Aiki-jo

Aiki-jo is the staff system of aikido's founder, best known today through Morihiro Saito's Iwama curriculum: 20 suburi (solo striking drills), the 13- and 31-count kata, and paired kumijo. For solo practice: master the suburi groups first, then the 13 kata, then the 31.

Starter program (from zero)

Weeks 1-2: tsuki series (suburi 1-5), 10 reps each — 15 min daily
Weeks 3-4: add the uchikomi series (6-10)
Weeks 5-6: add the katate series (11-13) and happo giri
Weeks 7-8: add hasso gaeshi (14-18); start the 13 kata from video
Week 9+: 10 min mixed suburi + 13 kata ×5; add the 31 section by section

Kata / Forms

13 no jo kata 十三の形

Beginner

The 13-count introductory kata combining tsuki, gedan gaeshi, men uchi and hasso gaeshi in one flow with happo-style turns.

The step-by-step breakdown is being verified by a practitioner and will be added — learn the sequence from the video for now.

31 no jo kata 三十一の形

Intermediate

The backbone of the Iwama curriculum: a 31-count kata, best memorised in six sections, each a coherent attack-response scenario.

The step-by-step breakdown is being verified by a practitioner and will be added — learn the sequence from the video for now.

Happo giri 八方切り

Beginner

Cutting to eight directions in sequence — the best warm-up for footwork and balance.

Techniques & Strikes

Tsuki series — suburi 1-5

Choku tsuki: Straight thrust; rear hand drives, front hand aims. Target chudan.
Kaeshi tsuki: Turning thrust: the tip deflects, then thrusts. Drill the hand change slowly.
Ushiro tsuki: Rear thrust — look first, then rotate the hips.
Tsuki gedan gaeshi: Thrust then low sweep at knee height; power from the torso, not the arms.
Tsuki jodan gaeshi uchi: Thrust, high turn, overhead strike — practise in three parts.

Uchikomi series — suburi 6-10

Shomen uchikomi: Overhead centre strike; finish with the tip at eye level.
Renzoku uchikomi: Continuous alternating strikes — a rhythm drill.
Men uchi gedan gaeshi: Head strike flowing into a low sweep on the same step.
Men uchi ushiro tsuki: Head strike forward, thrust to the rear — two-opponent assumption.
Gyaku yokomen ushiro tsuki: Reverse side strike to the temple, then rear thrust.

Katate series — suburi 11-13

Katate gedan gaeshi: One-handed low sweep; mind the wrist load.
Katate toma uchi: One-handed long-range strike from the very end of the jo.
Katate hachi no ji gaeshi: One-handed figure-eight — the basis of jo spinning.

Hasso gaeshi series — suburi 14-18

Hasso gaeshi uchi: Turn the jo up to hasso at the shoulder, strike from there.
Hasso gaeshi tsuki: Thrust from hasso.
Hasso gaeshi ushiro tsuki: Rear thrust from hasso.
Hasso gaeshi ushiro uchi: Rear strike from hasso.
Hasso gaeshi ushiro barai: Rear sweep from hasso — impossible without hip rotation.

Nagare gaeshi — suburi 19-20

Hidari nagare gaeshi uchi: Flowing left deflection merging into a strike.
Migi nagare gaeshi tsuki: Flowing right deflection into a thrust; chains into freestyle work.

Tips

Keep the jo dry and oil it occasionally (linseed/tung oil) — a cracked shaft can splinter under full-power suburi.
Wrist pain is a signal to slow down, not to stop; fix the line before adding speed.
Counting the 13- and 31-count kata out loud speeds up memorising the rhythm.

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