Pedagogy
Whether taught at an Aikikai or Iwama Shin-Shin Aiki Shuren-kai school, Iwama style Aikido tends to be highly codified. Weapons training, including kata, is stressed. Techniques are generally practiced first from a static grab and footwork is often broken up into numbered steps. In addition weapons work involves many repetitions of suburi and paired practice is practiced with a pause between each movement until students are relatively advanced.
A great deal of emphasis is placed on a stable hanmi or stance in Iwama style aikido. To this end uke will often test nage's stance by pushing against nage in a number of directions during a pin or during a pause in static practice of a technique. Also, footwork is often practiced at the start of class and exercises pairing footwork with weapons is common (e.g. happo-giri)
Every class in a Iwama style dojo begins with tai-no-henko and morotedori kokyuu-ho and ends with kokyuu-dosa.
Read more about this topic: Iwama Style