Aikido Founder Morihei (Moritaka) Ueshiba
“Aikijujutsu Densho” AKA “Budo Renshu”, 1934

From the early 1920’s through the end of World War II Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba used the name “Moritaka” – a name he received through his relationship with Onisaburo Deguchi (出口王仁三郎), from the word “shukou” (“Moritaka” can also be read “shukou”) that appeared in Deguchi Seishi’s Norito (祝詞, “Shinto prayers”).

The actual voice of Onisaburo Deguchi chanting Shinto prayers

It was during this time period that he published the books “Budo” (1938) and “Budo Renshu” (1933), which both appeared under the name “Moritaka Ueshiba” (植芝守高).

The last page of “Aikijujutsu Densho” (“Budo Renshu”) showing its
status as a licensing document, issued in Showa year 9 (1934).
Signed “Ueshiba Moritaka” and stamped (top right) “Aikijujutsu”.

“Budo” was originally created for Prince Kaya Tsunenori, a member of a collateral branch of the imperial family. Kayanomiya would eventually become Superintendant of the Army Toyama School – where Morihei Ueshiba would act as an instructor before the war. An English edition (“Budo: Teachings of the Founder of Aikido“), translated by John Stevens, was published in 1991, and a separate edition -“Budo: Commentary on the 1938 Training Manual of Morihei Ueshiba“, translated by Sonoko Tanaka and Stanley Pranin, was published in 1999.

“Budo Renshu” (published in English under the name “Budo Training in Aikido“), published in 1933, was given to select students as a teaching license. Unlike “Budo”, which is composed of still photographs of Morihei Ueshiba demonstrating technique, “Budo Renshu” is composed of pictures hand drawn by Takako Kunigoshi, a student at Morihei Ueshiba’s Kobukan Dojo who began training shortly before her graduation from Japan Women’s Fine Arts University. This was also discussed in the article “Three Doka and the Aiki O-Kami“.

“Budo Renshu” also contains detailed written explanations of the forms and principles of Morihei Ueshiba’s art that were largely complied and edited by Kenji Tomiki, one of Morihei Ueshiba’s senior students who began training at the Kobukan Dojo in Tokyo around 1926.

More information about Tomiki Sensei is available in the articles “Kenji Tomiki: Judo Taiso – a method of training Aiki no Jutsu through Judo principles” and “Aikido Shihan Kenji Tomiki’s Goshinjutsu“.

In 1954 Morihei Ueshiba published “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi”, edited by Ni-Dai Doshu Kisshomaru (Koetsu) Ueshiba. This book, which was not publicly distributed (but is available here), duplicates most of the text and many of the drawings that first appeared in the 1933 publication “Budo Renshu”. That is to say – this book demonstrates that the technical explanations, both written and graphical, and the descriptions of principles that Morihei Ueshiba taught were the same in 1954 as they were in 1933, when the art was called “Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu”.

The document that will be available for download below, as well as the rest of the content on this site, is provided free of charge as a service to the community, and will continue to remain free of charge. You can help support this project by contributing a little bit to help support our efforts. Every donation (even $1) is greatly appreciated and helps to cover our server and bandwidth costs, and the time involved. The more support that we get the more interesting new content we can get out there!

By donating you also help support our efforts at Aikido Hawaii, which has provided a state-wide resource for all Aikido in Hawaii, regardless of style or affiliation, for almost twenty years.

Thanks,
Chris

The edition of “Budo Renshu” that will be available for download below is presented courtesy of Scott Burke, who lives in Fukuoka, but often comes to Hawaii to join the local Sangenkai workshops. He was also generous enough to provide scanned copies of “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi” and “Kenji Tomiki: Judo Taiso – a method of training Aiki no Jutsu through Judo principles“. It was issued by Morihei (Moritaka) Ueshiba in Showa year 9 – 1934.

The cover of “Aikijujutsu Densho”

As you may have noted above, the actual title on the cover of the book is not “Budo Renshu” (武道練習), but rather “Aikijujutsu Densho” (合気柔術伝書).

The book opens with a formal portrait of the founder (above) and includes photos of Morihei Ueshiba demonstrating Happo Bunshin (八方分身) at the Kobukan Dojo in Ushigome (Wakamatsu-vho) that opened in 1931. The technique he was showing was included in the Daito-ryu scrolls issued in that same year.

If you look closely, the person the second from the right in both photographs is none other than Aikido 9th Dan Rinjiro Shirata, who was known as the “Kobukan Prodigy”.

Happo bunshin – second from right in both photos:
Rinjiro Shirata Sensei (白田林次郎)

Shirata Sensei was one of the few post-war Aikido instructors to have received copies of both “Budo Renshu” and “Budo” directly from Morihei Ueshiba before the war.

Here’s a little interlude about Ichiro Shibata’s experiences when he encountered Rinjiro Shirata in 1977 (from “It Had To Be Felt #21: Shibata Ichiro: A Lean and Hungry Look“, by Ellis Amdur: ):

Another day that I vividly recall was during the first International Aikido Federation consolidation in, I believe, 1977. That morning, instead of Doshu, Shirata Rinjiro sensei taught class. There were easily one hundred and fifty people on the mat. Shirata sensei was allotted one and one-half hours. The majority of the students were foreign, with a particularly numerous French contingent, many of whom had high dan rankings. Shirata sensei had a very quiet demeanor, very gentle, very humble. The manners of French students were particularly appalling. Shirata sensei bowed in and started warm-ups. Many of these high-ranking Europeans started engaging in conversations, ignoring the warm-ups (these were not the dojo regulars — these were representatives of national organizations, many of whom ranked each other, who behaved with all the uncouth gaucherie of a United Nations bureaucrat with diplomatic immunity). After fifteen minutes (this was one of those “hidden in plain sight” moments — he did some solo exercises that, as poorly as I remember, I’d never seen before), Shirata sensei took a bokken. He started speaking about shihonage, underscoring what an important technique it was, and demonstrated shihogiri with the bokken. With surely a chuckle — well aware that the majority of those in the class were dismissing him merely because he was unknown to them – he said, “I’m sorry, I don’t know much about the sword. Osensei developed a lot of things after I studied with him.” The French kept talking, something that Shirata sensei ignored. I made a small mark at this point, because two of these six dans were standing, conversing in front of me, in the front row of the serried ranks of students <yes, standing!> while he was teaching, and enraged, I grabbed both of them by the koshiita of their hakama and slammed them into seiza, like cracking a whip. They whirled around and I said, “Shut the f**k up.” Cross-cultural communication — they understood my English! — and they turned around, bustling like a couple of broody hens on their knees. I suddenly felt a hard poke in my back. I turned around, ready for some kind of Gallic expostulations, and there was Waka-sensei (Moriteru), giggling with a big grin on his face.

Then Shirata sensei called Shibata-san out for ukemi. It didn’t start out well. The class was over one-half hour old, the old man had just done warm-ups and a “simple” set of sword swings, and he hadn’t exerted any authority over the class. Shibata-san, perhaps, can be forgiven, in that he reached out, in bored fashion, to take what he apparently assumed was a nice, apparently ineffectual old guy’s arm. I should mention that Shirata sensei’s hands were huge, like rhododendron bushes hanging from massive wrists. Imagine Shibata-san sticking out an arm towards the west. Shirata-sensei went further west. And further. I believe he covered one 1/3 the width of the Aikikai’s mat. Shibata-san’s face was like that of Wiley Coyote in the Roadrunner cartoons when he realizes that the rope he took hold of was attached to an anvil that had just been dropped off a cliff. The final cut of Shirata sensei’s shihonage was like Itto-ryu’s primordial cut: perfectly centered, from sky to ground, except he was cutting with a human being in his hands instead of a sword. Shibata-san made one of the most magnificent recoveries I’ve ever seen. I truly thought his arm was going to be ripped off his body, but he managed, with two huge strides and a dive to get around in time to take a thunderous breakfall. Shirata sensei threw him three more times, Shibata-san taking impeccable ukemi now, and he got up, a man in love. Others of us felt the same, both for the deserved come-uppance of our well-liked, but feared sempai, and also for this unknown-to-us, titanically powerful old man. Unbelievably, though, many of the French were still talking, casually strolling off the mat, even as Shirata sensei demonstrated another technique. Shibata-san, who, I’m sure, had been fuming at their behavior already, launched himself like an out-of-orbit comet managing a multiple attack of the entire Western world. Well, actually, he attacked the entire Western world. He was sweeping around the mat, jumping in to a pair of practicing foreigners, and grabbing one after another, launching them through the air, off the mat onto the wooden runway, or literally splattering them against the walls, then moving on to another pale-skinned pair and doing the same. It was like watching a fin-nipper in an aquarium, with all the guppies swirling away every time he drew near, one after another caught and mangled. Then, all of a sudden, he grabbed me, and spinning, wound up to throw me right into a wall. I managed to step inside him and turn, an inward tai-no-henko, spun him another half turn, and with our momentum, his back slammed against the wall. His eyes were blank and he raised a fist, but before he knocked me out, I grabbed his shoulders and yelled, “Shibata-san, Ore da! Ore da!” (It’s me! It’s me!). He shook himself like a wolf throwing off water, patted me on the shoulder and in English, said in a merry tone, “Oh, I’m sorry!” and spun away, grabbed another Frenchman and sent him flying.

The last half-hour of the class was much better behaved, I must say. Shirata sensei simply continued, unperturbed throughout the entire time, as if to say, “I’m simply here doing what I’m doing. If you want to pay attention, you are welcome.”

Just one more interesting note before we get to the download…..it is immediately apparent from comparing the post-war versions of “Budo Renshu” that were published by the Aikikai and Ni-Dai Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba (published in English under the name “Budo Training in Aikido“) to the original edition that in the post-war version many of the drawings have been re-traced. This is most-likely because they were working from photocopies or other low quality copies of the original work. What is interesting, is that many of the people in the post-war drawings appear to be….happier!

Original version – stern and focused Kobukan practitioners
Note the downturned eyebrows

Post-war version – happy Aikikai practitioners

And now, the full scanned PDF version of the 1934 “Aikijujutsu Densho” AKA “Budo Renshu”:

• “Aikijujutsu Densho” AKA “Budo Renshu” (Dropbox – PDF format / 11.8 MB)
• “Aikijujutsu Densho” AKA “Budo Renshu” (Aikido Sangenkai Server – PDF format / 11.8 MB)

Enjoy!

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Aikijujutsu Densho – AKA Budo Renshu, by Moritaka Ueshiba appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Ushiro technique – Gozo Shioda and Morihei Ueshiba in “Budo”, 1938

First there was “Budo Renshu” (武道練習) in 1933 (published in English under the name “Budo Training in Aikido“), which was given to select students at Moritaka Ueshiba’s pre-war Kobukan Dojo as a teaching license. This work includes pictures of techniques hand drawn by Takako Kunigoshi and explanatory text assembled and edited primarily by Kenji Tomiki.

Ushiro technique – “Budo Renshu”, 1933

At the time of its publication and through the end of World War II Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba used the name “Moritaka” – a name he received through his relationship with Onisaburo Deguchi (出口王仁三郎), from the word “shukou” (“Moritaka” can also be read “shukou”) that appeared in Deguchi Seishi’s Norito (祝詞, “Shinto prayers”).

Don’t worry if you don’t have a copy, the PDF formatted version is freely downloadable from “Aikijujutsu Densho – AKA Budo Renshu, by Moritaka Ueshiba”

Ushiro technique – “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi”, 1954

In 1954 Morihei Ueshiba published “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi”, edited by Ni-Dai Doshu Kisshomaru (Koetsu) Ueshiba. This book duplicated many of the pictures and most of the text of the earlier 1933 manual “Budo Renshu”.

Again, don’t worry if you don’t have a copy, the PDF formatted version is freely downloadable from “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi – O-Sensei’s First Book on Aikido“.

Thank you for visiting the Aikido Sangenkai blog. You can show your appreciation and support the distribution of more free content by donating today!

Thanks,
Chris

In between the above two works, in 1938, Morihei Ueshiba privately published another book, a technical manual called “Budo”, for Prince Tsunenori Kaya, who was one of his students at the time. This manual was (re) discovered entirely by accident in 1981 when Aikido Journal editor Stanley Pranin was shown a copy by Zenzaburo Akazawa during the course of conducting an interview.

Zenzaburo Akazawa with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba, 1938
Morihei Ueshiba’s wife Hatsu, center
Morihei Ueshiba’s daughter Matsuko, kneeling
Matsuko was once married to Morihei Ueshiba’s 
one-time successor Kiyoshi Nakakura

A loose translation of “Budo” was published in English under the name “Budo: Teachings of the Founder of Aikido” by John Stevens. There is also a commentary by Morihiro Saito published under the name “Budo: Commentary on the 1938 Training Manual of Morihei Ueshiba“.

I’ve discussed parts of this book before, in articles such as “Morihei Ueshiba, Budo and Kamae” (if you’re interested, the injunctions about “six directions” in “Budo” are repeated in “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi”) and the following parts two and three.

Strangely enough, “Budo” has never been published in Japanese (wthe Morihiro Saito commentary contains both Japanese and English, but omits much of the original text).

Do I have to say “don’t worry if you don’t have a copy”? Well don’t, because the PDF formatted version of the 1938 technical manual will be freely downloadable below. This is the Japanese version, of course, so you may want to refer to the two editions above with regards to the English translation and commentary. This copy was originally posted by Eric Grousilliat on his French language Budo Shugyosha blog.

Like “Budo Renshu”, “Budo” was often distributed to students as a licensing document.

The Last Page of “Budo”

On the last page of “Budo”, displayed above, we can see that this copy was issued by Moritaka Ueshiba in 1938 as a licensing document. The text on the right confirms that this document certifies the transmission of “Ogi no Koto” (奥義之事 / “Inner Mysteries”). This may likely be in imitation of the Daito-ryu “Hiden Ogi no Koto” scrolls that Morihei Ueshiba both received from his instructor Sokaku Takeda and distributed to students such as Kenji Tomiki and Minoru Mochizuki.

In comparing the three volumes, you will see that the techniques from “Budo Renshu” carry through to “Budo” and then carry through to “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi“.

“Budo Renshu” – 1933

“Budo” – 1938

“Aikido Maki-no-Ichi” – 1954

If you chance to examine and compare the text of the three volumes, which give very detailed and complete explanations of Morihei Ueshiba’s technical principles, you will find something similar – the textual explanations are consistent and continuous across all three volumes.

This is significant because it shows that what Morihei Ueshiba was teaching in 1954 was the same as what he was teaching in 1933 and in 1938. It shows that five years after he told Morihiro Saito in Iwama (in 1949) that he had “completed” Aikido…he was still distributing the same material, containing the same explanations and the same techniques that had given his students in 1933 – when they were firmly students of Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu.

Further, we have Morihiro Saito’s repeated testimony that what the Founder taught him in Iwama in the 1960’s most closely resembled what appears in the publication “Budo”, from 1938.

Morihiro Saito references the 1938 teaching manual “Budo”

“I once doubted that Saito Sensei’s methods were closely rooted in O-Sensei’s teachings because of the apparent differences in their execution of techniques. I based myself on the Founder’s demonstrations in the films from his final years where he performed very few techniques, many of them involving little contact with his uke. On the other hand, Saito Sensei’s aikido was precise, martial and technically diverse. However, I was forced to reevaluate my opinion on this key point following the discovery of O-Sensei’s 1938 technical manual “Budo” where photos of several key basic techniques are virtually identical to the aikido forms taught by Saito Sensei in Iwama. My later exposure to the more than 1,000 photos from the Noma Dojo series of 1935 reinforced this change in my thinking.”
– Stanley Pranin, Aikido Journal editor
“The Iwama Aikido Conundrum“

There is another important person, Takuma HIsa, who had a chance to compare the teachings of his two instructors – Daito-ryu Chuku-no-so Sokaku Takeda and Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba:

Takeda’s instruction gave Hisa the chance to compare the techniques that he had been taught for the previous three years (1933-1936) by Ueshiba with those taught by Takeda. His conclusion was that they were the same—meaning that Ueshiba had not by that time significantly modified or evolved what he had been taught by Takeda. In later years, Hisa was adamant about Ueshiba’s and Takeda’s techniques being identical. He stated this clearly at a round table talk, “When Tomiki came to Osaka to teach aiki-bujutsu to the Asahi people, the techniques that both master Ueshiba and Takeda taught were the same. Definitely the same. Master Ueshiba should say that he was taught them by master Takeda. He should say that it was Daitoryu. But he never said that. Mr. Tomiki (who also traveled from Tokyo to Osaka to teach Ueshiba’s system at the Asahi dojo) knows this, doesn’t he. But Ueshiba never said it.” And Tomiki answered, “Definitely not. ‘I [Ueshiba] established everything…[smiling mysteriously]’. However old martial artists would often do that way.” [Shishida (Ed.), 1982, p.1]

“The Process of Forming Aikido and Japanese Imperial Navy Admiral Isamu Takeshita: Through the analysis of Takeshita’s diary from 1925 to 1931”
 – Fumiaki Shishida (Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan)

The explanations of principle and technique showing what Takuma HIsa learned in 1933 (“Budo Renshu”) are repeated in 1938 (“Budo”), which Morihiro Saito testified was what Morihei Ueshiba was teaching in Iwama in the 1950’s and 1960’s. This is supported by the fact that the identical explanations and techniques appear in 1954 (“Aikido Maki-no-ichi”), in a volume distributed by Morihei Ueshiba long after the war.

All of this lends further support to the argument that the radical phase change to the technical core of Aikido that is so commonly accepted to have occurred after the war…never happened. Or perhaps, it happened, but not at the behest of Morihei Ueshiba.

There is a discussion of this issue in “The Ueshiba Legacy, by Mark Murray” which you may like to read if you find this interesting.

One last tidbit before we proceed to the download…

“Kannagara no Budo – Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden”, 1942

Here we have the same technique appearing in Takuma HIsa’s “Kannagara no Budo – Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden”, published in 1942. Takuma Hisa received Menkyo Kaiden in Daito-ryu from Sokaku Takeda in 1939. Interestingly, he gives there the same exact explanation (word for word) about Shomenuchi in this book about Daito-ryu that Morihei Ueshiba gave in “Budo Renshu” in 1933…which is also the same exact word for word explanation that appears in “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi” in 1954.

“Strike while exercising the technique of the unity of opposites (陰陽合致) in the hand-sword.”

The “opposites” above are, translated more literally, “In” and “Yo”, “Yin” and “Yang”, the core principles that suffuse so much of Morihei Ueshiba’s explanations, and form the basis for Chinese martial arts and cosmology. Interesting in and of itself, but it is also interesting that the bulk of the explanation of principle and technique through this entire book about Daito-ryu…duplicates the text in Morihei Ueshiba’s 1933 and 1938 manuals, and that the same explanations that appear in Morihei Ueshiba’s 1954 manual.

And now, the full scanned PDF version of the 1938 technical manual “Budo”, by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba:

• “Budo – 1938” (Dropbox – PDF format / 12.8 MB)
• “Budo – 1938” (Aikido Sangenkai Server – PDF format / 12.8 MB)

Enjoy!

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Budo – Moritaka Ueshiba’s 1938 Technical Manual appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Mamoru Okada Sensei (岡田主), 1921-2014

This is another of a type of essay that I really enjoy reading – memories of meeting and training with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba from the perspective of ordinary students. In this essay Mamoru Okada recounts his memories of meeting Morihei Ueshiba in Osaka in 1949, after seeing him at a public demonstration held for members of the Nishi Health System. Interestingly, it appears that the Founder was already making regular trips to the Kansai area at that time.

Okada Sensei would go on to establish the Aikido Nobi Dojo (合気道野比道場) in Yokosuka in August 1980, and passed away in 2014 – a seventh dan in the Aikikai.

If you enjoy this type of essay you may also enjoy “Mr. Kimura’s Aikido Memories” (Part 1 |Part 2) – which presents memories of training with Morihei Ueshiba at the pre-war Kobukan Dojo in 1942, and “Aikido and Me – Training with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba” – which presents memories of training with Morihei Ueshiba in Osaka in the 1960’s.

Osaka Central Public Hall, 1951

Mamoru Okada – Me and Aikido

– Translated by Christopher Li

The first time that I saw a demonstration by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba Sensei was in March of Showa year 24 (1949), at a lecture held by the Nishi Health System (西式健康法) at the Osaka Central Public Hall (大阪中之島中央公会堂).

Koichi Tohei on his way to Hawaii in 1953

Translator’s Note: Katsuzo Nishi created a series of exercises in 1927 that he named the “Nishi Health System”. He was also a student of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba, who adopted some of those exercises into his warm-up exercise routines. The Nishikai (the organization formed around the Nishi Health System) was instrumental in inviting Koichi Tohei to Hawaii in 1953.

Two of the Nishi Health System exercises
Kingyo Undo (“goldfish exercise”) and Hifuku Undo (“dorsal-ventral exercise”)

That day, after the regular lecture by Katsuzo Nishi Sensei (the founder of the Nishi Health System), there was a special demonstration by Morihei Ueshiba Sensei, so that the members of the Nishikai would be able to see his exquisite skills in Aikido for themselves.

Katsuzo Nishi demonstrates the “Hifuku Undo” (背腹運動) exercise

Nishi Sensei had a long friendship with the Founder, and was even on the board of directors for the Aikikai. I was twenty-seven years old and employed by Harima Dock Co., Ltd. (later to merge with Tokyo’s Ishikawa Heavy Industries and become the IHI Corporation) in Aioi City in Hyogo Prefecture. Influenced by my parents, I had admired Nishi Sensei since the time that I was a child, and that day we took about three and a half hours to come all the way from Aioi City to attend the lecture. During his lectures Nishi Sensei would often say “Aikido is surely true Budo, the movements of Morihei Ueshiba Sensei’s techniques can be likened to a tetrahedron composed of equilateral triangles, and the Nishi Health System has also incorporated the theoretical system of that structure, it is used on our association emblem. Compared to other structures, a tetrahedron composed of equilateral triangles provide the greatest level of strength for the smallest volume, and can be said to be the most efficient. I think that everybody should certainly experience Aikido at least once.” – and on that day he gave all of the members that chance.

The Nishi Health System emblem and an explanation of
the four primary elements – nutrition, skin, mind (in the center) and limbs

I attended together with my parents, and I remember being deeply impressed to see the exquisite flow of the Founder’s techniques for the first time. At the demonstration it was announced that there would be a special training workshop held beginning the next day at the Sonezaki Police Station in Umeda in Osaka, so the three of us decided to participate. There were many participants at the workshop, which was held over the period of a week, and the Founder instructed even us beginners with kindness.

“Running water never spoils”
Calligraphy by Nishi Health System Founder Katsuzo Nishi

We immediately applied to become students, and our names were entered into the student register that the Founder carried with him. He did this publicly as soon as we were accepted as students. At the time we also had a house in Rokko, in Kyoto City, and we traveled to training from there. When we returned home we practiced the shiho-nage technique that we had been taught that day with each other, repeating our training through trial and error.

My father came from a farming family and had a business selling seeds and seedlings. My mother was the daughter of a fishmonger and had graduated from a women’s teaching college, she was working as a teacher at an elementary school. I was an older child with no idea what it would be like to have siblings. From my childhood my mother would tell me tales of great heroes instead of fairy tales.

For example, Yamato Takeru (日本武尊), Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源 義経), Kusunoki Masashige (楠木 正成), Kimura Shigenari (木村重成), Sanada Yukimura (真田 幸村), Araki Mataemon (荒木又衛門), Toju Nakae (中江藤樹), Yoshida Shoin (吉田松陰), Sakamoto Ryoma (坂本龍馬), Saigo Takamori (西郷隆盛), and others. It might be thought that this is what germinated my yearning for the sword. Wanting to learn Kendo even one day sooner, when I was a fifth year student in elementary school I asked my mother to take me to ask advice from someone who worked at the same school where she was employed and excelled at Kendo. That teacher advised me “Your body hasn’t developed yet, and you still have to deal with your middle school entrance examinations, so it would be better for you to learn Kendo after you enter middle school.”. I felt deflated, but I waited impatiently until the day that I would become a middle school student.

Happily, in April of Showa year 9 (1934) I was able to enter Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Middle School #1. I was a fresh first year student, unused to the khaki colored uniforms and the white furoshiki that we used at the school, but I immediately went to visit the after-school Kendo dojo inside the school and applied to join. There were a number of sempai lined up around the entrance to the dojo, but I was permitted to join and became a member of the Kendo club. I was filled with happiness, and from then on I would train every day, plunging myself in a life dedicated to the sword.

Thank you for visiting the Aikido Sangenkai blog. You can show your appreciation and support the distribution of more free content by donating today!

