Aiki Goshin Do

Goshin-Do is a Japanese term which means 'protecting the body'. One can talk about Karate Goshin-Do, for example, or Ju Jitsu Goshin-Do, i.e., the practice of Karate or Julitsu with the aim of protecting the body. Aiki Goshin-Do is therefore the Way of protecting the Body through Aiki techniques and this is the term which Shihan Roland Maroteaux has chosen to give to his art.

Aiki Goshin-Do, however, is not Aikido. Schools of Aikido are those which stem from the teachings of O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba. Among the most well known are Aikikai, which continues the teaching of O- Sensei Ueshiba, the Yoshinkai of Gozo Shioda, the Yoseikan of Minoru Mochizuki, Tomiki Aikido founded by the late Kenji Tomiki and the Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido of Koichi Tohei. All of the founders of these styles were direct pupils of the founder of Aikido but changed the name of their style or method of Aikido as they themselves developed as individuals, each in a different way from the others.

Long before the birth of Morihei Ueshiba there existed the art of Aiki Jutsu, or Aiki Julutsu, and also schools of JuJitsu which resembled Aiki Jutsu. The most famous school of Aiki Jutsu was, and still is, the Daito Ryu which is  presently headed by Tokimune Takeda. It was from Tokimune Takeda’s father, Sogaku Takeda, that Morehei Ueshiba learned Aiki Jutsu at the beginning of this century. lt must be remembered that there were also splits in the Daito Ryu as Masters left to form their own styles of Aiki Jutsu, for example, Shidare Yanagi Ryu (Weeping Willow School) founded  by Kotaro Yoshida and Yae Ryu founded by Harunosuke Fukui. A popular offshoot of Daito Ryu in Japan is Hakko Ryu Aiki Jutsu, founded by Ryuho Okuyama. This school is also widely known as a 'health’ school as well as a martial arts school since it places a lot of emphasis on techniques which affect the body's energy channels (meridians)

Roland Maroteaux
Roland Maroteaux, was born in Belgium in 1944 and first came into contact with Japanese martial arts through the study of Judo. The turning point in his development came when he began studying Aikido with, Sensei Masamichi Noro in 1963. Maroteaux admits to never having seen anything quite like the beauty and fluidity of Noro's art, coupled with an amazing effectiveness brought about by Noro's complete mastery of this art.

In addition to his regular Aikido practice, Maroteaux began to dig deeply into the martial arts of Japan and studied Karate, lai-Jutsu and Kendo with the Masters Plee, Mochizuki and Shiga. He also delved into the indigenous French arts of La Canne (Stick Fighting) and Savate (French Boxing).

In 1971 Maroteaux met a Japanese teacher of Hakko Ryu called Takeshi Dogane. Dogane was at that time teaching Aikido in Paris, and as both Hakko Ryu and Aikido have a common source, Daito Ryu Aiki Jutsu, Maroteaux quickly assimilated the fundamentals of this system.

After two years of intensive study of this traditional method of Japanese Aiki Jutsu, Maroteaux journeyed to the Hakko Ryu Honbu (Main Headquarters) in Japan and studied directly from the founder of the style, Soke Ryuho Okuyama. Because of his prior knowledge of Hakko Ryu, gained in Paris and his already extensive training in Aikido, Maroteaux, left the Honbu with the grade of Yondan (4th degree black belt). A year later he returned to Tokyo for further study and obtained a rank of Godan (Sth degree black belt) and with it the title of 'Shihan'(Master).

So as not to be confused with other Hakko Ryu organisations which had sprung up in France, Roland Marotreaux decided to rename his art 'Goshin—Do'. This term was already in use by Hakko Ryu Masters in Japan but not specifically as a martial art. As time went by, Shihan Maroteaux elaborated his own method of Goshin-Do by adding techniques from Daito Ryu Aiki Jutsu to the Hakko Ryu system, making his own system of Goshin-Kai a modern method of traditional Japanese Aiki Jutsu.

Goshin-Kai
The style of Goshin-Kai in the art which Shihan Maroteaux has now named Aiki Goshin-Do is not a synthesis of Judo, Karate, Aikido etc., but a set of old techniques which Shihan Maroteaux has brought together in order to protect them as he is afraid that these techniques will disappear. There are no techniques in Aiki Goshin-Do which Shihan Maroteaux has 'invented’; all the techniques which he teaches have proven their effectiveness on the battlefields of feudal Japan.

Whereas modern Aikido uses a lot of large, circular and turning movements as it is based on the principle of circular harmony, Aiki Jutsu has smaller circular  movements but also includes direct, linear movements of old Julitsu schools. In Shihan Maroteaux’s art all the old techniques common to Aiki Jutsu and JuJitsu schools are found, which means that up to the level of Nidan (2nd degree black belt) a lot of techniques are done in a direct manner, keeping circles small and with very little foot movement. At the level of Nidan and Sandan (3rd degree black belt) one starts to use larger, more circular foot and hand movements which are closer to the movements of Aikido as we know it today.

Progression through the grades in Goshin-Kai is a slow but sure process. The number of techniques demanded for each grade is relatively small and intentionally so. As in Japan a student receives a teaching  specific to the 'dan’ level he is working at, from Shodan up to Godan. The techniques become more difficult, even though they may appear more simple. As in any art, the more one advances the more simple it seems, but the more difficult it really is. An example of this would be watching an artist take his brush and paint a house. ln a few seconds he will paint you a beautiful house but if an ordinary person were asked to do this he would not be able to because behind the painter's strokes lie years and years of experience and practice. In Shihan Maroteaux's system basic techniques are emphasized but the basic techniques become more advanced as one progresses through the grades. This does not mean that the system is composed only of basic techniques; starting from the basics one can add to them and perform hundreds of variations but that comes only after the basic techniques have been mastered to a satisfactory degree. At a grading examination the candidate may be asked to perform the technique 'Kote Gaeshi' (Outside Wrist Twist), one version of it, but it must be the most powerful and most perfectly performed Kote Gaeshi of which the student is capable.

As Goshin-Kai is a system formulated along the lines of traditional Japanese JuJitsu and Aiki Jutsu, it also contains a section of study devoted to the weapons of the samurai. Most emphasis is placed on the study of the stick (Goshin Bo Jitsu) and the sword (Goshin Iai Do) but an apprenticeship in these weapons does not begin until solid basics are acquired in the empty hand side of the system.

Yudansha Code
Once the level of Black Belt is reached a student of Goshin—Kai is expected to actively follow the philosophy of the style as laid down by its founder. This philosophy contains a code of practice which is designed to help the student both in his everyday life and in his relationships with other martial artists. A few extracts from this code are as follows:
1 I am glad to be of those who recognize their imperfections.
2 I will extend my hand to any martial artist in difficulty to help him overcome an obstacle, whatever style or art he may belong to.
3 I will never say to another martial artist that he is wrong; I will only offer him a different opinion.
4 All styles of martial arts are good; only those who criticize them are bad and I will stay away from such people.
5 I am for the freedom of all styles, arts and schools of martial arts and against  intolerance, scorn and hatred.
6 I consider all men of good faith as my companions on the "Way" and not as rivals.
7 I am more concerned with gaining knowledge than fortune or power.
8 Even if I must change style, art or teacher, I will not criticize those by whose teachings I have benefitted.

These are but a few examples of the code of practice which along with its attendant philosophy is known as "The Wisdom of The Yudansha".