The unique forms of Aiki Toho Iai

ENATO

Objective

Important Note

The objective of ENATO is to promote and support the study and development of the Aikido Toho Iai created by Shoji Nishio sensei.

Aikido Toho Iai is a way to nourish, deepen and refine your aikido movements. Aikido Toho Iai was founded by Shoji Nishio sensei, and it is at core of the flavor of aikido, that Nishio sensei developed over the year. Aikido Toho Iai katas are based on the principles, techniques and movements of Aikido. The objective is to help the aikido practitioner to improve his or her technique and understanding of movement through the use of weapons.

Following the passing of Nishio sensei in 2005, and the subsequent dissolvement of the Aikido Toho Kenkyu Kai in Japan a group of European students of Nishio sensei assembled in Hradec Kralove in Czech Republic to discuss how to support and carry on the sword work of Nishio Sensei.

As a result ENATO was formed to support Nishio sensei's groups in Europe in the pursue of aikido toho iai.

ENATO support by:

- offering a clear curriculum around aikido toho iai

- setting technical standards and requriements for examinations

- issuing of examination certificates in ENATO Aikido Toho Iai

- offering technical expertise for seminars and examination support

ENATO currently support groups in Denmark, Finland, France, Czech, Germany, Poland, Austria and Swiss.

This site will contain links to videos of Nishio sensei. Please keep in mind that these shows the katas as they were performed at that particular point in time. Nishio sensei constantly developed and changed the forms, and it is therefore very important to view and understand them in the context of time.

Secondly since these clips are only fragments from seminars the full context in which they took place is not available unless you were there. Interpretation should therefore be done with caution.

Do also keep in mind that the videos uploaded was often recorded during Nishio sensei's instructions and that they may therefore not always be truly representative of the flow and speed of the kata as Nishio sensei would have performed it not being in a teaching situation. For the same reason metsuke and other positions may also vary from the "normal" form.

In the stillness of the dojo, we find the true alignment of mind and blade.