Thanks,
Chris

In Showa year 14 (1939) I went to school at Kobe Kotoku Kogyo’s mechanical engineering department (now Kobe University’s engineering department), and at the end of Showa year 16 (1941) I received an accelerated graduation due to the outbreak of the war in the Pacific. In October of Showa year 17 (1942) I enlisted in the army, and until August of Showa year 20 (1945) I worked on the front line of domestic defense as an aviation mechanic.

After the war I entered Harima Dock Co., Ltd. of Aioi City in Hyogo Prefecture and returned to my life as a member of society.

When I was in middle school and vocational school I would sometimes travel for Kendo tournaments – the joy of victory and the teeth-grinding agony of defeat were both repeated uncounted times. After I entered the Harima Dock Co., Ltd. I joined the Kendo club, and traveled to tournaments and participated in company competitions. In November of Showa year 16 (1941), before graduating from Kobe Kotoku Kogyo, I received a san-dan certificate from the Dai Nippon Butokukai (大日本武徳会), and after the war I received go-dan in April of Showa year 31 (1956) and then a Renshi certificate in December of Showa year (1959) from the All Japan Kendo Federation (大日本剣道連盟). So, I felt that I was able to realize a little bit of the dreams of the sword from my childhood.

The Founding of the All Japan Kendo Federation, 1952
Morihei Ueshiba’s close friend Nakayama Hakudo, center-right

However, I cannot doubt that being able to meet Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba was a turning point in my path of the sword, and along with my contact with Katsuzo Nishi Sensei was the biggest turning point in my life.

At the time the Founder was living in the dojo in Iwama, in Ibaraki, or at the Hombu Dojo in Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. Every month, or every other month he would come to Kansai (Western Japan) for one or two weeks, and instruct workshops for the students there. I still hadn’t found a good place to train, so I trained intermittently by grasping those opportunities. There was a workshop held at the Nagata Police Station. I believe that the majority of the participants were teachers of the Nishi Health System or were Nishi Health System members. It was at this time that I met Aritomo Murashige Sensei (村重有利) and received instruction from him.

Translator’s Note: Aritomo Murashige (1895-1964) was a student of Morihei Ueshiba from around 1931, and also studied Judo with Jigoro Kano and Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu along with Minoru Mochizuki. He was the first person to bring Aikido to Burma (Myanmar), in 1953, as part of the Japanese government’s program of compensation for their WWII occupation. Murashige Sensei was active during WWII – one person is known to have said “When one came near him it felt as if there was a rain of blood”.

Seigo Yamaguchi (left) with Aritomo Murashige (right) in Myanmar

In between training sessions the Founder would speak about Omoto-kyo – before the war he went to China with Onisaburo Degushi Seishi (the Founder of Omoto-kyo), fought with mounted bandits and was arrested together. They were rescued miraculously at the last instant, just as they were ready to give up their lives – he made a great presentation to Murashige Sensei and the other students.

Under arrest in Mongolia
Onisaburo Deguchi (second from left) with Morihei Ueshiba (third from left)

Soon after that Murashige Sensei was sent to teach in Burma, and then I heard that he passed away in a traffic accident. It’s a sad thing. There was also training at the house of Mr. Ishimi in Osaka (the older brother of the current mayor of Himeji City), I think that there were about fifteen tatami mats, and I also participated in that training.

Also, I followed the Founder to Isaburo Tanaka (田中伊三郎 / also called 万川 / Bansen Tanaka) Sensei’s dojo in Suita City and was able to train a little there.

I’m sorry for talking about personal matters, but while my mother was a woman she was also extremely decisive, and she was overflowing with a desire to seek the truth. Throughout her entire life she followed that path, it wouldn’t be too much to say that she would learn from great personages whenever she encountered them, from the very beginning to the very end. In my mother’s later years she gave me five photographic portraits and told me to hang them up in the tatami room of my home. They were the Founder Ueshiba Sensei, Katsuzo Nishi Sensei, Hideo Sonobe (園部 秀雄) – the Soke of Jikishinkage-ryu Naginata (a woman) , Masataro Sawayanagi (澤柳政太郎 – the former president of Kyoto University), and one more person – the Jodo Shinshu follower Shiro Tsuyama (津山四郎). Since then, in our home every morning and evening our entire family sits in front of the altar and, after praying to the Buddhas, pays their respects to the photographs of those five great personages.

In front of the Shinbuden Dojo
at Kenkoku Daigaku in Manchukuo (occupied Manchuria)
Kenji Tomiki and Morihei Ueshiba center,
Hideo Ohba in back row – second from left
Shigenobu Okumura in back row – second from right

Translator’s Note: It was Hideo Sonobe who commented on Morihei Ueshiba’s famous demonstration in 1939 with Hideo Ohba in Manchuria. Here is the story as told by Fumiaki Shishida (a student of Kenji Tomiki and a professor at Waseda University) in Ohba’s biography 

It was Hideo Ohba who took ukemi for Ueshiba for the demonstration. He later talked about this event as follows: “Since the Emperor of Manchuria was in an exalted position at that time like the Emperor of Japan, I thought I should not take ukemi for Ueshiba in the way I usually did. If Ueshiba Sensei were a true master, he could freely handle a true punch, thrust or grab. Therefore, I decided to attack him seriously. When we stood on the platform, I saw many martial arts masters present in the large dojo of the Shimbuden. When I glanced at Ueshiba Sensei, his beard was sticking out towards me, his hair was standing on end and his eyes were glittering. I thought to myself that he was indeed a true master. Then I concentrated on taking ukemi for him, thinking how different it was to face a master. After the demonstration, we bowed and sat in the corner of the dojo and were supposed to walk over to the seats where the masters were sitting. However, I heard someone thunder, ‘You idiot!’ Ueshiba Sensei was short-tempered. He couldn’t wait until we returned to our seats. He shouted at me in that way in front of everyone. Until then, I thought he was a wonderful and truly great master, but his shout made my spirit pop like a bubble. We sat down. Ueshiba Sensei didn’t even smile. He was in a bad mood. So I felt tiny. Who do you think showed up then? It was Hideo Sonobe who was said to be without peer in Japan or anywhere in the use of the Naginata. She came all the way up to where the masters were sitting while Iai and Naginata kata were being demonstrated one after another. She said, ‘Mr. Ueshiba I have never seen more wonderful techniques than what you showed today. They were fantastic!’ Ueshiba Sensei, who had been in a bad mood, asked her what part she liked. He asked me to find a place where they could talk and we all went down to the basement of the Shimbuden and they discussed the theory of martial arts for two hours. While I was listening to their discussion Ueshiba Sensei asked her what she liked and she replied that she liked the ‘connections’ (tsunagari) between techniques. However, I didn’t understand these connections. I understood that the Dai Nihon Butokukai [Kyoto-based organization which governed Japanese martial arts] then was having a hard time trying to decide who they should choose as the best swordsman of that year and had asked Sonobe Sensei for her opinion. When I heard Sonobe Sensei tell Ueshiba Sensei that she had never seen such wonderful techniques even though she had seen him demonstrate often, I decided to learn Naginata in order to search for these ‘connections.'”

Hideo would always recount this story to his students when he was in a good mood. One time I asked him the following question, “Sensei, when you attacked Ueshiba Sensei seriously, could he execute techniques like he usually did in his regular demonstrations?” Judging from the fact that he was scolded on that occasion, the answer was obvious. I asked this question because I wanted to confirm it. He answered, “Ueshiba sensei seemed to have a hard time executing techniques smoothly.”

I think that Tomiki sensei was critical of the fact that Ueshiba’s demonstrations became gradually softer. Tomiki’s belief was that such softness was a way of making the person throwing look good, and was different from how martial arts should be. This demonstration of Ueshiba and Ohba received the highest praise from a top martial artist because of Ohba’s serious attacks, and the fact that he refused to participate in a prearranged performance the way he normally would have. I think that behind this fact lies an important hint as to what aikido should be. There seem to be some people within the Japan Aikido Association who see that their kata demonstrations are different from the flowing demonstrations of other schools, and try to change them in that direction. However, things should be the opposite. I think what is important is that we should master each technique perfectly as did Ueshiba Sensei, and then try to achieve a connection or flow between techniques. Hideo’s experience taught us not only the limitation of Ueshiba’s techniques (one cannot throw someone in a dance-like manner), as well as his incredible mastery, but also how a demonstration should be.

Hideo Sonobe (sixth from right) at the Kobukan (光武館) Dojo around 1954

When she had the chance during a workshop at the Sonezaki Police Station my mother invited the Founder to visit us in Aioi City. This wasn’t something that any of us could have thought of, much less have been able to do. But the Founder consented and it came to pass. I think that it was around October of Showa year 24 (1949). We used the banquet hall of the Aioi Credit Union (相生信用組合) to gather Judo students and other people who were interested to view a demonstration by the Founder. As otomo (“attendants”) the Founder brought with him Tadashi Abe Sensei (阿部 正), who would later go to France as an instructor, Nariaki Hirano Sensei (平野成秋) from Tanabe City, and Mr. Oyama, who came from boxing (Translator’s Note: This may be Kunio Oyama, from Iwama.). Abe Sensei took ukemi for the demonstration. Thus it was that the light of Aiki shone even in the shipbuilding city of Aioi. We were especially grateful that the Founder stayed with us in our home while he was in Aioi.

When I think of all of our carelessness back then I feel ashamed. We served him a humble meal, which he ate cheerfully, and then after a short chat he introduced our family to the basics of suwari-waza shomenuchi ikkyo. He stayed with us for the night and the next day, after taking the time to watch us clear the fields and cultivate the land of our mountain farmland, he returned to Tokyo in the afternoon.

Later on around Showa year 33 (1958), during a trip to Kansai, the Founder stopped by my home. His otomo at the time were Nobuyoshi Tamura Shihan (田村信喜), who would spend many years teaching in France, and Seiichi Sugano Shihan (菅野誠一) who teaches in New York.

On that occurance he was only able to stay for a short time, so I believe that we served him lunch. I think that this was the time that the Founder said “Let me write something for you.”, and wrote “Masakatsu, Agatsu, Katsuhayahi, Takemusu Aiki, Tsunemori” (正勝、吾勝、勝速日、武産合気、常盛) for me on a piece of calligraphy paper. Aside from the name “Morihei”, the Founder would also use the name “Tsunemori” (常盛).

“Takemusu” calligraphy by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba
signed “Tsunemori”

I framed that calligraphy paper, and now it hangs in my Aikido Nobi Dojo. I hope that I can impress on my children that this is a family treasure of our household. We were honored that he would come to stay twice at the home of rank beginners. I often reflect deeply on the warm feelings of the Founder and I must continue to impress this on my children.

I, who had begun to burn with a passion for Aikido, somehow managed to get by until that one day in the summer of Showa year 24 (1949) when I went to visit the Founder in Iwama for the first time.

The Founder came to greet me cheerfully. It was also the first time that I had met his wife. I visited the Aiki Shrine and was able to hear the voice of the Founder as he prayed. After that he permitted me to join the training.

At that time Morihiro Saito Sensei (斉藤守弘) was serving as an uchi-deshi, and I also asked Saito Sensei for instruction. I was still a beginner, so I was completely absorbed. I believe that the dojo had a wooden floor. After being kindly entertained in the evening I stayed there for the night.

Early the next morning, after the Founder greeted the sun respectfully, we visited the Aiki Shrine, were we heard the Norito (“shinto prayers”) rising resonantly – it was an extremely refreshing feeling. If you could excuse me, many years have passed and some of the details have become fuzzy, so some of the details might be mistaken. I am trying to give you an outline of what it was really like, so please be forgiving.

So, that day the Founder was scheduled to go to Aikikai Hombu Dojo, so I accompanied him as his otomo. It was still not long after the war and Hombu Dojo was an old fashioned wooden building. The dojo was divided into a number of small rooms, and it appeared that there were a number of families living there. It was the first time that I met Ni-Dai Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba and his wife. I left Hombu Dojo that day after receiving much generous hospitality.

After that my mother also became enthusiastic about visiting the Iwama Dojo, so she took off for Iwama Village in Ibaragi Prefecture on her own from Aioi City in Hyogo Prefecture. When she transferred to the Joban Line at Ueno Station she saw a young person in a car and asked them the way to Iwama. Miraculously, that young person was training Aikido in Iwama at that time – his name was Mr. Yoshitomo Machida (町田良友), and he lived in Iwama at the time. Mr. Machida told my mother that he was training in Aikido, and took her to the Aikido dojo in Iwama so that my mother was able to meet the Founder and his wife there.

The meeting of Mr. Machida and my mother was certainly unexpected. My mother completed her journey to Iwama and returned home without incident. After telling us about her trip she told us something that the Founder had said – “It seems that you son is pursuing the path of Aiki with enthusiasm, if you leave him with me I can develop him into a professional.”, was the gist of it, I believe. My spirit was moved, but I had already followed the path of a mechanical technician and I had a responsibility to protect the livelihood of my family, so I couldn’t make such a bold decision and was unable to take advantage of the Founder’s kindness.

Mr. Machida was a university student at the time, and my mother asked him to help with some projects related the the Nishi Health System. As a result, he came to Kansai just for that and I was able to meet him face to face for the first time. Mr. Machida gave us a great deal of assistance during that time and we have remained friendly to this day.

Published in the Kobe University Technical Club (KTC) newsletter issue 72, March 1st 2011

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Mamoru Okada – Training with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Morito Suganuma Sensei faces dueling jugglers in Hilo Hawaii – 2013

Morito Suganuma (菅沼守人) was born in Fukushima, Japan in 1942. A regional pole vaulting champion in high school, he moved on to studying Aikido with Nobuyoshi Tamura in 1963 and then entered Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1967 as one of the last uchi-deshi to train there under Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

He is the head of Aikido Shoheijuku, which has a large number of Aikido dojo centered around the Fukuoka area of Kyushu, Japan, and was promoted to 8th Dan by the Aikikai in January 2001.

This is the first part of a two part interview with Suganuma Sensei that originally appeared in the January 2005 issue of Gekkan Hiden (月刊秘伝 / “Secret Teachings Monthly”), a well known martial arts magazine in Japan.

This interview was also published in a collection of interviews with students of the Founder published in Japanese as 開祖の横顔 (“Profiles of the Founder”) in 2009. There was a short introduction to this work in the article “Morihei Ueshiba – Profiles of the Founder“. A number of English translations of interviews from that collection appeared have appeared previously – Nobuyoshi Tamura Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Hiroshi Isoyama Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Shigenobu Okumura Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Nobuyuki Watanabe Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Masatake Fujita Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2) , Yoshimitsu Yamada Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Kanshu Sunadomari Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Hiroshi Kato Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2) and Yoshio Kuroiwa Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2).

Morito Suganuma (菅沼守人) Sensei

Interview with Aikido Shihan Morito Suganuma – Part 1

The Founder’s body was extremely soft.

Q: First, I would like to ask what first inspired you to learn Aikido.

A: At first it was because I read an article about O-Sensei in a magazine when I was in my sixth year of elementary school. After that, I enrolled at the physical education department (*Suganuma Sensei was a pole vaulter) at Juntendo University (順天堂大学 ), but I got injured and ended up enrolling at Asia University (亜細亜大学). There I was able to see the training of the Aikido club with my own eyes, and that was how I began Aikido. That was in Showa year 38 (1963).

Q: What was the instruction like at the university?

A: It was Nobuyoshi Tamura Sensei. Now he is teaching in France.

Q: When did you enroll at Hombu Dojo?

A: I enrolled as an uchi-deshi when I graduated in Showa year 42 (1967). Those who were there around the same time were Seishiro Endo Sensei (遠藤征四郎) and Masatake Fujita (藤田昌武). O-Sensei was 84 years old at the time, I learned from O-Sensei for the next two years, until he passed away.

Q: You were living in the dojo, not commuting from outside?

A: That was just at the time when they were rebuilding the dojo, so we rented rooms nearby. When they rebuilt the dojo they first began with O-Sensei’s living quarters, so O-Sensei would go back and forth between Iwama and Hombu Dojo, and would stay in the office of the old dojo. At those times we would massage O-Sensei’s fingers and shoulders until he went to sleep. So we would be with him the entire time from when he arose in the early morning until he retired in the evenings. We would wash his back in the bath.

Q: What was O-Sensei’s body like at the time?

A: When I saw him in the bath the muscles of his upper body were drooping down, and O-Sensei would joke “Look, wings!”. (laughing) In the past that had all been solid and firm, so I think that he must have had really thick arms and an extremely good physique.

Eiji Tamura’s drawing of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba

Q: Now that you mention it, there is a scroll with a drawing of O-Sensei’s body, isn’t there?

A: That was drawn by a famous artist, but that wasn’t a direct sketch, it was based on the artist’s image of O-Sensei with power in his body, a kind of symbolic image. When I touched his body in the bath his muscles were extremely soft, and when we did flexibility exercises before practice O-Sensei would stretch his body with the students for about thirty minutes. He was so soft that one could hardly believe that he was an old man of more than eighty years. When we did what is now called “Funakogi Undo” (船漕ぎ運動 – “rowing exercise”), but was previously called “Ame-no-torifune” (天之鳥船 – “Heavenly Bird Boat”), his movements were extremely soft.

Q: Funakogi Undo is an exercise unique to Aikido, isn’t it. What is its actual meaning?

A: One rows a boat in order to move forward, keeping their eyes turned towards their goal. O-Sensei often called this goal “A world of harmony and unity” (和と統一の世界), in other words, a world without conflict. Then as now, violence and war continue, but I believe that the meaning was for “everybody to row together” with the goal of asking for assistance through Aikido training that a world would come where all of the world’s people could join hands with each other.

Morito Suganuma demonstrating warm-up exercises

Q: Is that also the reason that we do warm-up exercises together?

A: Yes, it is. I think that this is an excellent method of creating the unified body that we seek in Aikido, in other words, a body in which the hands, waist and legs are made to operate together.

Q: Did you get concrete explanations from the Founder?

A: From a state in which the hands are open, close them firmly and pull them backwards. Conversely, there are exercises in which one thrusts the hands forward while closing and then opens them while pulling backwards. Also, we always practiced what was called “Furitama” (振魂 – “spirit shaking”), in which we clasped our hands in front of our abdomen and shook them. At this time the right hand was on the bottom and the left hand was on the top – in Kototama (言霊) the right represents the body and the left hand represents the mind. We were told “Place your mind on the foundation (the body)” (土台「身体」の上に霊を載せる).

Q: Are Funakogi Undo and Furitama practiced together as a set?

A: Yes, that’s right. O-Sensei would always do three sets, with each set consisting of three repititions of Funakogi Undo and one repitition of Furitama as a set.

A Hombu Dojo Bonenkai (Year-end Party). From right to left:
Masando Sasaki Shihan, Minoru Kurita Shihan, Shizuo Imaizumi Shihan
Yoshio Kuroiwa Shihan, Seishiro Endo Shihan, Yasuo Kobayashi Shihan
Morito Suganuma Shihan, Akira Tohei Shihan, Nobuyuki Watanabe Shihan
Nobuyoshi Tamura Shihan, Seijuro Masuda Shihan, Koretoshi Maruyama Shihan

Drawn into effortless technique.

Q: What was the Founder’s daily life and training like at the time?

A: When the current dojo was completed there was a simple Kamidana in O-Sensei’s room, so before each practice he would would always chant the Norito (Shinto prayers). Then he would go to the dojo. O-Sensei was someone who possessed a unique presence, and just by entering the dojo everything would stop – one sensed some kind of aura emitting from his entire body. The training was extremely severe, but there was kindness in that severity. For example, he was extremely skilled at letting you know where you ought to be, he was very careful about that kind of thing.

Q: What were your impressions of actually taking ukemi for the Founder?

A: O-Sensei’s techniques were completely effortless. Even when one was thrown the ukemi had a good feeling. It felt as if one were being absorbed. Even when it is the same technique, when one receives it from someone who has not mastered it there are odd times when there is pain and one has to endure certain things, but there was none of that. His movements were truly effortless. I was fortunate to have been able to receive O-Sensei’s techniques.

Q: I have heard that the Founder’s techniques were extremely fast…

A: Yes, they were fast. There are probably not very many people who can move that quickly at that age. During tai-sabaki his entire body would move in an instant – it was the same when he was using a staff or a sword.

Q: Did he use many weapons?

A: During practice, in addition to staff and sword, he would also use a folding fan. This may have also been used in place of a tessen (鉄扇 – “iron ribbed fan”), but O-Sensei always carried a folding fan and would often use it to instantly control opponents coming to strike with a sword.

Suganuma Sensei demonstrates Atemi in Irimi-nage

Q: I have certainly seen many photos of demonstration in which a folding fan was used to control a sword.

A: That’s right, those are movements that can also be used with a tessen or with a short sword. Also, he often demonstrated atemi with the folding fan. At the same time as he controlled his opponent’s attack in an instant, he would thrust with the folding fan, saying “Look – you enter here!”. For example, within the flowing movement of Irimi-nage there are a number of places where atemi can be inserted, but it’s so fast that they are difficult to understand, so he would explain them with the folding fan.

Demonstrating with a folding fan
Nobuyoshi Tamura taking ukemi for Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei
McKinley High School Aikido demonstration in 1961, Honolulu Hawaii

Q: I see. In your case, since you came in with the viewpoint of a competitor in the pole vault, didn’t you feel that there was some “vagueness” in Aikido?

A: I did feel that way sometimes. (laughing) However, during training in Kokyu-ho when O-Sensei grabbed both my wrists I was instantly unable to move. At the time O-Sensei was 158 centimers tall (5’2″) and he weighed less than sixty kilos (132 lbs), but just by holding me lightly I was completely unable to move. While actually touching hands with that O-Sensei and my sempai I began to feel “there’s a magnitude of difference”. For that reason I thought “I want to be like that someday” and that yearning grew stronger.

Q: There was some power other than just weight, wasn’t there?

A: It wasn’t a matter of my wrist hurting, or something like that. It felt as if he used his entire body so efficiently that my center was controlled. Things like Nikyo are certainly techniques that are effective against the wrists, but I think that is a technique that takes one part of your opponent and controls their entire body. So, by just applying a small amount of pain they become unable to move.

Q: One often hears that the technique of the Founder Ueshiba in his later years was extremely soft…

A: I wasn’t just being soft. It felt as if in each instant he would be able to move his body freely, and while there were times in which one felt as if they were being absorbed while being thrown, there were also times when one was held down firmly in place.

Q: So that is “complete freedom” (自由自在)? When one watches films of the Founder in his younger days one can see him holding down people firmly…

A: There are also some where he appears to run around in a rampage. (laughing) But I believe that O-Sensei’s techniques did not depart from the principles of nature. He moved as his mind directed and that became technique.

Q: I think that it must also be different depending upon the era during which one learned the Aikido transmitted by the Founder.

A: I think that is also an issue, but in the end I think that what is important is how each of the Shihan following him took in what they were given. Even Shihan who trained during the same era have different kinds of movement, and I don’t think that one can say which is correct and which is mistaken. If you have ten people none of them will be the same, I think it is the same as that.

To be continued in Part 2…

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Interview with Aikido Shihan Morito Suganuma – Part 1 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Morito Suganuma and Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba
“I show everybody the secrets everyday”

What I try to keep in mind is to follow O-Sensei’s teachings and philosophy, at least my understanding and interpretation of his teachings. I want to convey what O-Sensei himself taught to Aikido students. The most important thing, as O-Sensei used to say, is don’t get injured, don’t do wrong things, and don’t force techniques. Rather than show how strong you are, cultivate each other, and work together to show Aikido’s good techniques. This is how we become good Aikidoists. This is what O-Sensei said.

O-Sensei also used to say something like all the people in the world should work, hand in hand, to create or develop a peaceful world. This is how we help society to work to achieve the idea of this kind of world. I try to do this through Aikido. When I have a chance, I always tell this to Aikido students.

Interview with Morito Suganuma Shihan
USAF Eastern Region Summer Camp – August 2003

Living and training in Japan we would often say “Kobayashi in the east and Suganuma in the west” – referring to the large networks of Aikido schools established by Yasuo Kobayashi Sensei in eastern Japan and Morito Suganuma Sensei in western Japan.

In 1970, shortly after Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba passed away, Suganuma Sensei was dispatched to Fukuoka by Ni-Dai Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba as the Aikikai’s representative for the Kyushu area of Japan. Today the network of schools that he established boasts some 70 dojo and more than 4,000 students.

This is the second part of a two part interview with Suganuma Sensei that originally appeared in the January 2005 issue of Gekkan Hiden (月刊秘伝 / “Secret Teachings Monthly”), a well known martial arts magazine in Japan. You may wish to read Part 1 before reading this section.

This interview was also published in a collection of interviews with students of the Founder published in Japanese as 開祖の横顔 (“Profiles of the Founder”) in 2009. There was a short introduction to this work in the article “Morihei Ueshiba – Profiles of the Founder“. A number of English translations of interviews from that collection appeared have appeared previously – Nobuyoshi Tamura Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Hiroshi Isoyama Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Shigenobu Okumura Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Nobuyuki Watanabe Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Masatake Fujita Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2) , Yoshimitsu Yamada Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Kanshu Sunadomari Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Hiroshi Kato Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2) and Yoshio Kuroiwa Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2).

