Shinken Dojo

In the classic iconography of the warrior, the cherry blossom represents both the beauty and the transience of life: during its bloom, it offers an enchanting spectacle in which the samurai saw reflected the grandeur of his own figure clad in armor. However, a sudden storm is enough to make all the flowers fall to the ground, just as a samurai can fall to a sword blow struck by the enemy. The warrior, accustomed to viewing death in battle not as a negative occurrence but as the only honorable way to depart, reflects this philosophy in the cherry blossom. An ancient verse still remembered today is "hana wa sakura gi, hito wa bushi," which translated means "Among flowers, the cherry blossom; among men, the warrior" – (Just as the cherry blossom is the finest among flowers, so the warrior is the finest among men).

Taken from Wikipedia http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai

In the Budo's concept, formerly in the past Bujitsu, are included all those practices (martial arts) designed to follow the way (do) of internal knowledge, without distinction of styles. Into Shinken Dojo two distinct and apparently different martial arts are practiced, but they have many points in common, so, it's almost impossible to split them. With the mixture of kenjutsu and aikido practitioners get a different level of perception and a unique state of awareness. Practicing Shinken Shobu Ryu means achieving a "wholeness" and a full zanshin.

Kenjutsu Shinken Shobu Ryu

Kenjutsu is an ancient Japanese martial art consisting of the ensemble of sword techniques (using the katana, the typical sword) employed during hand-to-hand combat. Kenjutsu was born for combat and to kill enemies on the battlefield, developed over the centuries by the Japanese warrior class.
Sword handling was the fundamental technique taught in the martial arts schools of feudal Japan. While sharing similarities, the ryu (styles) of kenjutsu developed original and distinct training methods and sword-handling techniques. Kenjutsu became an art that, even during wartime, replaced other forms of physical exercise, establishing itself as an indispensable practice for keeping the body in condition. Beyond the execution of individual strikes, kenjutsu included an in-depth study of factors such as distance (ma-ai), timing/opportunity to strike (suki), and the mental attitude (zanshin) most conducive to achieving victory. There were over five thousand kenjutsu ryu in ancient Japan, the most famous of which is Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu.
The use of strikes (atemi) and throwing techniques (nage) was widely permitted in original kenjutsu, rooted in the necessity to achieve final victory at all costs. It could also happen that a samurai lost all his weapons on the battlefield and was forced to fight bare-handed.

Shinken Shobu Ryu is a gendai ryu (modern school) of kenjutsu codified by Master Davide Pollione based on the technical repertoire of Hōki-ryū, a so-called koryu (ancient school). This distinction is fundamental and perfectly defines Master Davide Pollione's technical approach. The derivation of Shinken Shobu Ryu from the classical Hōki-ryū style explains the depth and effectiveness of the master's teachings.

Shinken Shōbu 真剣勝負流 (literally "real sword combat"): indicates, in the contemporary martial context, a realistic approach to combat, where every movement is executed with maximum concentration, as a single mistake in a real-life situation would be fatal. This approach aims to make the martial concepts handed down by tradition living and applicable.

Hōki-ryū 伯耆流 was founded in the late Muromachi period by Katayama Hōki-no-kami Fujiwara Hisayasu (1575–1650). It encompassed a vast curriculum including kenjutsu, iaijutsu, bōjutsu, and jojutsu, and is particularly known for its iaijutsu (居合術) techniques—the art of drawing and immediately using the blade. Much of the ancient curriculum and various lines of transmission of the school were lost during World War II; a reconstruction effort is currently underway led by the present generation of the school, headed by Master Nakashima Atsumi.

Shinken Shobu Ryu independently positions itself within this tradition of research, recovering and innovating several salient features of Hōki-ryū, including:

Master Davide Pollione's Shinken Shōbu Ryū offers an accessible and modern approach to Kenjutsu while keeping deep roots directly tied to the tradition of 17th-century samurai schools.

"The greatest effort is in following the image of how we want to be, losing awareness of what we are instead, because we are, often, much more than what we would like to be.” - Master D. Pollione

Aikido

In 1917, Master Ueshiba Morihei after graduated from the school of Daito Ryu and studied different forms of Jujitsu, acquired different techniques and theoretical ideas from other disciplines, became aware of the difficulties to disclosing a martial art combat-oriented only. He thought that the ideals to following the way, the "DO", were more suited to a modern society. So in 1938 he began teaching his new "way of divine harmony": the Aikido.
Aikido is considered a modern martial art, although Ueshiba has formed on a classic concept, giving much emphasis to the study of techniques and their refinement resulting in a more spiritual education of the student, instead of discouraging the competitive aspect of practice.
Aikido is purely defensive and its techniques are soft and elegant and its most important aspect is the relationship between body and mind. Aikido is purely defensive and its techniques are soft and elegant and its most important aspect is the relationship between body and mind. The movements are circular and resulting from a reaction to an attack, channeling the energy of the same attack against the aggressor, in this way even the most violent attack is part of a natural pattern and is neutralized. Must be considered that each technique is applied with no desire to hurt or cause serious damage to the opponent because the important part of Aikido is the realization of "KI".
Master Ueshiba, during his travels in China, coming in contact with the internal Kung Fu schools , has taken the basic principles developed in his art. Although the techniques of Aikido, on a practical level, have little in common with the Taijiquan or the Ba Gua, their profound essence is similar.

“The secret of Aikido is not like moving your feet, but how you move your mind.” - Master Ueshiba Morihei