Budo Reading: "Uchidachi & Shidachi"

Here's a link to an article on Koryu.com, titled "Uchidachi & Shidachi" by Nishioka Tsuneo Sensei, a direct student of Shimizu Takaji (with an intro by Diane Skoss).  It's an interesting read on the relationship between Uchidachi and Shidachi, as well as their importance to Jodo and Budo.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

"The roles of uchidachi as senior and shidachi as junior are preserved regardless of the actual respective experience levels of the pair. Kata must be practiced so that trainees learn both to give and to receive. This is what makes technical improvement and spiritual development possible. Unfortunately, in jo practice, people sometimes think that they practice both roles merely to memorize the sequential movements of the two different weapons, tachi and jo. There are even some instructors who teach that the aim of Shinto Muso-ryu jojutsu is to learn how to defeat a sword with a stick. This is an error. If it continues, kata bujutsu may die out, because both the technique and the spirit of uchidachi will not improve."

For the full article, please follow this link: "Uchidachi & Shidachi" by Nishioka Tsuneo Sensei