Morito Suganuma (菅沼守人) Sensei

Interview with Aikido Shihan Morito Suganuma – Part 2

“Shiai” (試合 – “competition) is “shiai” (死合 – ”joining in death”) – an exchange of lives.

Q: Were there many young people among the students at that time?

A: Yes, there were. The Giants coach Hiroshi Arakawa (*Translator’s note – 荒川博, mentioned here）, Hiroshi Hiraoka (*Translator’s note: 平岡煕 – the “father of Japanese baseball”, mentioned here), and Sunao Sonoda (園田直), who would later become the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, also received instruction from O-Sensei. Coach Arakawa was extremely enthusiastic about his training and would run to training in the morning (laughing), we would train together. Arakawa-san published a book called “Can you become Sadaharu Oh?” (君は王貞治になれるか), and most of what he wrote there are things from Aikido. It must have had a great influence on the way that he thought about baseball.
Coach Hiroshi Arakawa watches Sadaharu Oh practice cutting – 1964

“Can you become Sadaharu Oh?” (君は王貞治になれるか)

Q: Is there something in particular that you remember from your days as an uchi-deshi?

A: Sensei would speak very quickly in a typical Wakayama accent. The long time students were used to it, but it was difficult for me to understand. One day in the midst of a discussion at the dojo he directed me to do something, but he spoke so quickly that I couldn’t really understand what he meant. I could only understand that he said “go get something“. (laughing) But O-Sensei didn’t like to be asked to repeat himself, so when I cocked my head in puzzlement he shouted at me “read the situation!” (気を読め!). So I said “yes”, but when I brought the usual scroll with the symbolic portrait that I talked about earlier he yelled “Not that!” angrily. (laughing) But after that his mood shifted suddenly and he said “I used to have a body like this…”. When O-Sensei became angry he would become really angry, but he would cool down swiftly and he never held a grudge. His mood changes were sudden.

Q: “Read the situation” seems to be something that the Founder would teach…

A: That’s right. In any case, one really couldn’t ask “what was that?” while he was speaking. I was told, “When you’re told to do something you must react immediately, if you can’t do that then you’ll never be a fully qualified Budoka!”. One can’t just ask carelessly “Sensei, what did you mean?”. That was really a major blunder.

Also, and I remember this clearly even now, he was very strict about time. At demonstrations, even from quite a bit of time before, he would start asking “Are we still OK? Will we make it?”. Also when we would go out someplace he’d say “Always leave with the intention of riding on the previous train”. If there was a train that left at exactly nine o’clock then we’d have to be on the platform in time for the train that left just before that one. My sempai would say “Ichi Kisha Mae” (一汽車前 – “One Train Ahead”). Since one never knew what might happen on the way there we would always make sure that there was extra time – even now I still teach this lesson.

Morito Suganuma and Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba wait for a train

Q: Now that you mention it, I remember seeing a photograph of you holding O-Sensei’s bag on a train platform…

A: Yes, I often accompanied O-Sensei as an “otomo” (“attendant”) when he went out. As I recall now, there was one year that we went to Iwama near the Obon season. Since the steam train was crowded I boarded first and went to look for an open seat, but somehow I lost sight of O-Sensei. (laughing) At the time I hadn’t been an uchi-deshi for very long, and I thought “Oh no, what a disaster!” – though I looked left and right, back and forth, I couldn’t find him anywhere. After a while, at a loss as to what to do, there was nothing else left but to call Hombu Dojo – “Idiot! O-Sensei’s already come back!”. (laughing) I got a vigorous scolding later on.

Q: (laughing) I there something that the Founder said that was especially memorable?

A: One day during morning training one of the beginners said “O-Sensei, instead of always doing the same things, could you teach us some of the secrets every once in a while?”. As I was thinking “he’s going to get angry now…”, O-Sensei just laughed and smiled “I show everybody the secrets everyday”, he said. In other words, the secrets are not any special kind of thing, he meant “the secrets are in the day-to-day repetition”. When I heard that I thought “that’s right!”. Every day’s training was certainly a repetition of basics, but it is because they are important that we repeat them. “When you are lost, return to the basics”, some people say, and even today I keep those two things in mind when I train.

Q: Was there some times that the Founder became particularly angry?

A: Rather than “angry”, I would say that his tone of voice became strongly remonstrative, and that was with regards to competitive contests that tested techniques against one another. “Shiai (“competition”) is “shiai” (“joining in death”), it means an exchange of lives, so it’s not something to participate in lightly for the comparison of strength.”, he would always say. O−Sensei himself lived through the scenes of many battles, so it may be that he was unable to approve of contests for the comparison of strength in this peaceful era.

Aikido’s youth power – from right:
Norihiko Ishihashi Shihan, Nobuyuki Watanabe Shihan, Morito Suganuma Shihan
Hiroshi Arakawa, Kenji Shimizu Shihan, Minoru Kurita Shihan

‘Serious’ means to tighten the gaps

Q: I have heard that you also practice Zen?

A: Our family originally belonged to the Soto Zen Buddhist sect, so I had that connection, and by chance I had a connection to the Zen Master Shinryu Umeda (梅田信隆 – former director of Soto Zen Buddhism), so I became a student in Showa year 56 (1981).

Calligraphy by Shinryu Umeda
「無心なれば大道に帰す」 – “Mushin nareba daido ni kisu”
“Having no mind you return to the Great Way”
Meaning that a mind free of desire and attachments
is the mind of enlightenment.

Q: How is your training going?

A: I have learned many things from both Zen and Umeda Zenji. When I first began I was told “value the present”. “There is no yesterday or tomorrow, what is important is right now. The continuation of the present becomes your life, so make the present the most important.” – I remember those words even now.

Q: What is important for you in the transmission of Aikido as Budo?

A: The technical is important, of course, but first what is important is one’s mental attitude. One’s everyday speech and conduct, their attitude – the importance of “one strike with the hand, one throw with the legs” (一拳手一投足). Also, in the old dojo one day O-Sensei suddenly asked me “Suganuma, do you understand what ‘serious’ is”?” (真面目 – “majime”) – “‘Serious’ means to tighten the gaps – because idiots leave them open.”, I was told. At the time I didn’t really get it, but now I think that it is to correct oneself, regulate oneself, and that from this stems mastery of the etiquette of Budo – that the carriage of one’s body becomes without openings.

Q: In the later years of the Founder the words “softness” and “harmony” were often used, were those also used to make one think of Aikido in terms of Budo?

A: I think that for O-Sensei Aikido was always Budo. Sometimes when he looked in on training he would see the students throwing in Kokyu-nage and say “People don’t fall over that easily!”. (laughing) Of course, forced struggling, or throwing with needless violence is just dangerous. Osawa Sensei (大澤喜三郎 – Kisaburo Osawa) would say “Strong and stupid are different. One’s sensitivity cannot be stupid.”. For that reason, just falling even though the technique is not working is not training. I think that we must sense each other’s power precisely when training so that we can develop together and knead our bodies.

Daruma and calligraphy by Morito Suganuma
「ころがせ、転がせ、まだ角がる」
“I roll and I roll, but I still have corners”

Q: The word “knead” (練る) is also used in arts like Chinese Kempo (*Translator’s note: often in the sense of “temper” or “harden”), how do you understand the meaning here?

A: For example, something that you would want to knead, like a rice cake. We take the individual grains of rice, knead them and knead them, and make them into a sticky rice cake. Human beings bodies are the same way, one takes the disparate pieces and kneads them through Aikido practice until a soft, strong, unified body is made, that is the image. For that reason, one ought not to think about controlling some joint in training – I think that it is important that both the uke and the tori use their entire bodies, sense each other’s power, and knead each other.

Q: That’s a very easy to understand example.

A: That was one of O-Sensei’s teachings, to respect the principles of nature – in other words, not to struggle in one’s movements. When one struggles during their movements it becomes what I mentioned before, we injure each other. Also, not to make unnecessary movements. Not to make one’s training uneven. In other words, not to suddenly stop by training recklessly. I call these the “three nothings” (三無) – no struggling (無理), no unevenness (むら), as much as possible using no waste (無駄).

Q: The “three nothings”? You certainly seem very relaxed, to be speaking like this.

A: Out in society when one says that they are a Budoka it has a strict or frightening image, but I don’t like that very much. In the dojo, and during every day life, I just want to act normally. Because it’s less exhausting that way. (laughing)

O-Sensei often quote Kiichi Hogen (*Translator’s note: see “Kiichi Hogen and the Secret of Aikido“), and this is one of the things that he would say:

「来たるを迎え、去るは送る、対すれば相和す。五・五の十、一・九の十、二・八の十。大は方処を絶し、細は微塵に入る。活殺自在」

If it comes meet it, if it leaves, send it on its way, if it opposes then unify it. 5 and 5 are 10, 1 and 9 are 10, 2 and 8 are 10. The large suppresses all, the small enters the microscopic. The power of life and death.

I believe that I would like to create that kind of feeling and that kind of a body.

Gekkan Hiden, January 2005

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Interview with Aikido Shihan Morito Suganuma – Part 2 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

“Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden” – 1940
(惟神の武道・大東流合気武道秘伝 – 昭和15年)

“In the spring of 1933, the bureau chief of the Asahi News sales office, Mr. Mitsujiro Ishii, who is presently the Minister of Justice, introduced us to Morihei Ueshiba Sensei, vouching for him as an expert on a par with the founder of judo [a reference to Jigoro Kano]. He recommended to the person in charge of security that we learn aikijujutsu from Ueshiba Sensei. Mr. Ishii was a leading figure at the Asahi News and had tremendous influence, so while it was supposedly a “recommendation,” it was really more like a supreme command. Since those of us in the General Affairs section were responsible for security, we very much welcomed Ueshiba Sensei, and we began learning at the Asahi Budo Dojo.”

“Meeting Morihei Ueshiba” – from “Remembering Takuma Hisa”
by Stanley Pranin, Aikido Journal

Takuma Hisa occupies a unique place in the history of pre-war Aikido. One of the major students of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba in Osaka, he also went on to became one of the major students of Daito-ryu Chuku-no-so Sokaku Takeda, Morihei Ueshiba’s instructor,

Born in Kochi Prefecture in 1895, he made a name for himself as a sumo wrestler during his time as a student before going on to become the Director of General Affairs of the Asahi News corporation in Osaka.

Front row: Yoshiteru Yoshimura, Sokaku Takeda, Masao Tonedate

Here is the classic (and oft-repeated) story of how Takuma HIsa met Sokaku Takeda, in his own words:

On June 21st 1936, when we were training in Aikido under Ueshiba Sensei, a man came to the headquarters reception desk thrusting an iron staff suddenly with his right hand and holding a fine sword in his left “I am the Founder of Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu, Soke Sokaku Takeda. I have heard that you lads are learning from my student Morihei Ueshiba, but he is still inexperienced. If you have the will to learn true Aiki-jujutsu then become my students now and learn from me!”. Before anybody could say a word he took the security guards into the dojo. Keeping the fact that I was the division head a secret, I snuck in after the security staff and was astonished to see the reality of Takeda Sensei’s secret techniques. I went to Ueshiba Sensei right away and informed him of the appearance of the Soke, Takeda Sensei. I thought that Ueshiba Sensei would immediately go to beg his teacher’s pardon, but contrary to my expectations he became extremely dismayed and ended up withdrawing! So it came about that Ueshiba Sensei’s students would receive instruction in the early morning as before at the Umeda dojo, and then in the afternoon we would train with Sokaku Takeda Sensei in the night duty room of the headquarters building. At some point he left for Tokyo without any farewell to Asahi whatsoever, but Sokaku Takeda Sensei became increasingly committed and started to appear with Mr. Tokimune Takeda. According to the records:

• First Time: June 21st 1936 to July 25th, 36 days
• Second Time: November 1st 1936 to November 30th, 30 days
• Third Time: August 17th 1937 to September 30th, 44 days
• Fourth Time: October 22nd 1938 to November 14th, 22 days
• Fifth Time: March 26th 1939
  Takuma Hisa – Menkyo Kaiden and eighth dan
  Yoshiteru Yoshimura (吉村義照) – eighth dan.
  Masao Tonedate (刀祢館正雄)

He gave us the certificates and left for Hokkaido. As I look back now, it is almost fifty years since I began to learn Aikido. During that time, beginning with both Takeda Sensei and Ueshiba Sensei, then Director Tonedate and Security Chief Yoshimura, everybody has passed away. I am the only one left alive. I am eight-four this year, and have been stricken with paralysis, but I would like to use what strength I have left to transmit these techniques to future generations and somehow repay my debt to my Sempai.

“The Appearance of Takeda Sensei”
Menkyo Kaiden Takuma Hisa, 1982 – Takumakai Kaiho issue #50

Takuma Hisa receives Menkyo Kaiden (“Certificate of Complete Transmission”)
pictured with Daito-ryu Chuku-no-so Sokaku Takeda, 1939

Takuma Hisa was one of two people to receive Menkyo Kaiden in Daito-ryu directly from Sokaku Takeda, the other person being Masao Tonedate (presumably an honorary certification due to his position at the Asahi News company). Kodokai Founder Kodo Horikawa would receive Menkyo Kaiden from Tokimune Takeda after his father’s death (but at Sokaku Takeda’s request).

After the war he would go on to establish the Takumakai, but before that, one year after receiving Menkyo Kaiden from Sokaku Takeda, he published a book on Daito-ryu – “Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden” (惟神の武道・大東流合気武道秘伝). Representing what may have been the most comprehensive manual on Daito-ryu published until that time, the title page specifies that the volume is not to be distributed to non-students.

Interestingly, Takuma Hisa excerpted large portions of the technical explanations directly from Moritaka (Morihei) Ueshiba’s 1933 technical manual “Budo Renshu” (see “Aikijujutsu Densho – AKA Budo Renshu, by Moritaka Ueshiba“). Further, although Hisa’s volume consists of photographs rather than drawings, it’s clear that many of the techniques themselves are identical.

This ought not to be surprising, since what Morihei Ueshiba was teaching at the time was, without question, Daito-ryu. This was clearly stated by Yoshio Sugino, who was a student at the time and a contemporary of Takuma Hisa – “Of course Aikido was with Ueshiba Shihan – when I was studying it was still called Daito-ryu Aiki-jutsu” (“Interview with Yoshio Sugino of Katori Shinto-ryu, 1961“).

Takuma HIsa had an extraordinary opportunity to compare the teachings of his two instructors – Daito-ryu Chuku-no-so Sokaku Takeda and Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba:

Takeda’s instruction gave Hisa the chance to compare the techniques that he had been taught for the previous three years (1933-1936) by Ueshiba with those taught by Takeda. His conclusion was that they were the same—meaning that Ueshiba had not by that time significantly modified or evolved what he had been taught by Takeda. In later years, Hisa was adamant about Ueshiba’s and Takeda’s techniques being identical. He stated this clearly at a round table talk, “When Tomiki came to Osaka to teach aiki-bujutsu to the Asahi people, the techniques that both master Ueshiba and Takeda taught were the same. Definitely the same. Master Ueshiba should say that he was taught them by master Takeda. He should say that it was Daitoryu. But he never said that. Mr. Tomiki (who also traveled from Tokyo to Osaka to teach Ueshiba’s system at the Asahi dojo) knows this, doesn’t he. But Ueshiba never said it.” And Tomiki answered, “Definitely not. ‘I [Ueshiba] established everything…[smiling mysteriously]’. However old martial artists would often do that way.” [Shishida (Ed.), 1982, p.1]

“The Process of Forming Aikido and Japanese Imperial Navy Admiral Isamu Takeshita: Through the analysis of Takeshita’s diary from 1925 to 1931”
 – Fumiaki Shishida (Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan)

Thus, it should not be surprising that the explanations of principle and technique that Takuma Hisa learned from Morihei Ueshiba in 1933 should be repeated in his volume documenting the teachings of Sokaku Takeda published in 1940.

But there’s more…

In 1954 (five years after he told Morihiro Saito in Iwama that he had “completed” Aikido) Morihei Ueshiba published a book that he distributed privately to his students. This book was mentioned by Aikido 10th Dan Michio Hikitsuchi during the course of this interview:

Is our current style of practice different from that when you started?

Yes, the waza were done differently. You know, the other day I pulled out a book, Maki-no-Uchi. That was O-Sensei’s first book. We practised along the lines described in Maki-no-Uchi. ‘

Did O-Sensei distribute that book?

No. To have it, you had to have O-Sensei’s permission. For me, that was when I reached what would now be called shodan.

Was it a secret book, something that was never shown around?

Well, I don’t know whether I would call it “secret”. It was, after aIl, a book, and there probably are people who can learn just by reading. But it would have been very hard for someone to read the book end understand what it was about unless that person were practicing Aikido. Unless you were shodan or higher, you wouldn’t know what to make of it. I think that is still true today. It’s not as if you can tell someone, “Here, do it as the book shows.” Aikido is something that becomes a part of you – something that comes through the spiritual training [shugyo] of physical practice [keiko].

Comparing the three volumes – Moritaka (Morihei) Ueshiba’s 1933 “Budo Renshu“, Takuma Hisa’s 1940 “Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden” and Morihei Ueshiba’s 1954 manual “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi” reveals some interesting similarities.

First, it’s important to note that the techniques pictured in the two volumes by Morihei Ueshiba are virtually identical, and are duplicated in many cases by the photographs in Takuma HIsa’s volume:

Kubi-shime, “Budo Renshu” by Moritaka Ueshiba – 1933

Kubi-shime, “Kannagara no Budo” by Takuma Hisa – 1940

Kubi-shime, “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi” by Morihei Ueshiba – 1953

Next, and perhaps more telling, is that the technical explanations given by Moritaka (Morihei) Ueshiba in 1933 in “Budo Renshu” are duplicated verbatim in Takuma Hisa’s volume – but they are also duplicated verbatim in Morihei Ueshiba’s 1954 volume “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi“. That is, there was virtually no change in either the technical depictions or explanations over a 21 year period, and there was no variation even when the volume in question was discussing Daito-ryu and not Aikido (although, for what it’s worth, Takuma Hisa often referred to his art as simply “Aikido”).

What does that mean?

Well, as I previously argued in “Budo – Moritaka Ueshiba’s 1938 Technical Manual“, all of this lends support to the argument that the radical phase change to the technical core of Aikido that is so commonly accepted to have occurred after the war…never happened. Or perhaps, it happened, but not at the behest of Morihei Ueshiba.

This is further affirmed by Yasuo Kobayashi Sensei’s testimony as to the content of his training with Morihei Ueshiba when he entered Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1954:

Moderator: There were two books published before the war, “Budo” and “Budo Renshu”, was it only those techniques?

Kobayashi: Yes, that’s right. Of course, we did not do staff (jo) or sword (ken).

There is a discussion of this issue in “The Ueshiba Legacy, by Mark Murray” which you may like to read if you find this topic interesting.

Here is a good visual comparison of the pre-war and post-war technique of Morihei Ueshiba that illustrates this point quite clearly:

Also of interest is this very interesting study by John Driscoll, originally published on AikiWeb, showing the almost exact correlation between the techniques taught by Morihei Ueshiba and the techniques of the Daito-ryu Hiden Mokuroku – 82% according to this study, although that percentage would undoubtedly be much higher if the comparison were carried out against Morihei Ueshiba’s 1954 volume “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi” rather than the modern Aikido curriculum spread by the Aikikai in the post-war years.

…and here comes the download – this freely available PDF formatted version of “Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo HIden” is available through the efforts of Scott Burke, who lives in Fukuoka, but often comes to Hawaii to join the Sangenkai workshops with Dan Harden.Many thanks to Scott, and kudos for his continuing series of “Aikileaks”.

I hope that you enjoy it!

• “Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden” (Dropbox – PDF format / 22 MB)
• “Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo HIden” (Aikido Sangenkai Server – PDF format / 22 MB)

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Takuma Hisa – Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden 1940 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Yasuo Kobayashi in Hawaii in 2008
the late Robert Kubo – Aikikai 8th Dan, Aikido Hawaii International, on the left

“At that point in time, I was caught up in some of the political nonsense amongst various teachers residing in the States, and held forth on this one drunken night at one of the regular parties the dojo had, and Kobayashi sensei said, “X-sensei is my friend, Y-sensei is my friend, Z-sensei is my friend. It all seems simple to me.” In his happy air, in his unpretentious practice and refusal to mystify aikido as either the ultimate combat or a means of establishing world peace, it would have been easy to regard him as an unexceptional man, one who simply liked pleasure, be it jovial laughter, enough beers to make him wobble when he bicycled home, and a regular routine of thumping his students and being thumped in turn. Rather, he always seemed to me to be a man of sublime common sense. As theoretical physicists strive for elegance and simplicity in their equations, Kobayashi sensei appeared to me to do with his life. Such simplicity is far from easy, and all too rare.”

It Had to Be Felt #30: Kobayashi Yasuo – A Living Axle, by Ellis Amdur

Yasuo Kobayashi was born in Tokyo in 1936 and started training in Judo in his fifth year of elementary school. He enrolled at Aikido Hombu Dojo in 1954, the same year that he entered Meiji University, becoming one of the early post-war students of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. Now an eighth dan, he is the head of Aikido Kobayashi Dojo, which has more than 120 affiliated dojo around the world

A round table discussion with Kobayashi Sensei appeared previously on the Aikido Sangenkai blog as “Yasuo Kobayashi and Fumiko Nakayama – Living Aikido” (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3).

The current interview is the second part of a two part interview with Kobayashi Sensei that originally appeared in the May 2005 issue of Gekkan Hiden (月刊秘伝 / “Secret Teachings Monthly”), a well known martial arts magazine in Japan. You may wish to read Part 1 of the interview before reading this section.

This interview was also published in a collection of interviews with students of the Founder published in Japanese as 開祖の横顔 (“Profiles of the Founder”) in 2009. There was a short introduction to this work in the article “Morihei Ueshiba – Profiles of the Founder“. A number of English translations of interviews from that collection appeared have appeared previously – Nobuyoshi Tamura Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Hiroshi Isoyama Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Shigenobu Okumura Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Nobuyuki Watanabe Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Masatake Fujita Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2) , Yoshimitsu Yamada Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Kanshu Sunadomari Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Hiroshi Kato Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Yoshio Kuroiwa Sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), Morito Suganuma (Part 1 | Part 2) and Kenji Shimizu (Part 1 | Part 2).

“However hard we pushed the staff would not move.” – Yasuo Kobayashi

Interview with Aikido Shihan Yasuo Kobayashi – Part 2

Q: I see. Do the jiyu-waza (“freee-style techniques”) that are often seen at demonstrations date from that time?

A: No, that began to be done after a system of examinations was established. After the number of members began to increase a system of Dan and Kyu examinations was established, and the uchi-deshi took ukemi at the time. However, there were only about five uchi-deshi then, so they weren’t able to partner with everybody as the numbers increased and so it came to be that those taking examinations would alternate taking ukemi for each other. It was then that jiyu-waza was added as an item on the examinations. Demonstrations began to be held from the time that I enrolled, but kihon-waza (“basic techniques”) alone weren’t interesting, so as the result of much thought it was decided to show kokyu-nage. Until that time kokyu-nage was not really done in the dojo.

Q: Why was that?

A: O-Sensei wasn’t very fond of kokyu-nage. Because “It’s just impossible to throw somebody flying that simply!” was his thinking. However, it’s excellent for conditioning so it was introduced into the curriculum. Something similar happened with aiki-nage, against the same background that accompanied the beginning of jiyu-waza. Speaking of that, as far as I know koshi-nage was not practiced at first either, it was after Shoji Nishio Sensei and Yoshio Kuroiwa Sensei researched it themselves that it became popular with other instructors.

“When we went to Hawaii for a seminar wearing our student uniforms
the customs officer asked me if we were in the army.”

Great individuality among the Shihan

Q: Did you often go to Iwama?

A: When there was something happening, like the Aiki Taisai, I was often called there. But it might be better to say that I was dispatched there rather than called. Sometimes a phone call would come from O-Sensei “I’m sick!”, but when I hurried to Iwama he would be doing farmwork in good health. (laughing) I understood later that when O-Sensei became lonely he would use illness as an excuse to summon the young students. Certainly, they didn’t have training every day in Iwama, and since Morihiro Saito Sensei was employed by the National Railway there were times that nobody was there and he must have suddenly become lonely. When that happened I would be made to go and be someone for him to talk with. I would work the farm with him in Iwama, and we would eat together. Normally he was very mild-mannered and even if he only had a single steamed bun there were times that he would divide it with the students. However, when it came to taking care of him he was like a normal selfish old grandfather. (laughing) In any case, his mood would make 180 degree changes very quickly, often going this way and that. For that reason, if one could look ahead and begin to read his habits then one would gradually begin to understand what O-Sensei wanted, but if one couldn’t do that they would have a really difficult time working as an uchi-deshi. There were more than a few people who, although having ability as Budoka, failed through a lack of this kind of sensitivity. However, the experiences from that time were useful later when opening a dojo, so I think that the shugyo of the uchi-deshi was by no means wasted.

