
For those who may not be familiar with its history, the oral tradition of Daito Ryu (from which all aiki arts are derived) states that the art was handed down through the Takeda family of the Aizu domain, where they were employed as bodyguards and palace security. The same environment that led to subtle methods of power generation and kuzushi that become codified as Aiki no Jutsu also saw the development of a sophisticated method of entangling an opponent's body to render them powerless, even if only for a moment. The question, however, is why would these techniques of structural distortion be preferred over more conventional pins and hold-downs?