The term "internal training" (or "internal power") has become more and more fashionable during the past few years within Aikido circles, especially those who regularly visit fora and other online resources. Based on my personal experience (admittedly partial), I tend to think that there is often little more behind those terms than an intent to repackage and re-brand things that have been taught for years, but into a more fashionable way. Same setup, same tricks, and same over compliance of uke.

Anyone with an interest in Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu will be aware of its two main study groups, the one from Hokkaido operated by the successors of Takeda Tokimune, and the one in Kansai, run by the students of the famous Takuma Hisa, the only recipient of the Menkyo Kaiden from the hands of Takeda Sokaku.

The influence of Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu in the development of Aikido is now fairly well know and understood. This has led some Aikido practitioners to focus their attention towards learning the Daito-ryu techniques in order to complete what they might regard as a certain lack in nowadays' Aikido teaching. Among these, Olivier Gaurin, a long time student at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo and author of several books on Aikido decided to continue in Mr Pranin's footsteps, to learn the ancient techniques and to promote them to the Aikido public. I had been aware of Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu for many years through the work of Stanley Pranin but it is Olivier Gaurin who introduced me to the Daito-ryu teachers of the Takumakai school and it wasn't long before we both decided to document our experience, which eventually came under the form of this documentary.