Nobuyoshi Tamura (left), Koichi Tohei (center), Yasuo Kobayashi (right)

Q: I’ve heard that you interacted with Morihiro Saito Sensei, Sadateru Arikawa Sensei and Shoji Nishio Sensei, what were your impressions of them?

A: I think that Saito Sensei was attempting to faithfully hand down the techniques that O-Sensei taught in his sixties. As O-Sensei moved from his sixties to his seventies and eighties he inevitably lost physical strength, which caused the movements of his techniques to become softer and more circular. Kisshomaru Sensei changed the techniques at Hombu in accordance with that, but to the last Saito Sensei was fixed on what had been transmitted to him. I think that Gozo Shioda Sensei’s Yoshinkan was the same. On the other hand, since Kisshomaru Sensei mostly didn’t interfere with the details of other’s techniques each of the Shihan at Hombu dojo were a little bit different. Depending upon the instructor, the impression left by even the same technique could be completely different. However, it could be said that it is this depth and breadth that created today’s Aikikai.

Q: Certainly, when one watches Aikikai demonstrations there is a lot of variation. You had many chances to be taught directly by Arikawa Sensei and Tada Sensei, what were your impressions of them?

A: Arikawa Sensei came from Karate, and his training was intense. For that reason, there were a relatively large number of young people among those who followed Arikawa Sensei, even among the regular students, and he would mainly specialize in teaching at universities. Perhaps because of that he did not teach very much outside of Hombu Dojo, and he himself rarely spoke to people of personal matters, so although he was very popular not very many people know much about him in detail. Tada Sensei was a person who never neglected his personal training, so he accumulated an unusual amount of damage from techniques. Depending upon the shihan there were some cases in which they could not apply techniques unless the uke followed them, but that was absolutely never the case when it came to Tada Sensei.

Q: Is there an instructor who influenced you the most?

A: I started with O-Sensei and then attended training with a variety of instructors at Hombu, but each of their techniques were different and I would adjust to each of them, so it felt as if I built my own style from there. Apart from O-Sensei, I was influenced by Kisshomaru Sensei. He had the fewest idiosyncrasies, and felt the most straightforward.

Suppressing protesters at Tokyo University – January 1969

Moving among the common people, I spread Aikido

Q: When did you open the current Kobayashi Dojo?

A: April of Showa year 44 (1969). That was right in the middle of the university protests – universities had been locked out across the board and studies had been halted. Many of the students had fallen into a lifestyle of self-indulgent drinking and massages. It was then that I thought that there may be something that I could do. Well, the only thing that I was capable of was teaching Aikido, but even so I wasn’t able to just go ahead and use Hombu Dojo for my own purposes, so I thought about establishing my own dojo. I didn’t have any money, so I tore down the parking lot next to my house and build a hand-made eighteen tatami mat dojo (*Translator’s note: each tatami mat is approximately three feet wide and six feet long), and I would teach there when I didn’t have to teach at Hombu.

Hiroaki Kobayashi Sensei, now a professional instructor

Q: In other words, you built a dojo for the sake of the students?

A: That’s right. In any case, students don’t eat and drink in small amounts, so those expenses were a real burden. Therefore, when I began recruiting new members I had to make the monthly fees fit their budgets. When my son Hiroaki was three years old, passersby would see me teaching students and my son and ask me “Please teach my children too”, so the number of members began to increase gradually.

Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba and Morihiro Saito in Iwama

Q: It seems that you place importance on sword and staff at your dojo?

A: The sword and staff that I teach is that which was organized by Saito Sensei. O-Sensei would do something different every day, so Saito Sensei, who was taught in Iwama for many years, organized them so that they would be easy to understand and that it would be easy to understand the extension of the technical principles of the sword and staff into the body arts. I think that collecting O-Sensei’s techniques like this was a great achievement. During a day of training in my dojo we always practice with both the sword and the staff, the thirteen step jo kata, the twenty-two step jo kata, the thirty-one step jo kata, we practice them just like that. I also place importance on training in the sword and the staff when I am overseas.

Q: What are your thoughts concerning Aikido as a budo?

A: Truthfully, this is a problem. There are some who criticize Aikido practice as being watered down, and even I don’t deny that. However, if we put that aside, I think that the fact that it has been able to attract those who had no previous interest in budo is an achievement. I myself trained intensely when I was young, so I understand that the evaluation of a budo is connected to its power to handle the strength of a budo’s attacks, but I feel that perhaps we should turn our eyes to the achievement of “the budo that was opened to 10,000 people – Aikido”.

Q: When I hear you speak this way I understand that the narrow and inaccessible path of Aikido has become the broad path that it is today through the efforts of many teachers. So, what are your objectives for the future?

A: I love Aikido and have trained hard for many years so that now I have opened a dojo and am teaching, and I would like to continue in the same way to, as it were, move among the common people and spread Aikido. For that reason, even now I take ukemi for the beginners! In the end, I like to move around when I teach. (laughing) Also, if the locations and the teachers are available then I would like to move forward with opening more dojos. I have more than one-hundred students raised in my dojo that have opened up their own dojos around the country, and I would like to continue to develop capable people.

Gekkan Hiden – May, 2005

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Interview with Aikido Shihan Yasuo Kobayashi – Part 2 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Seiseki Abe (阿部醒石), 1915- 2011
Amenotakemusu Juku Aikido Dojo (天之武産塾合気道道場)

Seiseki Abe was born in Osaka, Japan.  A teacher of Japanese calligraphy, he was also a student of Misogi under Dr. Kenzo Futaki, who had trained under Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. He began training in Aikido after encountering the Founder in Osaka in 1952 and then began teaching him calligraphy a few years later, thereby occupying a unique position as both a student and a teacher of Morihei Ueshiba. He was one of a small number of people to be awarded tenth dan directly by O-Sensei, although the Aikikai only officially recognizes him as an eighth dan.

In this short essay, published in the Rikuryo Alumni Association “Visiting our Teachers” series in 1988, Abe Sensei recalls his first encounter with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

Seiseki Abe, standing far left, with Morihei Ueshiba
Kumano Juku, 1954

Meeting Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei

by Seiseki Abe

In Showa year 27 (1952), when I had just started working in Kitano, Bansen Tanaka-san (田中万川 – first chairman of the Osaka Aikikai, passed away in 1988) established his dojo, saying “I want to spread Aikido in Osaka”. I knew nothing about that, but the day after the opening I happened to be passing by the front of the dojo and noticed a nameplate saying “Morihei Ueshiba”.

When I opened the entranceway and asked “Is Ueshiba Sensei here?” Bansen-san was there and said “Yes, we had the dojo opening yesterday”. I knew Tanaka-san, but I didn’t know that he did Aikido.

After a short time O-Sensei came out and we met for the first time. He said “You’re a student of Futaki Sensei (*1)”, and then right away he said “come in, come in”. The things that O-Sensei talked about at that time were difficult to understand. He spoke of things far and above “Chinkon Kishin” (*2). I listened to what he said respectfully…and then he said “You, come starting tomorrow!”.

(*1) Translator’s note  (Kenzo Futaki): Dr. Kenzo Futaki was a medical doctor and a pre-war student of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba, an advocate of a diet of unrefined brown rice, and the founder of the Misogi Renseikei (禊の練成会 – Misogi Training Society) whose practices would influence Morihei Ueshiba’s own training.

Dr. Kenzo Futaki’s Ten more and Ten Less Rules for Health

1. Eat less, chew more.
2. Right less, walk more.
3. Wear less, wash more.
4. Worry less, work more.
5. Idle less, learn more.
6. Speak less, listen more.
7. Get angry less, laugh more.
8. Say less, do more.
9. Take less, give more.
10. Blame less, praise more.

二木謙三博士の十少十多の健康訓

1. 食うこと少なくして、噛むことを多くせよ。
2. 乗ること少なくして、歩くことを多くせよ。
3. 着ること少なくして、浴びることを多くせよ。
4. 悶ゆること少なくして、働くことを多くせよ。
5. 怠けること少なくして、学ぶことを多くせよ。
6. 語ること少なくして、聞くことを多くせよ。
7. 怒ること少なくして、笑うことを多くせよ。
8. 言うこと少なくして、行うことを多くせよ。
9. 取ること少なくして、与えることを多くせよ。
10. 責めること少なくして、誉めることを多くせよ。

Dr. Kenzo Futaki

(*2) Translator’s note (“Chinkon Kishin”):  鎮魂帰神 – “calm the spirit and return to the source”, a kind of ritual spirit possession practiced by Morihei Ueshiba.

From Transmission, Inheritance, Emulation 25, by Peter Goldsbury

Onisaburo Deguchi’s Kamigakari:

From Chinkon [鎮魂] and Kishin [帰神] to Chinkon Kishin [鎮魂帰神]

As stated above, Kamigakari is usually translated as spirit possession, possession by a tsukimono [憑き物], which need not necessarily be a deity. However, Deguchi Onisaburo never used this term, preferring instead expressions like yuusai [幽斎] and, especially, chinkon kishin. Onisaburo Deguchi almost certainly borrowed the practice of chinkon kishin from his teachers, Honda Chikaatsu and Nagasawa Katsutate. Honda regarded chinkon and kishin as two distinct activities, but Onisaburo Deguchi combined them into one practice. We need to discuss the provenance of chinkon and kishin in some detail and the following account is based on Birgit Staemmler’s detailed analysis in her doctoral research. A clear advantage of considering Staemmler’s account is that she has no discussion either of Morihei Ueshiba or of aikido and so there is no trace of the ‘washback’ thinking that tends to occur in biographies of Ueshiba. Her only reference to Morihei Ueshiba is to state that he, too, practiced chinkon kishin, along with members of the armed forces and intellectuals, when he moved to Ayabe in 1920.

Omoto Priest Masumi Matsumura and Morihei Ueshiba
Chinkon Kishin practice in Mongolia, 1924

I was really in a bind. I was a student of Futaki Sensei, and Ueshiba O-Sensei, who I should say was the Founder of Aikido, had given me permission to become a student. In those days one was not able to become a student in multiple schools. And this was a person who wouldn’t teach you unless you had two introductions! (laughing)

During the war Ueshiba Sensei taught Aikido at the Military Police School (the Rikugun Nakano Gakko) and couldn’t come out of it as a civilian. I don’t know if he was Class A or Class B, but he was named as a war criminal after the war was lost and the M.P.’s came in a jeep to arrest him.

*Translator’s Note: the Military Police (Kempeitai / 憲兵隊) were the secret police for the Imperial Japanese Army, the Japanese equivalent of the German Gestapo. The Rikugun Nakano Gakko (陸軍中野学校), the “Nakano Spy School” was the primary training center for the Imperial Japanese Army’s intelligence division.

It happened that at the time Ueshiba Sensei had a high fever and was in bed sleeping…but the foreigners were wonderful – instead of taking the stance “no matter what, he will be taken into custody immediately” they said “well, he’s sick and I guess that there’s no way that he can run away”, and they started with a search of the house (if it had been the Japanese army…no matter how sick he was I think that they would have taken him off to Sugamo Prison).

Guards at attention at Sugamo Prison, 1948

When they did that, all of his writings turned out to be on pacifism (平和主義). Whatever writings they looked at they were all about advocating for peace. Then they understood “certainly he was employed as a budo instructor by the military, but Ueshiba is the very epitome of a pacifist”…and there he became the first of the war criminals to be released. In the end, he was never put into Sugamo Prison and was able to live life as a farmer.

Signed photographs taken at Sugamo Prison 
this group includes a number of the Morihei Ueshiba’s associates
Morihei Ueshiba’s close friend Shumei Okawa declined to be photographed

(top row, left to right): “Ex-Premier General Hideki Tojo” (hanged 1948), “General Seishiro Itagaki” (hanged 1948), “General Kenji Doihara” (hanged 1948), “Ex-Premier K. Hirota” (hanged 1948), “General Heitaro Kimura” (hanged 1948), (2nd row) “General Iwane Matsui” (hanged 1948), “General Yoshijiro Umezu” (life; died in prison 1949), “Ex Minister of State Naoki Hoshino” (life; paroled 1958), “Admiral Shigetaro Shimada” (life; paroled 1955), “Lt. General Akira Muto” (hanged 1948), (3rd row) “Ex-Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo” (20 years, died in prison 1950), “Ex-Ambassador Hiroshi Oshima” (life; paroled 1955), “Ex-Minister of State Teiichi Suzuki” (life; paroled 1955), “Ex-Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Koichi Kido” (life; paroled 1953), “Lt. Gen. Kenryo Sato” (life; paroled 1956), (4th row) “Ex-Finance Minister Okinori Kaya” (20 years; paroled 1955), “Ex-Colonel Kingoro Hashimoto” (life; paroled 1955), “General Jiro Minami [also signed in Japanese]” (life; paroled 1954), “General Sadao Araki” (life; paroled 1955), “General Kuniaki Koiso” (life; died in prison 1950), (bottom row) “Ex-Foreign Minister of Japan Mamoru Shigemitsu” (sentenced to seven years; paroled 1950), “Ex-Ambassador T. Shiratori” (sentenced to life; died in prison 1949), “General Shunroku Hata” (life; paroled 1955), “Ex-President of Privy Council Kiichiro Hiranuma (life; paroled 1952), and “Vice Admiral Takazumi Oka” (life; paroled 1954).

*Translator’s Note – on Morihei Ueshiba and war crimes:

from Transmission, Inheritance, Emulation 6, by Peter Goldsbury

O Sensei as a War Criminal

The principal evidence for this from the world of aikido is to be found in Aikido Jinsei by Gozo Shioda. The statement appears on p. 166, in a section recounting his meeting with O Sensei in Iwama in Showa 21 (1946). For those who can read Japanese, here is the text:

Sensei wa touji Ibaragi-ken no Iwama ni insei shi, moppara noukou ni shitashinde oraremashita. Senji-chuu Sensei wa Kyoto no Butokukai no koumon wo sarete ita kankei ue, MacArthur no jirei ni yori G-go wo tekiyou sarete, koushoku tsuihou ni nari, Zaidan Houjin Aikikai mo kaisan no ukime atte oraremashita. Sono tame Aiki-en to iu namae no nouen wo hiraite mainichi noukou wo sareru katawara, doukou no mono wo atsume aikidou wo shidou sarete imashita.

A similar statement can be found in an interview with Gozo Shioda conducted by Stanley Pranin. The latest version of this interview can be found on pp. 185-186 of Vol I of Morihei Ueshiba to Aikido, published in 2006. Here is an English translation:

Pranin: After the war O Sensei also had a very difficult time.

Shioda: The fact that Ueshiba Sensei was an adviser to the Butokukai in Kyoto was not good. Sensei was implicated in Class G war crimes / as a Class G war criminal. Ueshiba Sensei’s foundation was cancelled and his activities were forbidden. Thus Sensei confined himself in Iwama and since he could no longer practice budo, he created the Aiki-Farm and engaged in farming. It was a precarious existence.

There has been some discussion on the Internet about such war crimes and questions raised about the truth of Shioda’s statements. First, a description of Class G ‘war crimes’ is in order.

The source is SCAPIN (Supreme Commander Allied Powers Index) 550, of January 4, 1946, which ordered the removal and exclusion from public office of Japan’s wartime leaders. Broad categories delineated those who were to be purged. (A) Indicted war criminals; (B) All career military officers; (C) Leaders of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association and affiliated organizations; (D) Leaders and influential members of ultranationalist, secret and terrorist organizations; (E) Executives of companies involved in Japanese expansion; (F) Governors of occupied territories; (G) Initially broadly based and unspecified “additional militarists and ultranationalists”.

The above classification can be found in Hans Baerwald’s “The Occupation of Japan as an Exercise in ‘Regime Change’: Reflections after Fifty Years by a Participant”, JPRI (Japan Policy Research Institute) Occasional Papers 29, p. 3. Baerwold adds the rueful comment that:

Moreover, all SCAP staff sections had to rely on their counterparts in the Japanese bureaucracy for basic data and assistance in drafting reforms. This necessity allowed the Japanese officials to protect themselves and promote their own agenda by influencing SCAP officials. It was an early variant of using gaiatsu (foreign pressure) to their own advantage. I was an unwitting participant in the game while drafting purge criteria involving members of the Dai Nippon Butokukai, the Great Japan Military Virtue Society.

It is interesting that Baerwold was involved in drafting purge criteria for the Dai Nippon Butokukai, which included aikido from 1942 onwards. The categories listed in SCAPIN 550 need to be read in conjunction with SCAPIN 548, which added the Dai Nippon Butokukai, with all its affiliated organizations, to the list of organizations proscribed by SCAP.

Shioda’s allegations are strongly denied by Kisshomaru Ueshiba on pp. 83-84 of Aikido Ichiro. Kisshomaru also quotes the relevant passage from Aikido Jinsei (quoted in Japanese above) and rebuts the allegations one by one. Thus, O Sensei was not an adviser to the Butokukai during the war; he was not subject to any banning order from SCAP; and the Aikikai was never proscribed.

I have not found any evidence outside aikido to support Gozo Shioda’s statements, but it is possible that Ueshiba is listed somewhere in the SCAP archives. However, the SCAP order issued in January 1946 initiated a search process that took a year to complete and the actual purge orders were not issued until 1947, when Shioda had already visited O Sensei in Iwama (in July 1946: see the interview, above). Nevertheless, given the influential people he knew, including a number of ultranationalist military officers who also trained at the Kobukan Dojo in the 1930s, it is possible that Shioda had such information and that O Sensei also knew he was under suspicion. However, even if he had come to the attention of SCAP, the only content of O Sensei’s ‘criminal’ activity is that he practiced a Japanese martial art. This might explain why he kept quiet in Iwama at least until around 1950, when the purge orders were lifted. SCAP had already turned its attention to the Korean War and liberated all the war criminals. Moreover, it was as early as 1948 that the Zaidan Houjin Aikikai, with its headquarters in Iwama, was approved by the Japanese education ministry as the postwar version of the Zaidan Houjin Kobukai. This appears to have been done by Kisshomaru Ueshiba, with the support of people like Kinya Fujita and Katsuzo Nishi, but appears to have been done very quietly, to avoid annoying SCAP.

(NOTE. I have benefited very much by a recent discussion about Class G war criminals on the Aikido Journal website and from private correspondence with some of the participants in this discussion.)

Ueshiba Sensei’s calligraphy will remain in perpetuity,
forever a shining treasure of the world.

From Showa year 30 until he passed away in Showa year 44 (1955-1969), this Ueshiba Sensei stayed in my home for one week to ten days of each month. That is to say, the relationship between master and student was joined. The severe bushido type teacher student relationship of past times. This strictness was not forced upon me, it was the “way” of an uchi-deshi serving their master…that was how I regarded it. Without going that far one cannot grasp the essence of their master. Twenty-four hours per day, every day, under the same roof, what I learned was not just technique, it was that person’s way of living…that is “kokyu-ho”.

By his side for twenty-four hours per day training my Ki. O-sensei’s moods, they were all communicated through his living. That is to say, I was connected to O-Sensei’s life. This was incredible.

For example, when I made tea, I would have to judge how thirsty Sensei was and adjust the temperature accordingly, and when I heated his bath I would have to check the water temperature by scooping water out of the bathtub with a dipper rather than putting my hand directly into the water. If I were to put my hand directly in the water then a small amount of the oils on my hand would spread into the water. Sensei would know that. That’s why they say “The way of the disciple is harsh”.

Stone monument at the Aiki Jinja in Iwama
The inscribed Doka is by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba
calligraphy by Seiseki Abe
(more in “Three Doka and the Aiki O-Kami“)

「美しき
この天地の御姿は
主の作りし
一家なりけり」

“So beautiful,
the form of this Heaven and Earth
created by Su-
to be a member of the one family”

And then I trained that thing called “Ki”. That “kokyu” is shared exactly with calligraphy,

One day Ueshiba Sensei said “That looks interesting, I’ll try it too.” and started drawing calligraphy. I’m sure that he wrote “Aiki”. From that day the comical reverse drama of “the disciple teaches the master…” began. Normally, something like this would be unthinkable…it made me extremely nervous.

“Aiki” calligraphy by Morihei Ueshiba
from the Waialae Avenue dojo in Honolulu, Hawaii

First, without giving him a pattern, I would draw an example and show it to him. Sensei would stare at it and then say something like “so that’s how you draw it”, and then draw it himself.

Intently…concentrating the entirety of himself in the tip of the brush, “Ki” would enter through the ink. For that reason, one can feel an incredible amount of “Ki” in Ueshiba Sensei’s works. Just turning one’s face to the calligraphy and putting palms together, the “Ki” leaps off at you. Foreigners who can’t read the characters seem to be even better at directly receiving that Ki.

And then, when he drew he would draw in a single burst. He would not think of things like his breathing. For that reason, the most difficult thing was for him to write his name on the work at the end…clearly marking that place and position. There was only one place, pointing to that place…there is a place in the “Ki” of this single moment that leads to the “Ki” in Aiki, that is where the Ki of A-un (阿吽) exists.

*Translator’s Note: “A-un” is the Japanese transliteration of the first and last letters of the sanskrit alphabet and represent, in Japanese Shingon Mikkyo, the beginning and end of the universe, Yin and Yang.

The A-un statues at Todaiji in Nara, Japan
More in “Aiki, Iki, Kokyu, Heng-Ha and Aun” – Part 1  | Part 2

From the Rikuryo Alumni Association “Visiting our Teachers” series, 1998

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Aikido Shihan Seiseki Abe – Meeting Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Sadao Takaoka Sensei (1916-2002) in 1993

Sadao Takaoka was one of the lesser known direct students of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. He began training in O-Sensei’s home town of Wakayama in 1939, but he did not actually meet the Founder until well after the war, in 1951. And although he enjoyed a personal relationship with the Founder and often participated in the annual All Japan Aikido Demonstrations held in Tokyo, he remained on the outskirts of the Aikido world and is largely unknown today.

He was one of the few people that had the opportunity to act a a training partner for Morihei Ueshiba when he was refining his weapons system after the war, as mentioned by Shigenobu Okumura Sensei:

Q: In a previous interview you said that you had seen such things as Sho-chiku-bai Sword (松竹梅の剣 / “Pine-bamboo-plum Sword”) and Gogyo Sword (五行の剣 / “Five Elements Sword”)…

A: I think that those things were still going through a period of trial and error. So Saito-san from Iwama and Sadao Takaoka-san (高岡貞夫) from Wakayama were used as practice partners during that process of trial and error.

– Interview with Aikido Shihan Shigenobu Okumura, Part 2

He was also Yoshinkan Aikido instructor Tsuneo Ando’s first Aikido teacher (see “Talking to Tsuneo Ando Part 1 – the Gozo Shioda that Nobody Knew“).

In this essay Sadao Takaoka discusses his early experiences with Aikido before, during and after World War II, and his experiences in meeting Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. There is also an Appendix in which Takaoka Sensei discusses some of O-Sensei’s teachings.

Sadao Takaoka Sensei at a demonstration in 1993

Aikido Shihan Sadao Takaoka – Meeting O-Sensei

by Sadao Takaoka

The Birth of Aikido in Wakayama

The birth cry of Aikido in Wakayama came in Showa year 14 (1939) when I met a student of Aikido, Hiroyuki Nozawa Sensei. I’d like to talk a little bit about my history prior to meeting Nozawa Sensei.

My uncle was a circuit priest. We would set up an image of the Buddha in our house twice a month on the first and the fifteenth, and many of the faithful would come to pray. There were also believers in Kii Tanabe, so my uncle would often go there as well. In Showa year 8 (1933) I was seventeen years old. When I spoke to my uncle about wanting to learn Judo he told me that there was an instructor teaching a “mental” budo (“seishin budo” / 精神武道), but when we went to see my uncle’s friend Mr. Egawa we found out that the instructor had moved to Tokyo. That instructor in Kii Tanabe was Ueshiba O-Sensei. I often heard stories about Ueshiba O-Sensei from my uncle.

Kii-Tanabe train station and the memorial to
Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba

So there I was. I wanted to learn some kind of budo, so I learned koryu Takenouchi-ryu grappling. I learned from a teacher named Kusutarou Mizutani (水谷楠太郎), and there were a lot of anecdotes about him. One of those was the happening at the Wakayama-shi train station. The baggage handlers for the train station and the baggage handlers for a shipping company got into a fight, but they became angry when Sensei attempted to intercede – “this is none of your business!”. “Well then, I’ll take all of you on – come at me!”, he said and beat all of them about the platform. An Osaka police officer who saw this suggested that Sensei become a detective, and he did that work for a while but it didn’t suit him so he soon resigned. He established a dojo and began teaching, and I heard that as rumors of the incident at the train station spread he began to attract large numbers of students.

