Hi I'm new to the board. Just got done reading your posts. I was on the net looking for a movie I rented in '80s. It was called The Warrior Within & a Master Moses Powell was in it. He was smooth & flowed thru guys just made it look so easy.I thought that was Aikido but it wasn't. He founded Sanuces Ryu Jiu Jitsu. This man could handle himself.Go to Sanuces Ryu website & they have clips of him or his senoir students. Very aggressive Jiu Jitsu to the point. Now he was taught by Florendo M. Visitacion. Born in llocoos Norte, Philippines 1910 died 1999. He was called Professor Vee & founded Vee Arnis Jitsu. I've been studing Aikido for a 1yr..Sounds like people maybe upset with you because what you have a 4th degree in is not Aikido. Judging by Master Powell & Professor Vee very,very good Jiu Jitsu. I read up on Aikido for 2yrs before I found a school close by. One thing that stuck was how long it would take To reach 1st Dan. If you studied in Japen as a live in student at least 3-5 yrs from what I've read. But I got time & in no hurry. I've learned alot in past yr & I enjoy the work. Aikido Warrior if you guys have a seminar in the Chiago area coming up please post dates. Thanks,Low512

I can give some insight here as I have trained in all 3 Aikido(and Aiki-Jujutsu)Sanuces Ryu and V-Arnis Jutsu. Looking at the 3, 2 are related, V-arnis Jitsu and Sanuces Ryu. Professor Powell used aspects of Aikido, but not the art. "Doc" as he is called sometimes is a direct student of Professor V. Professor V did not have any Aikido in his art rather Dazan Ryu, Kempo and Lima Lama. Professor Powell did study some Aikido. Sanuces Ryu(and Professor Powell doesn't like to call it Jujutsu)is very strike oriented as well, the techniques have some circle to them but not big ones and is a very street worthy art. The techniques and principles governing the techniques are made for street combat and are highly effective. Both V-Arnis and Sanuces are much more self-defense oriented then Aikido. Sanuces incorporates alot of rolling breaks and mulitple locking within the system as well as striking and pressure points . V-Arnis Jitsu includes Arnis and uses the bastone as a vehicle in technique. In Okinawa they call it Tombo Jutsu, in the Phillipines Arnis, Escrima or Kali, all styles of using the bastone. Aikido on the other hand is much more formalized and less focus on self defense. Having studied all 3 I would choose Sanuces as my preference and if I had seen that art first would probably been the only art I would have studied. Having an Aiki base though, helped me learn Sanuces alot easier. I will tell you that both Sanuces(one of my favorite arts that we do)and V-Arnis are exceptional arts, taught by exceptional people. Not many people have heard about either one of them, except on the east coast. I understand Professor Powell is starting to come to California and there is a core there now. However, what you see in these arts, though there are apsects of Aikido in Sanuces and appears to be in V-Arnis are really very different in their approach to the art.

Hey Low512-

1st Dan or shodan is by no means a measure of mastery. It is, simply put, an indication that one has grasped the basics and is ready to learn their art. If someone was an uchi deshi in Japan, I would assume that they would reach shodan in well under three years. Japanese college students in aikido clubs who are not uchi deshi tend to graduate college after four years with a sandan (3rd dan). But in my experience, I've known ikkyu's who's technique's were far superior than nidan's, so in my limited experience I say approach the martial arts as well as life with your eyes open, and take low level dan grades at least with a grain of salt.

Joe