional martial arts gi.
Email: aunkai.london@btinternet.com for more info or if you have any questions.
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