Mr. Tsuda, who was one of Mizutani Sensei’s senior students, took responsibility for my instruction, and thanks to being the youngest student there he would tell me many of the secret methods by oral transmission (“kuden” / 口伝). He would also guide my education in budo with tales of Itto Ittosai‘s (伊藤一刀斎) students Ono Zenki (小野善鬼) and Mikogami Tenzen (神子上典膳).

The name board for Shibuya Toma’s Ono-ha Itto-ryu Dojo at Enzoji Temple
Ono-ha Itto-ryu is the oldest of the Itto-ryu branches founded by Itto Ittosai
The 18 year old Sokaku Takeda’s name appears seven from the right in the center

About three years after I started training in Takenouchi-ryu grappling my uncle told me to go with him during his shugyo and we went up to Gongendo (権現堂) in the mountains to do zazen and misogi under the waterfalls. My uncle showed me and taught me many mysterious things. For about five years I would participate in his shugyo once or twice a month.

In Showa year 13 (1938), I started training in my home, training with about ten people. From December 25th of that year my youth group began the year-end night patrols, and I was responsible for the last day of the year until dawn on New Year’s Day.

The gathering place for the night patrol was at a movie theater called Denki-kan in Motoderumachi, Mr. Hiroyuki Nozawa had been sent from Kyoto and assigned to that location.

At the Wakayama Denki-kan – by Kyokichi Tanaka, 1910

All of a sudden he said, “Are you Takaoka-san? I hear that you teach budo.”. I said “no”, and then he said “someone from yesterday said your name”, with a suspicious look on his face, so I said “I’m just fooling around”. “What rank are you?”, he asked, and I replied, “It’s a koryu, so I receive sections of the curriculum”. When he said, “Do you know what Aikido is?” and I said “That’s Ueshiba Sensei from Kii Tanabe, isn’t it?”, he said, “So you’ve heard of it?”. I told him, “It was Ueshiba Sensei that I went to call on in Showa year 8 (1933) , when I thought about learning budo.”.  Then he invited me, “That’s great, shall we try touching hands?”.

When we trained together the form of the techniques was the same, so Nozawa Sensei and I started teaching Aikido together in my dojo. After training for a while we received a request from the police, and when the two of us went to teach them the Military Police approached Nozawa Sensei with an order to  “teach Aikido to the army personnel”, so we went to teach at the command center. A short time after that, the two Aikido Shihan Yukawa Tsutomu (湯川 勉) and Tetsuo Hoshi (星 哲臣) showed up and I was taught as well. Both of the Shihan had very powerful (hard) technique.

1934 Summer Training – front row from left:
Kiyoshi Nakakura (standing), Rinjiro Shirata (seated), Tsutomu Yukawa (seated)
From the Kobukan Dojo newsletter “Kobu” (皇武)

Translator’s Note: Tsutomu Yukawa was one of Morihei Ueshiba’s favorite students (he was actually married to Morihei Ueshiba’s niece), and was famous for his great strength. He died in a knife fight in Osaka in 1942. Tetsuo Hoshi was a  Judo sixth dan who returned his rank to the Kodokan after meeting Morihei Ueshiba. He was later executed as a WWII war criminal for torturing prisoners of war with his martial arts techniques (from “The Way of Judo: A Portrait of Jigoro Kano and His Students“, by John Stevens).

Nozawa Sensei had also studied Kurama-ryu (鞍馬流) before doing Aikido, so he also practiced a lot of striking techniques. Nozawa Sensei used to say that at the time that he studied at the Aikido Kansai-shibu Takeda Dojo that all of the students who came to train held certificates in other ryu-ha (“schools”).

After that, I began teaching Aikido to the general population in Showa year 18 (1943). In order to avoid provoking the command center I made up another name for Aikido – changing the “Takenouchi” in “Takenouchi-ryu” from 竹内 to 武内, I called it “Takenouchi-ryu Tessen-jutsu” (武内流鉄扇術) when I taught.

Memories of my military service

During my training in budo with Mizutani Sensei I learned methods of healing through bonesetting and shiatsu, and being asked by my students I would sometimes give them healing treatments.

In Showa year 18 (1943) , during basic training a few days after I enlisted, I was called into the petty officer’s room by the squad leader – “You said that you didn’t have a girlfriend, but who is this!?”, he said, and showed me a letter. It was a pink envelope. The squad letter opened the envelope and read the letter, but it was a thank you letter from one of the people that I given healing treatments to before I enlisted.

I was asked, “You do budo?”, so I gave him an explanation of Aikido. The training officer, who had been listening, said, “Come teach me before lights out”. In this way, I was able to avoid the usual hazing from the troops before lights out.

I completed my three months of basic training without incident and returned home. When I reached foreign soil as part of the third call up for Showa year 20 (1945) I was soon called to the medical office, where the army medic said “I gave this man two shots of the anaesthetic but the pain won’t stop. You try treating them.”. After treating him for around twenty minutes the pain went away, and the army medic said that he would tell general headquarters that I was to work in the medical office starting the next day, and that was how I came to work there.

Soon after that it came to the end of the war, and about a week before I thought that I would be able to return home an order was issued for personnel at the aviation factory in Gwangju (Korea) and I was unable to return home. At the time I was treating the adjutant to the battalion commander, and when I went to tell him that I would be unable to treat him from the next day he said that would be a problem and told general headquarters that I was essential personnel and that he wanted them to change my assignment.

Repatriation operations at the port of Senzaki, Japan

Original caption reads: “NZEF in Japan. Repatriated Japanese soldiers salute a New Zealander, Major L W Wright, as he approaches. Orders have been issued that all occupation force troops must return salutes given by Japanese. These Japanese are passing through the port of Senzaki, where New Zealanders are in control of repatriation operations.” Photograph taken ca 1946 by a New Zealand Army photographer.

On October 15th of Showa year 20 (1945) I arrived at Senzaki Port to the nostalgic mountain skyline of Japan, boarded the train for the demobilization returnees, and when I opened my eyes was arriving at Tennoji Station in Osaka.

I got on the Nankai Electric Railway, but when I arrived at my long forgotten Wakayama City it was a burnt out ruin. I thought to go and see the burnt remnants of our home, and all that was left of that terrible tragedy were the burnt and crusted remains of our metal utensils.

The remains of Wakayama City after the 1945 air raids

I immediately became concerned for my family, but when I went to call on my uncle in the country my family were all unharmed,

In retrospect, I am grateful that I was able to return home quickly and unharmed thanks to budo.

Morihei Ueshiba and Minoru Mochizuki around 1951

Meeting Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei

After the demobilization I was teaching Aikido to the young people in the rural evacuation areas when one day a young person that I had never seen before came to me and said “I’d like to train with you”. Although I said “today is a day off” he insisted, so I said “well then, right here” and I showed him two or three techniques in that six tatami room (about 9.18 square meters, or 98.8 square feet), but when I said “that’s it for today” he showed no signs of leaving. I asked him “is there something that you want?” he said “actually, I’m a student of Judo and I’ve never seen techniques like these”, and when I told him “nobody knows these techniques, so I’m teaching them in gratitude for the help they gave me in demobilizing” he said “thank you” and left.

The next day when I was talking to the students they said “Did he show up? He said that he was going to toss that guy with the strange techniques around.”, so I said “Is that right? I’m glad that I didn’t get thrown then.” while laughing, and everybody exploded with laughter. It’s a good memory of the evacuation area.

In January of Showa year 22 (1947) I moved from the evacuation area to Nakanoshima in Wakayama City.

In Showa year 23 (1948) the president of the Nakanoshima Community Association, Mr. Youzou Shima, said that he wanted to help those pure youths who had lost their hope and were falling into the depths of depression, and asked me to teach them Aikido.

We turned the workshop at the Shima home into a dojo, and trained there day and night as Nakanoshima Dojo.

Old Nikko Shoyu (now Daisho) signs in Osaka

In Showa year 26 (1951) I was fortunate to learn that Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei would be returning for the first time in fifty years. At the request of Mr. Nishimoto (西幸醤油 / Nikko Shoyu) from the public safety committee he was to teach the members of the Wakayama police department.

Wakayama Prefecture Governor Shinji Ono

Through an introduction from Nozawa Sensei I was able to receive instruction along with the police officers, and for the mornings and evenings on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at the Wakayama Prefectural Workers Community Hall with Governor Shinji Ono (小野真次) we would recieve instruction in Karate, which was born in Okinawa, from the instructors Otsuka, Tomoyose and Yamashiro, and then on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays O-Sensei would come to Nakanoshima Dojo with his high-ranking student Koichi Tohei (now head of the Ki Society).

Thanks to this that the dojo was overflowing with energy, and the number of students suddenly jumped to more than one hundred. In Showa year 28 (1953) I was promoted to third dan in Aikido and registered with the headquarters as an Aikido instructor.

After training, when I would say “Shall I give you shiatsu?”, he would say “In the past my students gave me shiatsu, but now there’s nobody who trains in shiatsu anymore. Maybe just once?” and lie down on his side.

As I was giving him shiatsu he said “You belong to this path. Have you thought about trying the Nishi Health System?”. When I told him that I wanted to learn his techniques first he said “Is that right? Well then, let me teach you my healing method.”, and then he taught me his palm healing method.

Reiki Founder Mikao Usui 1865-1926

Translator’s Note: “Palm healing” is a kind of hands on healing that was often practiced in Japan as an element of Buddhism. It is commonly used as a technique in Reiki, founded by Mikao Usui in 1922. Both Morihei Ueshiba and Onisaburo Deguchi were said to have been acquainted with Mikao Usui.

When I mentioned to O-Sensei that his ribs were quite thick he said “My ribs are all one sheet. One time in the old days an instructor at the Toyama Academy stabbed me with a wooden bayonet. I did some reckless things back then.”.

Let me talk about some of the various anecdotes that the Founder told me.

The Founder was returning from harvesting when when he heard a voice saying “hey, hey”. When he put down his bale of wheat and looked around the village headman and the constable had been knocked down in the field . They scolded him because his bale was too wide to pass through.

He told me that in Ayabe, even when he returned from the main shrine late at night his wife would leave the door unlocked for him “I’ll tell you this because it’s you, but I don’t tell everybody.” he said. Then I asked him about a story that I had read in a book about the beam in the ceiling of the main shrine at the Omoto compound in Ayabe. “When I looked at the logs my body grew warm and the log looked like a small chopstick. It moved when I rocked it so I picked it up.” he said.

I heard this one from one of his students – “The Founder is strong, after practice he puts water in a basin and cools his hands,”.

When I trained with him he was so soft that I asked him if I would be able to produce as much power as he had before the war if I did this training. O-Sensei replied “Before the war I trained with strength without understanding. Now that strength is not necessary. This is Takemusu Aiki!”. Then he explained the reasons to me.

In the year that the war ended I became ill and my spirit became weak. As I thought of going to heaven an angel came to fan my flames. When I tried to leave even then a lone priest appeared and told me to return. He explained that it was too soon to see his face, that I was not yet cultivated enough.

After that I recovered from my illness. When I thought to go to offer prayers at the Aiki-jinja I saw a white man on the front path. Looking closely I saw that another Ueshiba holding a wooden sword standing in kamae, and when I went to strike him I was struck. When I struck again I was struck again. When I took a stance the next time he vanished suddenly. From that time my techniques became soft. The is Sho-chiku-bai Kenpo (“the Pine-bamboo-plum method of the sword”).

Pilgrimage to Mongolia in 1924
Onisaburo Deguchi, second from left
Morihei (Moritaka at the time) Ueshiba on the far right

He often spoke to me of the time that he went to Mongolia, and when he spoke of falling in the lake he warned me “Takaoka, you are the only one who can protect yourself.”.

The memories of those conversations with the Founder left a deep impression on my heart.

A short time later the instructors Katsuki and Arikawa came from Hombu to teach.

In Showa year 30 (1955) a dojo just for instruction from O-Sensei was born in Masago-cho (真砂町), so the Nakanoshima Dojo members also started to go there to train.

Soon it was time for O-Sensei to return to the capitol, and I was told to come every morning at five o’clock so that he could give me shihan training in Tokyo.  Every day for a week I learned the teachings (法則) while shivering in the light from O-Sensei’s eyes. On the last day he said:

I have given you my treasure. I could take back an object, but I can never take away the principles that I have taught you up until today. If you can understand what you have been taught then it is alright to tell others, but while you still don’t understand you must not. Train as long as you have life.

Translator’s Note: The 1955 shihan  training sessions in Tokyo began with O-Sensei wielding a Jo in “Kagura Mae” (神楽舞 / “Dance of the Gods”). When questioned about technique during the training sessions O-Sensei would just repeat the “Kagura Mae” without saying a word.

Yasuo Kobayashi Sensei said this about that seminar: “In the spring of 1955, a special practice was held for yudansha from all over Japan at Hombu Dojo. The various instructors from Hombu joined with Sunadomari Sensei from Kyushu, Tanaka Sensei of Osaka, Hikitsuchi Sensei of Wakayama and from Tohoku, Shirata and Otake Senseis and others along with us deshi for a week of practice sessions. The last day there was a party which was attended by Shioda Sensei of the Yoshinkan, Katori-Shintoryu’s Sugano Sensei, Ninjutsu’s Fujita Sensei, Matsuo Sensei of Iaido and many other noted martial artists. Sensei representing the various schools of Aikido were also invited along with the old officer class of the Navy; everyone had a pleasant interchange.”

Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba
Kagura Mae – the Dance of the Gods

Appendix:
Dobun (instructive principles) by Morihei Ueshiba.

As taught by Sadao Takaoka Shihan, Wakayama Aikikai dojo
(originally appeared on The Aikido F.A.Q.)

Original translation by: Haruko Kado
Recompiled in English by: K.C. Brodbeck
Parts taken from Aikido Newsletter 2/10/1974

One spirit
Four souls
Three elements
Eight powers

Mototsumitama (literally translated as the Great Basic Metaphysical Substance of being) of the one spirit, four souls, three elements, and eight powers, make up the Great God. The Great God is the living infinite mother who has spread spiritual and physical prosperity throughout space.

Space was once empty, with no Heaven and no Earth. Suddenly a pinhole opened up in this empty space. This pinhole was the very origin of existence. From this hole, Ki of the Great God, which was finer than steam, smoke or mist, gradually came forth to form a circle which surrounded the pinhole and gave birth to the Kotodama of Suu. This birth was not only the birth of the physical world, but of the spiritual world as well.

The universe then began its natural respiration taking a deep breath of expansion, and as it expanded sound flowed from it. This original sound was the kotodama Suu. Suu then continued expanding in four directions and formed a pulsating circle. When Suu has developed it turns into U. The constant work of Suu produced the kotodama U.

The kotodama U, which is the origin of spirit as well as substance, divides into two and works as opposing forces which function independently. Each of these two functions has its own Mitama (spirit). One of these forces flows up and generates the kotodama A, while the other function falls to Earth and creates the kotodama O. With A going up and O going down an opposing force is created, and held together by Ki, an attraction is formed.

Takamagahara ( high planes of heaven ) represents the universe. It teaches us what the law and order of the universe should be and how the gods reside within it. Everyone s family represents Takamagahara and each individual has Takamagahara within him\herself. All the elements of this universe constantly breathe and flux and live every moment of our lives. In other words, Takamagahara is the great celestial globe which has successfully accomplished its formation and wishes. It is the very origin of creation of heaven and earth. To come to understand the wishes of Takamagahara and pursue the tasks of the gods to satisfy their will is Aikido.

Clarify the Ki of space, the Ki of the self-curdling island (Onogorojima), the Ki of the universe, and all the ways which mitama come into your body. Make all the breathings of the universe match your own. Use these lines as the law, and make them accomplish the mission of the universal heaven. The basic principle to pursue in each direction is called Aikido.

Aikido should be the doctrine endowed by god to clarify the workings of the universe. The past, the present, and the future are the routes which the universe should follow. This includes the human body, as it has the universe within it. Purify the universe and harmonize it with the three worlds of the manifest, the spiritual, and that of the gods. Following this continually is Aikido.

The core of the universal dynamism consists of 75 sounds. Each one of these sounds obeys three rules: triangle (Iku-musubi), circle (Taru-musubi), and square (Tamatsume-musubi).

The kotodama, A, O, U, E, I, manifesting the mind of the Founding god ( Kuni no Katachi no Kami), interacting with the neutral god (Toyokumo no Kami), the functions of the Five gods came into being.

When the eight powers interact with each other, the light, pure ones went up to the heavens, and the heavier, impure ones fell to the Earth. Each time the heavens and the Earth interacted, some functions fell to Earth, expanding it. This was done by the god of Tamatsume-musubi. With the three elements, Iku-musubi, Taru-musubi, and Tamatsume-musubi, influencing the process, the universe grew and continues to grow today. Aiki is this interaction and use of kotodama. It is the one spirit, four souls, three elements, and the eight powers.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, one hundred, one thousand, one million, and the great Mitama of all These words represent the one spirit, four souls, three elements, and the eight powers. Ueshiba Sensei never failed to recite these words in his prayer before and after Aikido practice in order to teach us to assimilate ourselves within the universe. By doing so, we can produce techniques which make the three elements visible in the manifest world. Wishing for world peace, Ueshiba Sensei always preached that human beings are also a part of the universe.

The Three Elements

Ueshiba Sensei told us in his Dobun that the Three Elements are gas, liquid, and solid. After studying this for a long period of time, I came up with my interpretation for this. I think that these three elements are three stages. When O Sensei said gas, he wanted to tell you to match your breath with that of your opponent. Liquid indicates that you should absorb your opponent s strength. Solid implies that you should use your breath and perform the technique. In other words, in the gas stage we should lead our opponents with our Ki. In the liquid stage we should assimilate ourselves with our opponent. In the solid stage we gradually apply ourselves in the desired directions to complete the technique.

The Four Souls

Historically in Japan four separate aspects of functions of mitama have been recognized. The first is Kushimitama, or the heavens, which give light to all things in order to purify their KI. The second is Sachimitama, or the Earth, which lavishly provides and never expects anything in return. The active and valiant Aramitama, or fire, is indispensable for any type of development. The harmonious Nigimitama is the water that can flow anywhere and rules the Earth.

The Eight Powers

The eight powers are always contrastive to each other. Moving force and stopping force, dissolving force and curdling force, pulling force and releasing force, joining force and separating force, work actively in the universe to sustain life and the Earth. This is also true within ourselves, as we are part of the universe and have a universe within our bodies. I draw an analogy from the Ken-zen-ichi-jyo sword tactics which were written in the twelfth century. In Ken-zen-ichi-jyo we learn that if an opponent gives you his full 100% attack, you should receive the attack with zero. If he gives you 90% then you receive it with 10. 80-20 70-30 60-40 40-60 30-70 20-80 10- 90 0-100. I believe this is much easier to understand than the definitions given by O Sensei If we meet 100% with 100% we end up with a 50-50 connection and we cannot proceed with the desired function.

Fire and water are two basic examples of the opposing powers. Fire naturally flows vertically, while water flows horizontally. Water puts out fire, and fire evaporates water.

Many people ask about Aikido with relation to religion. I don t believe in religions because I know that history has seen a lot of conflicts among religions which have caused many great battles. Instead I believe in the god of fire and the god of water. It is such a simple concept that I wish people all over the world could come to support the idea.

The final set of contrastive powers is positive and negative. When explaining these two forces I use the terms plus and minus.

Correct breathing is critical to using these forces effectively. Take a breath as you pronounce A, O, U, E, I. Try to let your body learn to breathe the kotodama, and not your brain. In doing so you will not need commands from your brain to move as quickly as possible.

In Aikido, zero (or nothingness) is necessary most of the time. Kokoro (heart and mind) is one thing while Ki is something else. Many people believe that they are identical, but it they are not. Heart and mind remain innocent for your entire life, while Ki is always fluctuating. You must purify yourself to become nothing. What you do in Aikido never fails to reflect the state of your Ki. If your Ki is clouded, you cannot accept or lead your opponent. I really hope that everyone can learn to master the Aikido that Ueshiba Sensei taught and lived.

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Aikido Shihan Sadao Takaoka – Meeting O-Sensei appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

I think you can see Doshu’s dilemma. He has to continue to teach the ‘essence’ of the art, but without knowing very much about what his grandfather actually did. He is a few years younger than I am and all he knows has been filtered via Kisshomaru and those deshi of Kisshomaru’s generation. Doshu’s son Mitsuteru will have an even bigger problem. Apart from a few exceptions like Tomiki and Tohei, Kisshomaru allowed the old deshi like Tada, Yamaguchi, Arikawa to get on and teach what they had learned from Morihei Ueshiba directly, in so far as they understood this. The variety was allowed to flourish, but with the passage of time there has been an inevitable dumbing down and an increasingly frantic insistence that what the Hombu is doing is the only means of aikido salvation. I think if the Aikikai could make the eight basic waza into sacraments, they would leap at the chance.

Former International Aikido Federation Chairman Peter Goldsbury
on “The Future of Aikido“

Some time ago, in 2015, Mark Murray allowed us to post the first part of his essay on the evolution and transmission of Aikido, “The Ueshiba Legacy“. In this essay he discussed the two legacies of Aikido – the legacy of the father, Morihei Ueshiba, and the legacy of the son, Kisshomaru Ueshiba. In Part 2 he now follows up that essay with a further discussion of these issues and how they have affected the art of Aikido as it exists today.

Mark is an “IT Specialist by trade and a writer by choice” (check out the Mark Murray Books website, and the Mark Murray author page on Amazon), but when he’s not doing either of those things he is usually training in the martial arts, and that is the context in which most of us are probably familiar with him.

The Ueshiba Legacy – Part 2

by Mark Murray

The Diverging Legacies of Ueshiba

Introduction: As I noted in a previous article, there are two Ueshiba legacies: Morihei Ueshiba and his son Kisshomaru Ueshiba. That article introduced some research into the fact that there are two different legacies. It did not go into any kind of detail on what those actual legacies were, nor did it go into any kind of peer-reviewed academic detail. I am not an academic. It is up to the reader to decide whether or not he/she finds the articles useful.

A: The Words

In the previous article, references were given from both pre-war and post war that what Ueshiba talked about was both mostly unintelligible and also not what was passed on via Kisshomaru Ueshiba. Father and son lived in two different worlds. Morihei Ueshiba lived the highlight of his life prior to World War II. Kisshomaru was greatly influenced by World War II.

1. Kisshomaru Ueshiba

Imagine living during World War II. The people of two islands, half a world apart, experienced the same nightmare. In the United Kingdom between 1940 and 1941, Germany raided 16 British cities. London was bombed every night for 57 nights. Picture yourself in your home as night falls and the air raid sirens go off. The ground shakes, fire lights the sky. You run for an underground shelter, heart pounding. Screams echo in your ears from somewhere to your right. It takes forever to get to the shelter, your head down eyes focused on the ground as glimpses of your feet come into view from your outright run. Your chest starts burning and all your gasping for breath isn’t helping. But you make it. An eternity later, the sun rises and you emerge from darkened safety only to see entire blocks of the city have been flattened and some of the rest are still burning.

“Devastation from the Fires of the Shinjuku Commercial District,” 1945 photo by Kageyama Koyo of the aftermath of a
March 9-10 firebombing of Tokyo by the U.S. Air Force

Located around the world in Tokyo similar bombings were occurring. On March 9th 1945, the United States launched another firebombing attack. Kisshomaru Ueshiba, who is only 23 years old and barely out of university, is hardly an experienced, mature adult in this war-torn world. To make matters worse, Morihei Ueshiba turned over complete control of the Tokyo dojo to his son when Kisshomaru was 21 (*1). It is a miracle that the Tokyo dojo is still standing amidst the fires and ruins of the city. Five months later, all of Japan was brought to her knees when the United States dropped two atomic bombs. The unimaginable happened. Japan was defeated and surrendered. That was the fractured and ruined world of Kisshomaru.

Japanese bow in front of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
 as they listen to Emperor Hirohito’s radio broadcast
announcing Japan’s surrender in World War II
Kyodo News Photo – August 15th, 1945

It was inevitable that Kisshomaru would strip most of his father’s words out of the aikido being created at Tokyo. From the ban on martial arts after the war to just having to survive, Kisshomaru strained to keep the Tokyo dojo going. Families were living in the building. Most students were just trying to make ends meet, let alone devote time to training. From this rubble, Kisshomaru created a new direction for aikido. He took out most of his father’s references to Omoto theology and introduced a training for spirituality, peace, and love. And why not? Most of the students had no clue what the old man was talking about anyway. The world had changed after the end of World War II. Japan was rebuilding. Kisshomaru started looking to the future.

