Abstract - Aikijutsu in Europe and in Poland - present-day picture (1987-2004)
In the article the organizational development and the teaching of aikijutsu were presented on the background of the contemporary history of his old Japanese martial art in Europe and in Poland. The description concerns the years since the appearance of aikijutsu takeda-ryū in Europe (1987) until 2004, when one of Polish instructors obtained the master’s title in one of the varieties of aikijūjutsu. The authors focus their attention mainly on the Chanel of transmission of the original tradition of the classical daitō-ryū and takeda-ryū schools. They describe divisions caused by the struggle for succession, power or due to other things.
An analytical method has been used based on the sources and literature as well as participating observation method and the analysis of the content of chosen specialist magazines and press.
The authors indicate that also in his field certain pluralism and multi-shaping are impossible to avoid. Changeable ways of leaders and stormy lots of new great organizations established for once elitist, ancient martial arts are probably a sign of occurring for only the last 20 years processes of democratization, institutionalization and even globalization of aikijutsu.