Aikikai Hombu Dojo around 1957
In back behind the doorway there were still war refugees living in the dojo,
after they left that area became the men’s dressing room.
Yasuo Kobayashi Sensei’s sister Fumiko standing at the far left.

With regards to words, the legacy Kisshomaru built was taken up by the entire world. People from all over started training in the aikido that was disseminated from Tokyo hombu. Millions of people flocked to this. The ideals that were transmitted were built upon changing the world for the better. The ideal of using an attacker’s attack against him/her in a loving, protective manner while there not being a winner/loser with the martial ability to carry it off was like going after the Holy Grail.

Seminar participants
12th International Aikido Federation (IAF) Congress in Takasaki
September 27th – October 2nd 2016

Unfortunately, it was based upon Morihei Ueshiba’s martial abilities, which were not part of the legacy passed on by Kisshomaru, but this will be further detailed in another section. Make no mistake, Kisshomaru’s impact upon the world of aikido was huge. It brought together people from all over to train together in harmony, that probably would never have trained together. Almost fifty years after the death of Morihei Ueshiba, millions of people worldwide still train in aikido thanks to the words and ideals of Kisshomaru. It is a legacy that has fluidly changed and adapted over time yet, for the most part, still retains the look and feel of Kisshomaru’s vision. Many people will flock to Modern Aikido in the upcoming years as it has a legacy to thrive in a world desperately looking for peace and love.

2. Morihei Ueshiba

Morihei Ueshiba used Omoto terminology to pass on his view of training aiki. But the secret, aiki, was never about the Omoto religion at all.

From André Nocquet:

No, Aikido is not a religion. One day I asked my master, Master Ueshiba, “You always say that Aikido is Love then, isn’t there a very narrow link with Christianity?” He told me, “Yes, there is a very narrow link with Christianity but if you go to Europe, never say that Aikido is a religion. If you practice Aikido well, you may become a better Christian but if a good Buddhist practices Aikido, he will also become a better Buddhist.” Aikido is a way, a path, it helps to better understand religions and philosophies, but it is not a religion, this is what he told me. (*2)

When we look at spiritual misogi, Seiseki Abe is a good example. Around 1952, Seiseki Abe says this about talking to Ueshiba:

“How did you ever learn such a wonderful budo”, and he answered, “Through misogi.” Now I had been doing misogi since 1941 and when I heard that Aikido came from misogi, suddenly “snap”, the two came together. (*3)

Seiseki Abe had been doing misogi for at least 10 years prior to training in aikido and wasn’t at all near Ueshiba’s skills or abilities, nor did he even see misogi and aikido as being similar. We can see from this that something that Ueshiba knew and had trained was the underlying basis for powering his misogi exercises.

To view the legacy of Morihei Ueshiba’s words, we have to go beyond looking at the Omoto religion. Omoto was not part of Morihei Ueshiba’s legacy. He used Omoto merely as a vessel for aiki training. What, then, did Morihei Ueshiba’s words mean?

Morihei Ueshiba lecturing
the text behind him reads “Ichirei Shikon Sangen Hachiriki”

From the translation on the Aikido Sangenkai website:

Aikido is the way of harmony, that is to say the living form of Ichirei Shikon Sangen Hachiriki, the form of the fabric of the universe, specifically the form of the High Plain of Heaven. (*4)

Ueshiba explained Hachiriki as The 8 powers are opposing forces:

Movement – Stillness, Melting – Congealing, Pulling – Loosening, Combining – Splitting / 9-1, 8-2, 7-3, 6-4 (*4).

These are 4 pairs of opposites.

To understand just how important “opposites” are, when Henry Kono asked O-Sensei “Why can we not do what you do, Sensei?” the answer was quite simply “Because you don’t understand In and Yo.” (*5) Opposing forces.

As a bit of a sidetrack, Ueshiba was an avid reader of the Chinese classics. If we look at a portion of the Chinese Martial Arts, we find that opposing forces is the foundation of many. Taiji itself is about opposing forces.

“In the declining years of the Yuan Dynasty, there was a retired scholar called Zhang Sanfeng who took the basic Confucian principle of taiji and mixed it together with the major principles of the other schools of thought, putting the five elements and eight trigrams into his boxing techniques and footwork, using taiji’s passive and active, hardness and softness, movement and stillness, as metaphors for its function. With these as its main points, it became known as the internal school, distinct as a result from the external school.” (*6)

As noted from Brennan’s translation, there are opposing forces in passive/active, hardness/softness, and movement/stillness.

Chris Li notes the similarities between what Morihei Ueshiba says and the Chinese classics:

“So now we see that Morihei Ueshiba’s cosmology for the physical structure of the Universe is identical to the Chinese cosmology. Further, we see that Morihei Ueshiba’s structure for the physical manifestation of his art is identical to that used in the Chinese internal martial arts – right down to the terminology.” (*4)

Morihei Ueshiba talked about Izanami and Izanagi. He talked about kami, which was often written as ka (fire) and mi (water). He transposed deities for opposing forces. We can see that these opposing forces meant a lot to Ueshiba as he talked about them all the time. It is exactly this concept of opposing forces that is one of the foundations for aiki.

The In-Yo / Yin-Yang Trigrams showing
Morihei Ueshiba’s “Cross of Aiki“

We can tie in/yo or yin/yang or ka/mi or Izanami/Izanagi back to Daito ryu. There are various mentions of in/yo throughout Daito ryu. The concept can be traced back to Sokaku Takeda’s grandfather, Soemon:

“Soemon studied the arts of yin-yang divination (ommyodo) in Kyoto under the Tsuchimikado family, who were descendants of renowned diviner Abe no Seimei (921-1005), eventually receiving a menkyo (license of mastery) certificate and obtaining the title of Takumi no Kami. After returning to Oike in the Aizu domain he served as the chief priest of Aizu Ise Shrine and was known both as an expert in the Shinto religion and yin-yang divination and a master of Daito-ryu. He taught these arts in different places, and also transmitted secret teachings to the Aizu domain councilor Saigo Tanomo.” (*7)

The Heian Era practitioner of Onmyodo (“The way of Yin and Yang”)
Abe no Seimei, 921 – 1005
Portrait by Kikuchi Yosai, 1781 -1878

From Tokimune Takeda – son of Sokaku Takeda, and Soke of Daito-ryu Aiki Budo:

“In-yo Aiki-ho” fills the Seika Tanden with Ki through Kokyu-ho and strives to concentrate Ki-ryoku through mental concentration. Closing the five-fingers, inhaling quietly is called “In” (“Yin”), opening the five fingers strongly and exhaling is called “Yo” (“Yang”). Through the continuation of this breathing method the mind becomes clear, the vision becomes sharp, the “spirit”, “ki” and “power” are unified, a courageous spirit is developed, and especially – the various practical applications of the ten fingers of both hands gives rise to superhuman powers. (*8)

From Invincible Warrior by John Stevens:

Regarding Takeda, “His extraordinary ability was due to mind control, technical perfection honed in countless battles, and mastery of aiki, the blending of positive and negative energy.”

Letter from Jigoro Kano to Moritaka (Morihei) Ueshiba
introducing Minoru Mochizuki and Jiro Takeda,
sent by the Kodokan to train at the Kobukan – October 28 1930
From “Aikido Kaiso Ueshiba Morihei-den” (合気道開祖植芝盛平伝)
According to Kisshomaru Ueshiba,
after meeting Morihei Ueshiba Jigoro Kano said:
これこそ私が理想していた武道、すなわち正真正銘の柔道である。
“This is my ideal budo, that is, genuine Judo.” 

Finally, even Kano knew that the secret to budo was in/yo. Jigoro Kano visited Morihei Ueshiba to watch a demonstration of aikido. Kano was so impressed that he remarked that what he saw was what he considered an ideal budo. What did Kano view as an ideal budo?

Kano’s concept of Ju no Ri, was based upon the Taoist precept, “reversing is the movement of the Tao,” also described by the statement “the most yielding things in the world overcome the most unyielding.” Kano combined Ju no Ri with the interplay of forces as defined by the precept of in-yo (yin and yang, hardness and softness, negative and positive, receptiveness and resistance), and used the following to explain his concept of Kuzushi founded on Ju no Ri. (*9)

Like the Japanese changing yin/yang to in/yo, Morihei Ueshiba changed his Daito ryu roots of in/yo to many various other phrases, such as ka/mi, Izanami/Izanagi, etc. Ueshiba’s legacy of words was using Omoto terminology to talk about aiki training that he received from Sokaku Takeda. Aiki is the body changing method which allowed all the greats like Takeda, Ueshiba, Sagawa, Horikawa, etc to stand out. Morihei Ueshiba talked about in/yo, ka/mi, heaven/earth/man, standing on the bridge, etc and all of these ideals point to internal martial training methodologies.

This was Morihei Ueshiba’s legacy of words that Modern Aikido from Kisshomaru Ueshiba did not transmit. Those reading Morihei Ueshiba’s words and who have the understanding of those internal concepts to implement them in physical training have the basis to keep his legacy alive and thriving.

(1) http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25175

(2) http://www.guillaumeerard.com/aikido/interviews/interview-with-andre-nocquet-8th-dan-pioneer-of-aikido-in-europe

(3) Aiki News Issue 045

(4) http://www.aikidosangenkai.org/blog/aikido-structure-universe/

(5) “Aikido Memoirs” by Alan Ruddock

(6) https://brennantranslation.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/the-taiji-manual-of-xu-yusheng/

(7) http://www.daito-ryu.org/en/prior-to-the-19th-century.html

(8) http://www.aikidosangenkai.org/blog/sagawa-yukiyoshi-masaru-takahashi-breath-training-daito-ryu/

(9) http://www.aikidojournal.com/?id=2138

Morihei Ueshiba and Kisshomaru Ueshiba
at the old Aikikai Hombu Dojo around 1957

B: Weapons

Weapons in Modern Aikido are a mess. Koryu people smile, are polite, but they, too, think Modern Aikido weapons are, well, not really using weapons. This is a very important divergence from Morihei Ueshiba’s reputation.

Meik Skoss eloquently states about Modern Aikido weapons:

That’s because they know squat about weapons. Sorry to be a little heavy again, but I’ve done an awful lot of aikido (sigh… wish now that I’d done more judo and/or classical jujutsu — *that* is real “aiki”) and trained a lot of places (North America, Southeast Asia, and Japan). I have got to say that there’re very, VERY few aikido teachers, in any of these places, who have half a clue about using weapons. It is pretty hard to believe, but they don’t even know the TGIF Principle (in relation to the kissaki), when doing tsuki waza. That seems to be an awfully basic concept to me, but, noooo-o-o-o… (*1)

1. Kisshomaru Ueshiba

Peter Goldsbury notes:

I think the influence of Koichi Tohei in the early postwar years of the Aikikai Hombu should not be underestimated. I have it from shihans who were not smitten with Watergate-style amnesia that many of the sword and jo kata originally practised by postwar deshi came via Tohei Sensei. (*2)

Most of the weapons katas from Modern Aikido were created by post war shihan from various experiences outside of training with Morihei Ueshiba. There are many sources to uphold this. (*3) (*4) (*5) (*6)

Tamura Nobuyoshi was asked, “Did O’Sensei also practice tanto dori?”

He answered:

I never saw him do it. Back in the day the Yakuza always fought with a knife. One day a fighter asked what one could do against these types of attacks. It was the sempais who developed this work. It was very spectacular for the demonstrations.”(*7)

Tanto work was created entirely by Modern Aikido.

Tamura Nobuyoshi was also asked, “Was it O’Sensei who created the katas such as Ichi no Tachi?” He answered, “These are the creations of Saito Sensei. O’Sensei showed the shochikubai ken but did not teach katas as such.” (7)

Meik Skoss notes this:

After WWII, Hikitsuchi and Saito stand out as well-grounded in weapons training. Other teachers, such as Tamura, Chiba, Kanai, and Saotome appear to have gotten most of their buki waza from other sources. (*4)

The aikido ken, jo, and tanto kata are creations of those shihan from Modern Aikido. Most of them created their weapons kata outside of any of Morihei Ueshiba’s teachings. The legacy of Modern Aikido has been to create weapons kata from various sources to add to the curriculum. Unfortunately, this is the weakest spot in Modern Aikido. Those in koryu think very little of aikido’s weapon work and they have very valid points. One can certainly understand Kisshomaru’s hesitancy to train weapons in Tokyo.

2. Morihei Ueshiba

From Meik Skoss:

Did Ueshiba Morihei formally study a lot of the koryu? No, not too much. A little Tenjin Shinyo-ryu, a bit of Yagyu Shingan-ryu, a fair amount of Daito-ryu. That’s all that people’ve been able to document with any degree of certainty. (*1)

Meik Skoss also made this comment:

To the best of my knowledge, Ueshiba’s work with weapons drew on a number of technical sources, but was primarily a rather idiosyncratic style that he employed for personal training rather than an organized system. He’d demonstrate a number of applications from time to time, but that was to illustrate the principles of the art rather than to “teach” buki waza per se. For the most part, by all accounts, most of Ueshiba’s post-war students did not receive systematic instruction in sword, staff, or stick. Amongst his students of pre-WWII vintage, probably Shirata Rinjiro (sword) and Iwata Hajime (staff) are probably the premier examples. (*4)

Tamura Nobuyoshi was asked, “What was the shochikubai no ken?” He answered, “Shochikubai no ken is not a specific form. The movements of O’Sensei varied according to his mood.” Nobuyoshi was also asked, “Did O’Sensei not teach paired katas, whether at Iwama or Hombu dojo?” He answered, “No.”

Diane Skoss notes this about jo kata from Tomiki aikido:

I’ve done the solo jo kata in Tomiki aikido (when in Japan–hm, maybe I did it in the States too?) and it is indeed closely related to one of the Ueshiba jo kata (can’t remember which one though). We all did it in Tokyo, so I wonder if the source might not have been Tomiki S. or Ohba S, rather than Nariyama S. I also have experience in both jukendo (5th dan) and JAA aikido (4th dan). There’s no question, in my opinion, that the yari/jo techniques are derived from bayonet. In fact, I asked Shishida S. about it one time and he confirmed that he had been told that (by Ohba S.? by Tomiki S?–it’s undoubtedly in my notes somewhere). I was also told that the choice of yari, for the Tomiki kata, was due to the fact that a spear (or jo) was more politically correct than a mokuju/bayonet. If you’ve got access to a mokuju, just try the techniques and see how much more sense the distancing makes. (*5)

I think we can see that both legacies, Morihei Ueshiba and Kisshomaru’s Tokyo hombu never really had the solid background in weapons that one would see in a koryu. What is known about Morihei Ueshiba is that he used a bayonet, a spear, a shortened spear, and a bokken. Even when he had a jo in his hands, it was used more like a spear or bayonet than a jo. Modern Aikido does not have kata for spear or bayonet. Two diverging legacies.

“The jo he used was the length of a regular jo,
but it was sharpened at one end.”
A Day in the Life of the Founder Morihei Ueshiba, April 1968
by Gaku Homma

Because Ueshiba’s training in weapons was eclectic and his teaching was eclectic, the main legacy he left for those following his footsteps was just to use aiki when wielding a weapon. He would watch kata and say, With aiki, we’d do it this way. The divergence with Kisshomaru Ueshiba’s Modern Aikido was that aiki, more specifically Daito ryu aiki, was left out.

The legacy of Morihei Ueshiba was to use weapons as an extension of his aiki body. Daito ryu aiki must be present for anyone wanting to follow in Ueshiba’s footsteps.

(1) The old fa.iaido Google group dated 2/12/99

(2) http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15066&page=4

(3) http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15066&page=5

(4) http://www.e-budo.com/forum/showthread.php?773-origins-of-aiki-jo

(5) http://www.e-budo.com/forum/showthread.php?773-origins-of-aiki-jo/page3

(6) The old iaido-l archives

(7) Interview with Tamura Nobuyoshi, by Leo Tamaki

(8) http://www.aikidosangenkai.org/blog/aiki-is-love-isnt-it/

C: Aiki

1. Kisshomaru Ueshiba

Kisshomaru had an extremely hard decision to make regarding Tokyo. His father had left him in charge. He was living in the shadow of a famous man. He couldn’t do what his father did. He didn’t have the skill and he didn’t have the love of martial arts. At least in the beginning, he didn’t want to do aikido. The burden placed on him by his father forced him to take an active role in aikido.

Kisshomaru Ueshiba at Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1967

After the war, there were families living in the dojo, the roof was leaking, and many people were barely surviving. Kisshomaru’s strength throughout these tough days cannot be underestimated. Not only did he survive, but he repaired the dojo, brought in students, and the families were relocated. Of course, post war Modern Aikido was not a creation by just Kisshomaru. There were many people who helped him keep Tokyo going. As a famous example, Koichi Tohei was also in Tokyo and contributed greatly to the training there. Kisshomaru was the center that held them all together. He was the son of Morihei Ueshiba. For many, the chance to train with Morihei only came through Kisshomaru.

Kisshomaru knew that he couldn’t spread aikido to the world using his father’s words. He took most of the unintelligible babble out. He knew that if one wasn’t famous or technically “strong”, one had to replace it with something. A codified system of techniques was created. Public demonstrations were introduced, even though Kisshomaru was frightened of his father’s rage initially. However, Morihei allowed his son to change things. This is important to note. Morihei gave Tokyo to his son and allowed his son to make changes. In Tokyo, Kisshomaru also had many different personalities to deal with, so a sort of “hands off” approach to training outside Tokyo was taken. This allowed a specified training to occur in Tokyo but yet give people enough room to grow so as not to stifle them.

Frank Doran mentions that Tohei created many energy games and practices. (*1) Patrick Augé states:

Mochizuki Minoru Sensei said that when he was studying with Ueshiba Sensei (late 1920’s), robuse was the name given to the technique that later became Ikkajo, then Ikkyo after the war. The present ikkyo as taught by most Aikikai (and Aikikai related) teachers is the result of the modifications made by Tohei and Kisshomaru Sensei in order to simplify Aikido and make it available to more people…. (*2)

Stan Pranin notes that Kisshomaru Ueshiba gradually changed the technical syllabus and created a flowing style technique based system. (*3) Koichi Tohei was head instructor for many years and his teaching was influenced by the Tempukai. (*4) Morihiro Saito also makes note of some of the things that Koichi Tohei introduced into Modern Aikido training. (*5)

Peter Goldsbury touches upon these things in an Aikiweb post:

There are many subjective accounts of how Morihei Ueshiba trained and what he taught, but I do not think that these accounts allow us to state categorically that this or that was how Ueshiba taught or trained. Apart from Doshu, who I think is in a special category, the Hombu instructor with whom I have discussed these issues the most is Hiroshi Tada. Like Tohei, H Tada was a student of Tempu Nakamura, but he seems to have been very careful as to what he taught in the Hombu and what he taught in his own dojo and in Italy. In other words, he seems to have accepted the idea that only certain things were to be taught or practiced in the Hombu, but also that the other things were to be practiced elsewhere. He teaches weapons in Italy, but never in the Hombu, and when I mentioned some details of a certain jo kata that I practiced in Italy to another Hombu instructor, he was very curious and wondered where Tada had learned it. Like other older Hombu instructors, Tada sets great store by solo training exercises and these seem to consist mainly of kokyu exercises of increasing sophistication and complexity. But he has never taught anything like pushing hands etc and I suspect that the occasion for seeing the results of all this kokyu training would be in basic aikido waza, like shoumen-uchi 1-kyou. This issue for me is which bit of Tada’s training comes from Nakamura and which bit from Ueshiba — and whether he could make such a distinction. Add to this Ellis Amdur’s theory of Ueshiba’s use of his students as ‘crash-test dummies’ and you also have to entertain the possibility that he showed different things to different students — and he showed this by having them take ukemi. You also have to entertain the possibility that the skills that Ueshiba possessed which could be interpreted as IP skills could be acquired by Ueshiba’s students in various ways, but not necessarily from Ueshiba himself by a direct transmission.

and

I am not sure that acceptance is the right word here. Sufferance might be more appropriate. One of the yudansha who trains with the group I look after in the Netherlands attends the workshops of Dan Harden and Minoru Akuzawa when they come to Europe. His aikido comes from another source, of course, but on one occasion a senior Hombu instructor stopped and asked him, “Why are you so strong?” The question was not meant in a negative sense at all and he was not talking about physical strength. The instructor knew exactly what he was seeing and I believe the older generation of instructors in Japan also know this. But, as you say, this knowledge is clandestine and limited to individuals. These individuals are in the Aikikai, but are dwindling in number. Yamaguchi, Tada and Arikawa used to visit our dojo regularly and I once asked an instructor why Doshu (the present Doshu, not Kisshomaru) was never invited. This was a few years ago and the answer was quite blunt: “He’s too young and does not know enough.

I think Doshu is an active exponent of a certain interpretation of iemoto, but the great danger here is that aikido is not a koryu and does not have kata in the sense understood in a koryu. There is a sense that the waza can be seen as vehicles for the expression of creativity and this, to my mind, is what Morihei Ueshiba meant by Takemusu Aiki. He always showed waza, as did Takeda Sokaku, but seems to have presented them slightly differently to different deshi. So creativity can be understood in many ways. Unlike the present generation of Japanese martial arts exponents, Morihei Ueshiba also read the Chinese classics and was familiar with all the texts that are the foundation of Chinese internal arts. Recently I came across a scholarly work on yin-yang and its place in Chinese thought and culture. Even a quick read was enough to show that this is a complex and multi-faceted concept. We all know the question that a student asked Morihei Ueshiba and his answer, citing the knowledge of yin and yang. Ueshiba did not give any further explanation and left it to the students to grasp what he meant. The point is that he was probably familiar with the whole breadth and depth of the concept, but his students did not share this familiarity. (*22)

In the end, Tokyo became a technique driven center of aikido. Kata was emphasized where Morihei Ueshiba said his aikido was formless. Ranks were inflated to send newly created shihan out into the world to spread Modern Aikido. A worldwide message that aiki was harmony, peace, and love spread. While some of this was misconceptions from foreign students who clamped onto the whole spiritual love everyone idea, Kisshomaru knew that to hold the center, some of the fringes had to be given a bit of leeway. The definition of aiki started to become a living, morphing identity which swirled around the peace and harmony message. In/yo, or as Ueshiba would write ka/mi, was solidly pushed to the side. This then, was where the two legacies diverged. Spiritual harmony became prominent with a focus on techniques. Daito ryu was removed as much as possible, including the secret of aiki from Daito ryu. Given the state of Japan after the war, the state of the entire world after the war, and Kisshomaru’s onus put upon him by his father to hold Tokyo with his life, it is certainly an extremely worthy legacy that Kisshomaru created. While it was never the same as his father, Morihei Ueshiba was proud of what his son had accomplished.

2. Morihei Ueshiba

Morihei Ueshiba tested his aiki body by using push tests. These tests were outside of using techniques allowing Ueshiba to demonstrate the secret of aiki. When Tenryu met Ueshiba, Morihei talked about how he watched Tenryu waste his strength trying to unsuccessfully push him over as he was seated. Ueshiba even lets Tenryu try to push him over by pushing on his forehead. Tenryu can not. Ueshiba pushes his legs outward but Tenryu still can not push him over. (*6) From another article, Ueshiba explains that the reason Tenryu couldn’t push him over is because he knew the secret of aiki. (*7) In an interview with Tenryu, Ueshiba gave Tenryu his left wrist and allowed Tenryu to do anything with it. Tenryu could do nothing and mentions that grabbing Ueshiba’s hand felt like grabbing an iron bar. Even when Tenryu lunged at Ueshiba, Tenryu could not get the better of him. (*8) Tenryu tried to push or pull Ueshiba, but could not budge him. (*9) (*10) Tenryu was over six feet tall and weighed over 240 pounds. (*11) Remember, Ueshiba states that he could not be moved because he knew the secret of aiki.

Morihei Ueshiba demonstrating a push-test in Hawaii, 1961
with Yukiso Yamamoto and Nobuyoshi Tamura 

In an interview with Hidetaro Nishimura (who introduced Kenji Tomiki to Morihei Ueshiba), Nishimura remembers Tenryu’s words about trying to push Ueshiba from behind and it was Tenryu who slid backwards. (*12) Notice that Tenryu is not a small man. He was a sumo wrestler who was tall, muscular and heavy. Yet, his training, his physical strength, and his solid build failed him in trying to push Ueshiba over. Aiki is not about physical strength, nor timing, nor body placement. Ueshiba was sitting and not moving. There was no timing or body placement involved.

“However hard we pushed the staff would not move.” – Yasuo Kobayashi

In an article in Aikido Journal, Stan Pranin mentions Ueshiba having people push on a jo and also having people push on him while he’s sitting on the mat. (*13) Shirata talks about a time when he and about nine others pushed on Ueshiba. Instead of Ueshiba moving, those pushing slid backwards. (*14) Takafumi Takeno talks about starting his aikido training and Ueshiba was having his students push and pull him. Ueshiba remained unmoved. (*15) Seishiro Endo recounts a time when Ueshiba had Endo push on his knees from the side. Endo mentions that Ueshiba felt soft and like a void that sucked up the efforts to push. (*16) Kazuaki Tanahashi is on video talking about trying to push Ueshiba. It was a common occurrence. Tanahashi mentions that Ueshiba even had Saito trying to push him over. (*17) Gaku Homma talks about how near the end of his life, Ueshiba would still have students push against him. Homma also states that they could not push Ueshiba over. (*18) Robert Frager recounts his time with Ueshiba. Ueshiba had Frager put his hands together and then Ueshiba placed one of his hands on Frager’s top wrist. Frager tried to push Ueshiba’s hand but could not. (*19) When an interviewer asked Kenji Shimizu about what left an impression while training with Ueshiba, he replied:

Well…there were so many things that left an impression on me…I don’t know where to start. One day he said “Shimizu, are you free?”, and when I answered “Yes” he sat down in a backless chair and said “My back is tight, could you massage it a little?”. At the beginning, when I pushed on his back lightly, he said “What’s this? You don’t have any strength – push harder!”, so I put more strength into it and pushed on his back strongly but O-Sensei didn’t move at all. He just said “Push harder!” so I added even more strength and pushed on his back, but he didn’t move, not an inch. He was the same during training – O-Sensei would hold up his te-gatana (手刀) in kamae and say “OK, try pushing me!”. In any case, no matter how much of a master one is, he was of such an advanced age that one would think that he would fall over if pushed strongly. However, since he would become angry if we pushed lightly we would push with all of our strength. Even so, he wouldn’t move, not an inch. (*20)

Modern Aikido removed push tests as they required an aiki body to successfully accomplish them.

Something else to consider regarding Ueshiba’s legacy of aiki is that Morhei Ueshiba would twirl a short stick, sometimes a shortened spear, around and around. This was Kagura-mai, or Dance of the Gods. (*8) Ueshiba was showing a very important aspect of an aiki body in his movements. So important that he used it as an explanation at the 1955 shihan training session:

The 1955 shihan training sessions in Tokyo began with O-Sensei wielding a Jo in “Kagura Mae” (神楽舞 / “Dance of the Gods”). When questioned about technique during the training sessions O-Sensei would just repeat the “Kagura Mae” without saying a word.” (*21)

Ueshiba’s Kagura-mai is not found in Modern Aikido even though Ueshiba commonly showed this movement. This cannot be stated with enough emphasis, the Kagura-mai was an extremely important aspect for Ueshiba. Anyone wanting to follow Morihei Ueshiba’s legacy of aiki must understand it. Aiki was about changing the body. Ueshiba twirling the stick was showing an internal concept from an aiki body.

Kagura-mai, the Dance of the Gods

Peter Rehse notes:

Just be coincidence there was a biography of Hideao Ohba written by Shishida posted by Eddy Wolput as part of his study group today. Maybe he will repost it here but there were several interesting statements. “Ueshiba’s teaching method, which required students to learn with their bodies, obviously would not appeal to educators or to the world of predecessor arts like Judo and Kendo which employed rational, systematic teaching methods.” (*23)

There are pictures and descriptions of Ueshiba stabbing a tree with a spear. Interviews talking of nightly training sessions. Ueshiba had his students push him up steps, stating it was a valuable training method. There are many such examples Ueshiba used which were not kept by Kisshomaru. Modern Aikido did not follow the same training methodology that Morihei Ueshiba used. Kenji Shimizu noted this diverging training when he stated about Morihei Ueshiba:

When I was actively practicing there he often came and went. When he showed up everyone immediately sat down. At first, I thought that people were being courteous toward him. However, it wasn’t only that. It was also that the practices we were doing were different from what O-Sensei expected us to do. Once he lost his temper at us. No one realized that he had come and he shouted: “What you people are doing is not aikido.”  (*20)

For those who think that Morihei Ueshiba only talked of spiritual mumbo jumbo that confused his students, it’s known that Ueshiba did teach internal training methods in a clear and concise manner. No ka/mi, no Izanagi/Izanami, but clear and concise on a specific exercise for what one needed to do to train aiki. It was something not found in Modern Aikido. But, as Peter Goldsbury has noted, “this knowledge is clandestine and limited to individuals.”

(1) Aiki News Issue 010

(2) Yoseikan NA website

(3) http://www.aikidojournal.com/encyclopedia?entryID=720

(4) Aikido Journal Issue 112

(5) Aiki News Issue 088

(6) Aiki News Issue 019

(7) Aiki News Issue 019

(8) Aiki News Issue 023

(9) Aiki News Issue 025

(10) Aiki News Issue 049

(11) Aiki News Issue 076

(12) AikiNews Issue 087

(13) Aiki News Issue 044

(14) Aiki News Issue 063

(15) Aiki News Issue 099

(16) Aikido Journal Issue 106

(17) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpWY58LWaRE

(18) http://www.nippon-kan.org/abroad/scotland/sensei_ki_scotland.html

(19) Yoga Journal March 1982

(20) http://www.aikidosangenkai.org/blog/interview-aikido-shihan-kenji-shimizu-part-1/

(21) http://www.aikidosangenkai.org/blog/sadao-takaoka-meeting-osensei/

(22) http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showpost.php?p=336927&postcount=87

(23) http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showpost.php?p=346204&postcount=21

D: Morihei Ueshiba’s legacy detailed.

Ueshiba left a legacy. He stated that you didn’t have to be in a specific religion, but that aiki would complete it. When asked what aiki was, he answered, “I am aiki”. When he used spiritual terms, they were references to in/yo, which is the foundation for aiki. It was his vision to pass on aiki also known as Daito ryu aiki. There were a few students that he gave direct transmission to, most of them are known as the pre-war greats. Some of those students were around after the war.

Rinjiro Shirata (back right) at the Kobukan, 1931

How does one recognize that legacy of aiki? As just one example, a student of Rinjiro Shirata kept true to Shirata’s vision and from that, Ueshiba’s legacy. This student, Allen Beebe, was always searching for the meaning to what he had learned from Shirata. He recently started a website devoted to his years of hard work and effort. One specific article is worth reading to start the journey:

When I did take a peek I began to notice that the things that Dan was talking about, were things that I recognized. This happened often enough that I had the strong suspicion that Dan’s background relating to the topics discussed was almost definitely Daito Ryu. What he talked about and how he talked about were simply to “close to home” to be a fluke. (*1)

He goes on to state:

In the mean time, in the “early days,” it seems that most individuals were not coming to the same conclusions that I was. This, however, did not surprise me in the least. How could they? The majority of Aikidoshi, and even Daito Ryu practitioners for that matter, were completely unaware of most of what he was talking about. They had no frame of reference for comparison. It was as if Dan was speaking about infrared before it was commonly known. (*1)

Allen has started posting some of Shirata’s writings, ideas, and words. Ueshiba to Shirata to Beebe. Beebe then had his training methodology reinforced via a lineage of Daito ryu. The legacy of aiki. Ueshiba’s Daito ryu aiki.

(1) https://trueaiki.com/2017/02/20/how-i/

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post The Ueshiba Legacy – Part 2, by Mark Murray appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Sawamura Sojûrô V als Kiichi Hôgen (鬼一法眼)
aus dem Theaterstück Kiichi Hôgen Sanryaku no Maki (鬼一 法眼 三略巻)

*This is a German translation of the article  “Kiichi Hogen and the Secret of Aikido“, provided courtesy of Ian Eisterer.

Geschichten aus dem Heike Monogatari

Auf Seite 40 der 2009 in Japan veröffentlichten Interview-Sammlung mit Schülern des Aikido Gründers Morihei Ueshiba „Profiles of the Founder” (開祖の横顔), befindet sich ein interessantes Zitat (soweit bekannt, ist diese Veröfentlichung nur auf Japanisch verfügbar).

Dieses Zitat findet man auch in zahlreichen anderen Publikationen, aber dieses Mal bin ich darauf aufmerksam geworden. Das Zitat kommt in einem Interview mit Morito Suganuma vor, welcher 1967, kurz vor dem Tod des Gründers 1969, Uchi-deshi wurde. Suganuma hat im September 2011 Hawaii und das Dojo Aikido of Hilo besucht.

Zum ersten Mal hörte ich dieses Zitat jedoch von Seishiro Endo vor einigen Jahren, aber wie bereits gesagt, kommt es auch an vielen anderen Stellen vor. Morihei Ueshiba sagte, dass dieses Zitat eines der Geheimnisse (極意 / Gokui) des Aikido sei. Der folgende Text des Zitats is dem Interview mit Suganuma entnommen.

「来たるを迎え、去るは送る、対すれば相和す。五・五の十、一・九の十、二・八の十。大は方処を絶し、細は微塵に入る。活殺自在」

Wenn es kommt, dann geh ihm entgegen, wenn es sich zurückzieht schick es auf den Weg, wenn es sich widersetzt, vereine es. 5 und 5 sind 10, 1 und 9 sind 10, 2 und 8 sind 10. Das Große unterdrückt alles, das Kleine dringt in das Winzige ein. Macht über Leben und Tod.

Hier ist das Zitat, das Endo verwendet, welches sich leicht vom vorherigen unterscheidet, aber beide sind Transkriptionen vom selben Original in alter japanischer Sprache. Es handelt sich hierbei um den Text, den John Stevens in seinem Buch „Budo Secrets” verwendet (er liefert keine japanische Übersetzung, die folgende Übersetzung stammt von mir). In seiner sehr kurzen Einführung zu dieser Sektion, schreibt Stevens: „Diese Lehren wurden von vielen Kampfkunst-Lehrern jahrhundertelang gebraucht und werden immer noch weiter tradiert. Morihei Ueshiba, der Gründer des Aikido, zitierte oft aus dieser Liste wenn er Aikido Techniken unterrichtete oder demonstrierte, genau so wie mein eigener Aikido-Lehrer Rinjiro Shirata.”

来たれば即ち迎え、去れば即ち送り、
対すれば即ち和す。
五五の十
二八の十
一九の十
是を以て和すべし。
虚実を察し、陰伏を知り、
大は方処を絶ち、細は微塵に入る。
殺活機にあり、変化時に応ず。
事に臨んで心を動ずること莫(なかれ)や。

Wenn es kommt, geh ihm entgegen, wenn es sich zurückzieht,
schick es weg, wenn es sich widersetzt, bringe es in Einklang.
5 und 5 sind 10,
1 und 9 sind 10,
2 und 8 sind 10.
Man sollte auf diese Weise anpassen.
Wisse intuiv was wahr und was falsch ist , wisse was verborgen ist.
Das Große unterdrückt alles, das Kleine dringt in das Winzige ein.
Es gibt Möglichkeiten für Leben und Tod, ohne auf Wechsel zu reagieren.
Gehe auf Dinge zu, ohne Dein Herz zu bewegen (ohne Dich stören zu lassen).

Es haben also Rinjiro Shirata (durch John Stevens), Morito Suganuma und Seishiro Endo den selben Text zitiert – und natürlich Morihei Ueshiba.

Morito Suganuma gab den Ursprung des Zitats als Kiichi Hogen (鬼一法眼) an, was richtig sein dürfte (zumindest ist es so überliefert). Hogen ist eine seit dem 12. Jahrhundert sagenumwobene Figur in Japan. Er soll der Lehrer des noch berühmteren Minamoto no Yoshitsune (des Heike Monogatari) gewesen sein.

Fun Fact 1: Das ist ungefähr die selbe Zeit, zu der Shinra Saburo Minamoto no Yoshimitsu angeblich Daito-ryu gegründet haben soll.

Die Sagen berichten, dass Minamoto no Yoshitsune von Kiichi Hogen in der Kunst der Strategie unterwiesen wurde. Kiichis Tochter, Minatsuru verliebte sich allmählich in Minamoto no Yoshitsune, welcher sie manipulierte, um einige Strategiebücher zu stehlen (eines davon wird weiter unten erwähnt) und tötete Kiichi schlussendlich.

Fun Fact 2: Kiichi Hogen war auch als Expert des Onmyodo bekannt, auch Inyodo (陰陽道) genannt, was wörtlich „Weg von In und Yo” bedeutet („In und Yo” = „Yin und Yang”, für jene, denen chinesische Begriffe geläufiger sind).

Fun Fact 3: Von Soemon Takeda, Sokaku Takedas Grossvater wird erzählt, er habe eine Kunst namens „Aiki In Yo Ho” („Die Yin Yang Methode des Aiki”) gelehrt.

Fun Fact 4: Als Henry Kono Morihei Ueshiba direkt fragte: „Warum können wir nicht tun, was Sie tun?”, fiel die Antwort genau so direkt aus: „Weil ihr ‚In‘ und ‚Yo‘ nicht begreift.” (aus „Aikido Memoirs” von Alan Ruddock; spannende Lektüre).

Was bedeutet das alles? Ich werde das nun nicht voll ausschöpfen, aber ich möchte auf den offensichtlichen Bezug zu „In” und „Yo” verweisen.

Warum war diese Lektüre Deine Zeit wert?

Dieses Zitat taucht nicht nur eines sondern mehrere Male auf, sowohl in schriftlicher Form als auch in mündlicher Überlieferung, und wurde als das Geheimnis des Aikido aufgefasst, und zwar von keinem geringeren als Morihei Ueshiba selbst.

Das sollte es doch relativ wichtig machen, oder?

Bedenke folgendes:

1. Dieses Zitat und seine Folgerungen sind in den Kernlehren von mindestens zwei Koryu Schulen enthalten (soweit mir bekannt). Das würde bedeuten, dass das Geheimnis des Aikido nicht wirklich so geheim ist, sondern auch von anderen gebraucht und unterrichtet wird, und zwar seit über 900 Jahren.
2. Das Zitat stammt nicht wirkilich von Kiichi Hogen. Hogen hat es aus dem Tiger-Kapitel eines chinesischen Strategiebuches namens „Rikuto” (六韜 / „Liu Tao” auf Chinesisch). Das wiederum würde bedeuten, dass das Geheimnis des Aikido, wie vom Gründer Morihei Ueshiba behauptet, nicht nur älter als 900 Jahre ist, sondern ursprünglich aus China nach Japan kam.

Wenn man darüber nachdenk, drängt sich folgende Frage auf: Wenn dieses eine Element (welches laut Ueshiba selbst, so wirchtig ist) aus China kam, was hat dann noch seinen Ursprung in China (siehe Ellis Amdurs „Hidden in Plain Sight” für eine detailliertere Untersuchung dieser Fragestellung)?

Wie wird diese Tatsache unsere Einschätzung von Ueshibas Lehre und Training verändern?

Wie wird sich die etablierte Geschichte und Methodologie des Aikido verändern, wenn man neues Wissen in die Betrachtung integriert?

Was wäre, wenn die Sachen, die Ueshiba tat, nicht völlig neu, sondern sehr, sehr alt waren?

Was, wenn der Gründer des Aikido Morihei Ueshiba ein “innerer” Kampfkünstler in einer Gemeinschaft von Gleichgesinnten war, die alle nach diesen Prinzipien forschten und sie zu entwickeln vesuchten, eingebettet in einer tausendjährigen japanischen Tradition, welche in China sogar noch weiter zurückreicht?

Mehr darüber zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt … “Aikido without Peace or Harmony”

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Kiichi Hogen und das Geheimnis des Aikido [German Version] appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Morihei Ueshiba in Ayabe, 1922
in front of a placard reading “Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu”

In 1922 Sokaku Takeda moved to the Omoto compound in Ayabe to live with Morihei Ueshiba and give him intensive instruction for five months. Ueshiba first met Takeda in 1915 at the Hisada Inn in Engaru, Hokkaido, and trained intensively with him for a number of years before moving to Ayabe. Sokaku Takeda’s son Tokimune once commented:

He trained extensively and was enthusiastic. He was Sokaku’s favorite student.

In 1922, at the conclusion of his stay in Ayabe, Sokaku Takeda awarded a Kyoju Dairi (assistant instructor) certificate in Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu to Morihei Ueshiba, making him a certified instructor in the art.

Morihei Ueshiba’s Kyoju Dairi in Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu

This relationship between teacher and student, Sokaku Takeda and Morihei Ueshiba, would last for more then twenty years:

Let me begin by stating categorically that the major technical influence on the development of aikido is Daito-ryu jujutsu. This art, which is said to be the continuation of a martial tradition of the Aizu Clan dating back several hundred years, was propagated in many areas of Japan during the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods by the famous martial artist, Sokaku Takeda. Known equally for his martial prowess and severity of character, Takeda had used his skills in life-and-death encounters on more than one occasion. Takeda was fifty-four years old when Morihei Ueshiba first met him at the Hisada Inn in Engaru, Hokkaido in late February 1915. This encounter marked the beginning of a long, stormy yet ultimately productive association between the two, which lasted for more than twenty years.

Aikido Journal Editor Stan Pranin – “Morihei Ueshiba and Sokaku Takeda“

But what happened next?

Kisshomaru Ueshiba and Post-war Aikido

On October 27, 1985 in Sendai, I attended a lecture on the history of aikido given by Second Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba. During his talk Kisshomaru Sensei made the following remark: “The Founder only studied Daito-ryu for three weeks or so.” My jaw dropped in disbelief when perhaps the most knowledgeable person in the world on the subject of aikido history made such a patently false statement!
Aikido Journal Editor Stan Pranin – “Beware the big lie!“

The picture of Morihei Ueshiba at the beginning of this article was taken in 1922 after receiving his Kyoju Dairi certification from Sokaku Takeda, which marks the beginning of his teaching career in the martial arts, and as an instructor in Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu under the authority of Sokaku Takeda.

However, there is a narrative in the modern Aikido world, one that is encouraged by the Aikikai, in which Aikido is the original and unique creation of Morihei Ueshiba. This narrative stipulates that Aikido is something that he created after studying a number of martial arts, and that it represented a radical phase change from his pre-war practices, and that it represented a new and original spiritual dimension.

But is that really the case?

To begin with, this narrative is complicated by Kisshomaru Ueshiba’s representation that the key spiritual revelation, that of “the great spirit of mutual loving protection” (万有愛護の大精神) – occurred in 1925. Rather than after occurring after the war, this was towards the very start of his career as an instructor of Daito-ryu.

Kisshomaru Ueshiba with his father at Ueshiba Juku, Ayabe in 1925

Going back from there to Daito-ryu itself we see the roots of Morihei Ueshiba’s philosophy…already in existence.

Masao Hayashima – a direct student of Sokaku Takeda
“Aiki-jutsu is said to be the Budo of Harmony”.

In addition to Masao Hayashima (above) we also have Morihei Ueshiba’s contemporary, and a fellow student of Sokaku Takeda, Yukiyoshi Sagawa and “Aiki Budo is the Way of Human Development“.

Then, we have Sokaku Takeda’s son Tokimune Takeda discussing his father’s instruction:

“The essential principles of Daito-ryu are Love and Harmony”

“The goal of spreading Daito-ryu is ‘Harmony and Love’, keeping this spirit is what preserves and realizes social justice. This was Sokaku Sensei’s dying wish”

But these concepts can be tracked all through the Japanese martial traditions, they are far from unique to either Morihei Ueshiba or Daito-ryu.

• 「武ハ弋止ノ義何ゾ好テ以テ殺戮センヤ」 “Bu is the abandoning of violence. One must not find pleasure in slaughter.”, Katayama-ryu Densho – 1647
• 「我モ勝ズ人モ勝ズ相得テ共ニ治ル」 “Oneself and another who cannot win are both unable to attain victory, so both mutually return to a state of peace.”, Katayama-ryu Densho – 1647
• 「兵法は平法なり」 “The methods of war are the methods of peace”,  Iizasa Ienao of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu – 1387-1488

This argument was expressed by Professor Karl Friday, a Japanese historian and a student of the Japanese martial traditions (having received full transmission in Kashima Shin-ryu) in this excerpt from an interview in 2009:

The conventional wisdom on Japanese martial art (ryūha bugei) ties its evolution closely to the history of warfare. It starts from the premise that systems and schools of martial art originally developed as tools for passing on workaday battlefield skills, in response to intensified demand for skilled fighting men spawned by the onset of the Sengoku age. Warriors hoping to survive and prosper on late medieval battlefields began to seek instruction from talented veterans, who in turn began to codify their knowledge and methodize its study. Thus bugei ryūha emerged more-or-less directly from the exigencies of medieval warfare. But-so goes the tale-the two-and-a-half-century Pax Tokugawa that began in 1600 brought fundamental changes to the practice of martial art. Instruction became professionalized, and in some cases, commercialized; training periods became longer, curricula were formalized; and elaborate systems of student ranks developed. Most significantly, however, the motives and goals underlying bugei practice were recast. Samurai, who no longer expected to spend time on the battlefield, sought and found a more relevant rationale for studying martial art, approaching it not simply as a means to proficiency in combat, as their ancestors had, but as a means to spiritual cultivation of the self.

This is basically the story I summarized in my Legacies of the Sword book. It begins from the logical assumption that ryūha bugei originated as an instrument for ordinary military training, and evolved from there into budō, a means to broader self-development and self-realization. But there are some problems with this picture that become clear if you juxtapose it against recent research on medieval warfare.

It‘s clear, first of all, that ryūha bugei couldn’t have accounted for more than a tiny portion of sixteenth-century military training. There were at most a few dozen ryūha around during the 16th century, but armies of that era regularly mobilized tens of thousands of men. In order for even a fraction of sengoku warriors to have learned their craft through one or more ryūha, each and every ryūha of the period would need to have trained at least several hundred students a year. Ryūha bugei must, therefore, have been a specialized activity, pursued by only a minute percentage of Sengoku warriors.

An even bigger issue, however, is the applicability of the skills that late medieval bugeisha concentrated on developing to sixteenth-century warfare. For one thing, strategy and tactics were shifting, from the 15th century onward-precisely the period in which bugei ryūha began to appear-from reliance on individual warriors and small group tactics to disciplined group tactical maneuver. Which means that ryūha bugei, focusing on developing prowess in personal combat, emerged and flourished in almost inverse proportion to the value of skilled individual fighters on the battlefield.

All of the recent scholarship on late medieval warfare, moreover, argues that swords never became a key battlefield armament in Japan-that they were, rather, supplementary weapons, analogous to the sidearms worn by modern soldiers. While swords were carried in combat, they were used far more often in street fights, robberies, assassinations and other (off-battlefield) civil disturbances. Missile weapons-arrows, rocks, and later bullets-dominated battles, throughout the medieval period.

On the other hand, almost all of the ryūha that date back to the sengoku period or earlier claim that swordsmanship played a central role in their training, right from the start. Tsukahara Bokuden, Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami, Iizasa Chōisai, Itō Ittōsai, Yagyū Muneyoshi, Miyamoto Musashi and other founders of martial art schools were (are) all best known for their prowess as swordsmen.

Initially, I wondered if the place of swordsmanship in medieval martial art represented a major piece of counter-evidence to the new consensus on late medieval warfare. After all, if bugei ryūha started out as systems to train warriors for the battlefield, and made swordsmanship central to their arts, wouldn’t that suggest that swords were more important to medieval warfare than the new scholarship would have us believe?

After wrestling with that question for quite a while, it finally struck me that the problem might lie in the first premise of this argument. All of the questions that were bothering me (why did bugei ryūha emerge at a time when generalship was rapidly coming to overshadow personal martial skills as the decisive element in battle, and the key to a successful military career? Why were there so few ryūha around during the Sengoku era, and why did they proliferate so rapidly during the early Tokugawa period, after the age of wars had passed? And why was swordsmanship so prominent in even the earliest bugei ryūha?) become much easier to answer if you just set aside the premise that bugei ryūha originated as instruments for teaching the workaday techniques of the battlefield. And the truth of the matter is that there’s little basis for that hoary assumption, beyond the fact that war was endemic in Japan when the first martial art schools appeared. The received wisdom rests, in other words, on what amounts to a post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy.

It seems likely, then, that ryūha bugei and the pedagogical devices associated with it aimed from the start at conveying more abstract ideals of self-development and enlightenment. That is, that ryūha bugei was an abstraction of military science, not merely an application of it. It fostered character traits and tactical acumen that made those who practiced it better warriors, but its goals and ideals were more akin to those of liberal education than vocational training. In other words, bugeisha, even during the Sengoku era, had more in common with Olympic marksmanship competitors-training with specialized weapons to develop esoteric levels of skill under particularized conditions-than with Marine riflemen. They also had as much-perhaps more-in common with Tokugawa era and modern martial artists than with the ordinary warriors of their own day.

Basically, I’m arguing that there was no fundamental shift of purpose in martial art education between the late sixteenth and mid-seventeenth centuries. Tokugawa era budō represented not a metamorphosis of late medieval martial art, but the maturation of it. Ryūha bugei itself constituted a new phenomenon-a derivative, not a linear improvement, of earlier, more prosaic military training.

(For the full argument, see my “Off the Warpath” piece, in Alex Bennett’s Budo Perspectives [Auckland, New Zealand: Kendo World Publications, 2005], 249-68.)

Far from being new and original, or unique to Morihei Ueshiba and modern Aikido, we see that the concept of a martial tradition for spiritual and personal development is something that is very old, and endemic to many arts.

Does that matter?

Certainly, Morihei Ueshiba was a spiritual person, and believed that he practiced and taught an art that enabled personal and spiritual development.

That the concepts he expressed were neither unique nor original doesn’t take away from that message.

In my opinion it is time to abandon the conceit of spiritual exceptionalism and uniqueness that often exists in modern Aikido, in the long run it is only destructive to the art as a whole.

Morihei Ueshiba and Daito-ryu

Now, what about Morihei Ueshiba’s involvement with Daito-ryu and Sokaku Takeda?

The base description on the Aikikai website reads:

Aikido is a modern Martial Art created by the Founder, Morihei Ueshiba.

A more detailed description contains the same narrative:

Aikido is a Japanese Martial Art created during the 1920s by Morihei Ueshiba (1883~1969), an expert who reached the highest level of mastery in the classical Japanese Martial Arts.

Neither contains any mention of Sokaku Takeda or Daito-ryu, but Takeda is mentioned once (and only once) on the biographical timeline of Morihei Ueshiba’s life:

The Founder meets Mr. Sokaku Takeda, the originator of Daito-ryu Jujutsu, at the Hisada Ryokan (inn) in Engaru, and asks for instruction.

And that’s it…

Similarly, in Kisshomaru Ueshiba’s books “The Spirit of Aikido” and “The Art of Aikido” there is virtually no mention of Daito-ryu in either one. Neither of them are historical works, but neither of them make any real mention of the only art that Morihei Ueshiba was ever licensed to teach, the only art (outside of his own) in which he ever issued certificates or licences.

In the more recent work, “Best Aikido“, written by Kisshomaru Ueshiba and Moriteru Ueshiba, there is a short mention of Daito-ryu as one of the many arts that Morihei Ueshiba studied, but no mention is made of the relative depth of study of those arts – the section entirely fails to note the fact that, with the exception of Daito-ryu, all of those arts were studied for very brief periods of time.

AW: O-sensei also reportedly studied a lot of other koryu arts outside of Daito-ryu.

SP: I would say that that’s not true.

If you look at it historically, he went up to Tokyo in 1901 and spent about a year there. During this stay in Tokyo when he was training to become a merchant, he did a little bit of Tenjin Shinyo-ryu jujutsu. It was probably a “machi” dojo, in other words a small dojo in the Asakusa area of Tokyo. He would go there at night, but it was probably about three or four months total since he got very ill with beriberi and had to leave Tokyo and return to Tanabe. He was doing it while working very hard during the day and it was a very brief period of only a few months. It would be difficult to imagine that that had a strong, technical influence.

By the same token when he was in the army, he also began studying Yagyu-ryu jujutsu. There are some questions about what the actual name of the art was. O-sensei referred to it as Yagyu-ryu jujutsu, while [Kisshomaru Ueshiba] Doshu did some research and said it was Goto-ha Yagyu Shingan-ryu or similar name.

He was in the army at the time and also was sent to Manchuria for a part of the time. It was hard for me to imagine him going regularly while being in the army, so I don’t know if his training was on the weekends or what. He apparently was enthusiastic about his training but there just weren’t the circumstances to allow a detailed study.

He did, however, continue to study a little bit of Yagyu-ryu after he got out of the army, but he was in Tanabe which was a couple of hundred miles away and he had to go up by ferry! Again, maybe he went up three, four, or a half a dozen times, but it wasn’t the sort of thing of an intensive study with someone year after year.

Now, he did have a makimono (scroll) as well — however, it bears no seal. One can only speculate what that meant. Sometimes what happens is that a person would be told to prepare a makimono or have someone prepare it and, for whatever circumstance or reason, the teacher never gets around to signing it. Therefore, the scroll cannot be considered official.

So, it would appear that he did study this Yagyu-ryu form more than the Tenjin Shinyo-ryu jujutsu, but probably at the most he did a year or two.

The other art that he studied, but again not in very much depth, would have been judo. The first description of the teacher who was sent down from the Kodokan to Tanabe by O-sensei’s father to teach Morihei and various relatives and friends gave the impression that this judo teacher was somewhat of an expert. It turns out he was 17 years old. I met his wife back in the 1980s and she told me this directly. He could have been a shodan, maximum. Also, O-sensei was involved with other things in this transition phase of his life trying to figure out what he was going to be doing as a career. One of the reasons, according to Doshu, that this judo person was brought in was to help him focus and channel his energies. But O-sensei ended up going to Hokkaido.

So, you have this very brief stint in Tenjin Shinyo Ryu, some training in Yagyu Ryu jujutsu while in the army, a smattering of judo, and then Daito-ryu. That’s it. The impression that he studied many different arts other than Daito-ryu and mastered them is completely false.

Aikiweb Interview with Stan Pranin – August, 2000

Now, let’s go back to the 1922 photo at the top of this article. In that photo Morihei Ueshiba is clearly sitting in front of a placard reading “Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu”.

Unfortunately, the Aikikai tinkered with the photo a bit at various times and in various publications – most likely in order to support the public narrative being promoted after the war.

Aikido Shimbun, issue 2 – May 1959
original scan by Stan Pranin

The second issue of the Aikikai Foundation’s newsletter the “Aikido Shimbun” (pictured above) featured a copy of the 1922 photo from Ayabe – with the placard reading “Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu” carefully edited out. Additionally, there is no mention, at all, of Daito-ryu, or the context of the photo, in the text of the article.

“Aikido Nymon,” by Kisshomaru Ueshiba – 1975
original scan by Stan Pranin

In this iteration, from a book published by Ni-Dai Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba in 1975, the characters for “Daito-ryu” have been edited out, leaving only the words “Aiki-jujutsu”.

“Aikido Shintei” by Kisshomaru Ueshiba – 1986

In this photo, from a 1986 publication called “Aikido Shintei”, the characters for “Daito-ryu” are also edited out – but very poorly, leaving part of the “ryu” character intact.

Invitation to summer training with Morihei Ueshiba
in Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu and Aiki-budo, 1931

Morihei Ueshiba and Daito-ryu – Continuity

in 1933 Morihei Ueshiba published a Daito-ryu technical instruction manual, Aikijujutsu Densho. which was stamped “Aikijujutsu”, and was distributed to students receiving certificates in Daito-ryu as a kind of transmission document. Jump ahead – he re-published the same manual, with the same techniques and explanations (minus the pre-war imperial language) in 1954 as Aikido Maki-no-ichi. Morihei Ueshiba used this manual as a textbook when teaching in the 1950’s.

Then in 1938 Morihei Ueshiba published the technical manual “Budo“. This book, re-discovered by Aikido Journal editor Stan Pranin, contais techniques that Morihiro Saito claimed were identical to the techniques taught by Morihei Ueshiba’s at Morihei Ueshiba’s home in Iwama, where he lived from 1942 until near the time of his death.

One day in July 1981, I was conducting an interview with Zenzaburo Akazawa, a prewar uchi deshi of Morihei Ueshiba from the Kobukan Dojo period. Mr. Akazawa proceeded to show me a technical manual published in 1938 titled Budo which I had never seen before. It contained photos of some fifty techniques demonstrated by the founder himself. As I slowly turned the pages of the manual, I was amazed to see in the photos that the execution of several basics techniques such as ikkyo, iriminage and shihonage were virtually identical to what I had learned in Iwama under Saito Sensei. Here was the founder himself demonstrating what I had up until then regarded as “Iwama-style” techniques. Mr. Akazawa, who lives only a few blocks away from the Iwama Dojo, kindly lent me the book and I hurried to show it to Saito Sensei.

I’ll always remember the scene as I called at Sensei’s door to share with him my new discovery. To my surprise, he had never seen or heard mention of the book before. He put on his reading glasses and leafed through the manual, his eyes scanning the technical sequences intently. I felt compelled then and there to apologize to him for having ever doubted his assertion that he was making every effort to faithfully preserve the founder’s techniques. Saito Sensei laughed and, obviously with great pleasure, bellowed, “See, Pranin, I told you so!” From that time on up through the end of his life, Saito Sensei always had along his copy of Budo in the Iwama Dojo and on his travels to use as proof to show that a particular technique originated in the founder’s teachings.

Aikido Journal editor Stan Pranin – “Remembering Morihiro Saito Sensei“

Moving on to 1940, Takuma Hisa – one of the only people to have received Menkyo Kaiden (“certificate of complete transmission”, showing that one has mastered the totality of a martial system) in Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu directly from Sokaku Takeda, published “Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden“. This manual on Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu is almost an exact copy, in both technical explanation and the illustrated techniques, of the “Aikijujutsu Densho” manual published by Morihei Ueshiba in 1933…the manual that was used as a textbook for post-war students in the 1950’s as “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi”.

Sokaku Takeda at the Asahi Shimbun Dojo in Osaka – 1936

Takuma Hisa is also significant in that he was one of the few people who had a chance to directly compare Sokaku Takeda and Morihei Ueshiba in depth over an extended period of time:

Takeda’s instruction gave Hisa the chance to compare the techniques that he had been taught for the previous three years (1933-1936) by Ueshiba with those taught by Takeda. His conclusion was that they were the same—meaning that Ueshiba had not by that time significantly modified or evolved what he had been taught by Takeda. In later years, Hisa was adamant about Ueshiba’s and Takeda’s techniques being identical. He stated this clearly at a round table talk, “When Tomiki came to Osaka to teach aiki-bujutsu to the Asahi people, the techniques that both master Ueshiba and Takeda taught were the same. Definitely the same. Master Ueshiba should say that he was taught them by master Takeda. He should say that it was Daitoryu. But he never said that. Mr. Tomiki (who also traveled from Tokyo to Osaka to teach Ueshiba’s system at the Asahi dojo) knows this, doesn’t he. But Ueshiba never said it.” And Tomiki answered, “Definitely not. ‘I [Ueshiba] established everything…[smiling mysteriously]’. However old martial artists would often do that way.” [Shishida (Ed.), 1982, p.1]

“The Process of Forming Aikido and Japanese Imperial Navy Admiral Isamu Takeshita: Through the analysis of Takeshita’s diary from 1925 to 1931”
 – Fumiaki Shishida (Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan)

Both Sokaku Takeda and Morihei Ueshiba kept a registry of their students. When one became a student their name would be entered into the book and the student would attach their seal. Mr. Kimura speaks a little about the registry, which he signed in 1942 in “Mr. Kimura’s Aikido Memories, Part 1“.

Mamoru Okada also remembers signing this registry –  in this instance he signed the registry in 1949, after the war.

Hiroshi Isoyama also testifies that he signed this registry – again in 1949, after the war. Further, his testimony confirms that the registry was titled “Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu”:

And the title on my registration paper is “Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu registry”. This is what I signed. At the top of the students’ registry, there are also the names of people such as the Admiral Takeshita Isamu.

“Interview with Isoyama Hiroshi Shihan, the master of the Iwama Dojo“

That is to say – Morihei Ueshiba was enrolling people as students of Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu as late as 1949.

Here are some photos of a Hiden Mokuroku scroll (thanks to Scott Burke for the photos) – the “catalog of secret teachings” that composes the first scroll in the Daito-ryu curriculum. This scroll was issued by Morihei (then using the name Moritaka) Ueshiba in 1925:

“Aiki-jujutsu Hiden Mokuroku”, 1925

The Aiki-jujutsu seal in the upper right hand corner is similar (but slightly different in shape) to the seal that appears in Morihei Ueshiba’s 1933 technical manual Aikijujutsu Densho – AKA Budo Renshu.

Here’s is another section of the same 1925 scroll:

Aiki-jujutsu umbrella techniques 1925

This section of the scroll covers techniques with an umbrella and is also stamped “Aiki-jujutsu”.

Hiden Mokuroku 118 Techniques

A continuation of the scroll – on the left is states that this scroll contains 118 techniques. The basic 118 techniques of the first scroll of Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu.

Hiden Mokuroku signature page

Here is the signature page of the 1925 scroll. signed by the student of Sokaku Takeda Masayoshi Minamoto (武田惣角源正義), Moritaka Ueshiba Seigan Minamoto (源晴眼).

Clearly a Daito-ryu scroll, and clearly issued under the authority of his teacher, Sokaku Takeda. The same is the case in this scroll, also issued under the authority of Sokaku Takeda:

Hiden Mokuroku issued to Minoru Mochizuki in 1932
“Ueshiba Moritaka, student of Takeda Sokaku”

And here’s yet another scroll:

Aikido Hiden Mokuroku

The picture quality is not quite as good, but there are some interesting things that we can pick out here.

1. The scroll now reads “Aikido” rather than “Aiki-jujutsu”.
2. The structure of the scroll is identical to the Daito-ryu scroll.
3. The title of the scroll is “Hiden Mokuroku”, the same as the Daito-ryu scroll.

Aikido Hiden Mokuroku detail

Here is a portion of the scroll in greater detail. Like the Daito-ryu scroll, this scroll contains a section on umbrella techniques. This one also contains a section on Bo (staff) techniques.

On the left hand side it specifies that this scroll contains 118 techniques, the same as the 1925 Daito-ryu scroll.

Aikido Hiden Mokuroku signature page

Here is the signature section of the scroll. Sokaku Takeda’s name no longer appears on the scroll, instead it is signed by Aikido Doshu Tsunemori Ueshiba (a name that Morihei Ueshiba often used after the war).

The date that the scroll was issued reads March Showa year 35 – 1960.

So…here is some of what we have:

• 1922 – Morihei Ueshiba is certified as an instructor in Daito-ryu, he has little experience in other martial arts at the time.
• 1922-1936 – Morihei Ueshiba is documented as teaching Daito-ryu under the authority of Sokaku Takeda.
• 1933 – Morihei writes Aikijujutsu Densho, a Daito-ryu instructional manual.
• 1936 – Takuma Hisa compares what he was doing to Sokaku Takeda and finds that they are both doing Daito-ryu. Sokaku Takeda takes over the Asahi Shimbun dojo and Morihei Ueshiba goes off on his own.
• 1940 – Takuma Hisa publishes Morihei Ueshiba’s Aikijujutsu Densho as a Daito-ryu manual.
• 1949 – Morihei continues to enroll students as students of Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu after the war.
• 1954 – Morihei Ueshiba publishes Aikido Maki-no-Ichi, which duplicates the technical explanations and technique illustrations of Aikijujutsu Densho. He teaches post-war students from this manual.
• 1957 – Lee Price is told that there are 2,664 techniques in Aikido by Morihei Ueshiba for the American TV show “Rendezvous with Adventure” (this may have been a translation error from the usual number of 2,884 techniques cited by the Takumakai) rather than the greatly reduced number of techniques in the post-war Aikikai. Morihei Ueshiba states that the art was founded by Minamoto Yoshimitsu in 1120, that it was handed down through the Takeda family, and and is represented its legitimate heir – not the founder. When asked when Aikido began, Morihei Ueshiba says “about 50 years ago”. Remember that this is 1957, so that would make 50 years ago about the time that he met Sokaku Takeda, well before the war.
• Morihei Ueshiba teaches the same techniques in Iwama after the war in the 1950’s and 1960’s as were documented in the 1938 technical manual Budo.
• Morihei Ueshiba issues Daito-ryu certificates, with the name changed to Aikido but with all of the other particulars preserved, as late as 1960 – and actually much later, in scrolls that are privately held.

I’m sure you see where I’m going here:

1. Before the war Morihei Ueshiba was a Daito-ryu instructor under Sokaku Takeda, taught Daito-ryu for many years and issued licenses in Daito-ryu.
2. What Morihei Ueshiba was teaching and distributing after the war in the 1950’s and 1960’s was essentially the same material that he was teaching and distributing before the war – Daito-ryu, right down to the certificates and the name in the enrollment book.
3. There was no phase shift in core technology, or radical invention of new martial technology.
4. That there was a basic continuity in the thread of his training and teaching as a student and teacher of Daito-ryu from 1922 through to his death in 1969.

Comparing the continuity of Morihei Ueshiba’s technical legacy visually

As Masatake Fujita, who spent most of every day with Morihei Ueshiba during the last two years of his life, put it:

Q: In terms of technique, did you notice a change in the Founder while you were watching him?

A: No, there wasn’t really any change. That’s probably true even from before the war, because even when you watch the video tape from Showa year 12 (1937), the year I was born, that’s true (*Translator’s note: this is actually the Asahi News demonstration from 1935). However, there were some techniques from that period that are gone today. I am teaching those kinds of techniques now, but of course it’s difficult.

“Interview with Aikido Shihan Masatake Fujita, Part 2“

“No, there really wasn’t any change.”

In other words, Morihei Ueshiba’s legacy was, in actuality, what some people might call “Ueshiba-ha Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu”, Morihei Ueshiba’s own branch off the tree of Sokaku Takeda’s art.

For more on the what happened to the diverging legacies of Morihei Ueshiba and his son Kisshomaru, check out Mark Murray’s essay “The Ueshiba Legacy” – Part 1 and Part 2. You might also be interested in Aikido Journal Editor Stanley Pranin’s essay “Is O-Sensei Really the Father of Modern Aikido?“.

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Ueshiba-ha Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Traducción de Chris Li para Mitsuteru Ueshiba Waka-sensei
Waikiki Yacht Club, Honolulu Hawaii – Febrero de 2010

*This is the Spanish translation of the article “Four Generations of the Ueshiba Family“, provided courtesy of Juantxo Ruiz.

Aikido y el Aikikai, ¿Hacia donde se dirigen?

Mitsuteru Ueshiba (Waka-Sensei), bisnieto del fundador del Aikido Morihei Ueshiba, hizo su primera visita a Hawai en febrero de 2010.

Personalmente, he podido entrenar bajo tres generaciones de la familia Ueshiba; algunas personas en ese seminario, y muchos de mis instructores, han entrenado con los cuatro, comenzando con O-Sensei, y pasando de Kisshomaru Doshu a Moriteru Doshu, y de este a Mitsuteru Waka-Sensei .

El mismo Waka-Sensei es la primera generación de la familia Ueshiba que enseña Aikido que no ha tenido la oportunidad de conocer al Fundador.

Entre los que practican Aikido en todo el mundo hay muchas personas hoy en día que tienen rangos de Dan y que ni siquiera habían comenzado a practicar cuando Kisshomaru Doshu falleció.

Esto significa que finalmente estamos alejándonos lo suficiente del origen para ver lo que ha funcionado (y lo que no lo ha hecho) en la organización, y para ver que los lazos tradicionales que han mantenido unido al Aikido han llegado a un momento crucial de transición.

Moriteru, Mitsuteru y Hiroteru
Tres Generaciones de la Familia Ueshiba
Fotografía de Ric Noyle, del folleto Aikido Celebration Hawaii 2011

Alexis de Tocqueville, el francés que viajó a Estados Unidos a mediados de 1800 y que publicó sus observaciones en el clásico “Democracia en América”, señaló que los estadounidenses tienen una propensión a formar y a unirse en asociaciones. Por supuesto, esto es realmente más un rasgo humano que algo específico de los Estados Unidos.

De esta manera, a medida que el número de practicantes crecía y el Aikido se expandía, se formaban organizaciones, asociaciones y federaciones.

Sokaku Takeda nunca tuvo realmente ningún tipo de organización, e incluso hay sospechas de que ni siquiera la estructura que existe en Daito-ryu sea algo creado por el propio Takeda. En cualquier caso, el hijo de Sokaku Takeda formó una organización después de la guerra, pero sería menos exitoso (en términos de organización) que la organización de posguerra encabezada por Kisshomaru Ueshiba: el Aikikai.

Tradicionalmente, el propio Aikikai se ha organizado y administrado siguiendo las líneas de una entidad tradicional japonesa estructurada verticalmente. Normalmente, cuando el jefe de una organización fallece, los miembros tienden a dividirse y seguir sus propios caminos; las líneas de la organización se organizan (se desarrollan) verticalmente, pero normalmente hay poca unión de los miembros individuales entre sí horizontalmente.

Un ejemplo clásico de esto son las divisiones y fracturas que ocurrieron en el Aikikai después del fallecimiento de Morihei Ueshiba. Más recientemente, se puede ver lo mismo ocurriendo en las organizaciones más pequeñas en los Estados Unidos a medida que sus líderes mueren, o incluso en organizaciones no-Aikikai, como se vio en los recientes cambios en la organización Yoshinkan.

International Aikido Federation (IAF) – 国際合氣道連盟

Hay una organización en el Aikido estructurada más horizontalmente: la Federación Internacional de Aikido, que es una mezcla de estructuras horizontales y verticales, pero voy a dejar eso de lado por el momento.

Por un lado, la IAF es una organización cuyos miembros son otras organizaciones, no practicantes individuales de Aikido. Por otro lado, la IAF se encuentra entorpecida por la normativa de cada país, lo que significa que en muchos países -sobre todo Estados Unidos- una proporción significativa de la población del Aikido, a veces incluso la mayoría de las organizaciones, no son reconocidas por la IAF Y no podran ser reconocidas por la IAF hasta que se cambien las directrices de funcionamiento de esta.

Por estas razones, hay muchos practicantes de Aikido individuales para quienes la IAF tiene poca o ninguna relevancia; la mayoría de los practicantes de Aikido en los Estados Unidos, me imagino.

De todos modos, la IAF esta muy ocupada estos días viendo como a los estudiantes de Aikido se les hace test de dopaje (también aquí, en el sitio web de la IAF) y asegurándose de que el Aikido tenga un lugar entre otras artes competitivas en el mundo deportivo (“A veces me pregunto en qué categoría ha caído hoy. Recientemente se ha celebrado un evento llamado Combat games. Me siento fuertemente en contra de la participación de la Federación Internacional de Aikido (IAF) en este evento, para mí no debería ser tema de discusión porque es obvio que esto es No lo que O sensei quería. Eso no es lo que debe ser. “- Yoshimitsu Yamada)

El Aikikai, sin embargo, es harina de otro costal. A veces puede no estar claro, pero (para Aikikai) sólo hay una persona en el mundo que puede publicar promociones de Dan (cinturón negro), y ese es el Doshu (actualmente Moriteru Ueshiba). Todos los demás, ya se trate de un instructor cuarto dan local o un famoso noveno dan, alumno de Morihei Ueshiba, simplemente emiten una “recomendación” para la promoción.

El rango, por supuesto, es el mayor (y quizás el único) sistema de control de la organización. Para aquellos que solo están interesados en ello (que no debería ser nadie, pero en realidad es casi todo el mundo), es una poderosa palanca.

Si estás interesado en cómo llegamos a este arreglo, hace un tiempo escribí un poco sobre el origen del sistema de clasificación en Aikido.

Las cuotas, por supuesto, están bajo el control de la dirección (a veces con paradas ocasionales en el camino …).

No hay prácticamente ninguna regla, ni regulación, ni supervisión, en el Aikikai. Es posible hacer casi cualquier cosa y todavía seguir siendo un miembro de Aikikai siempre y cuando no se fuercen situaciones. Eso es algo bueno, en cierto sentido, ya que ha permitido que el Aikikai exista como una gran organización paraguas en la que todos sus practicantes mantienen algún tipo de relación con Aikikai y la familia Ueshiba.

Por otro lado, la subida de la cuota de afiliación puede ser importante, y estamos en un punto en el que muchos están empezando a cuestionar el valor de esa relación (o lo han sido durante algún tiempo, en algunos casos).

En el pasado, la mayor parte o la totalidad del valor de una afiliación con el Aikikai estaba en la relación personal; por ejemplo: el Shihan X entrenó en Aikikai Hombu y siente la obligación personal de apoyarlos. Paga la subida de la cuota y mantiene una conexión personal basada en una relación personal con Morihei Ueshiba.

Bob, que entrena con Shihan X, no tiene ninguna relación personal con Aikikai Hombu, pero Bob paga porque su maestro paga. Después de todo, ese es el trato, y todo el mundo le gusta apoyar a su maestro.

Bill, que entrena con Bob, no tiene ninguna relación personal con Aikikai Hombu, su maestro Bob no tiene ninguna relación personal con Aikikai Hombu, pero Bill paga porque su Shihan X paga (a pesar de que está a un paso de distancia). Él puede quejarse un poco, pero así es como se hace, esa es la forma en que todos siempre lo hacen.

Bruce, que entrena con Bill, no tiene ninguna relación personal con Aikikai Hombu, su maestro Bill no tiene ninguna relación personal con Aikikai Hombu, el maestro de Bill, Bob, no tiene ninguna relación personal con Aikikai Hombu, pero Bruce paga porque … ¿por qué?

La cuestión es que no sólo la relación de Bruce con Aikikai Hombu es ya muy fina, sino que también es más que probable que en este momento el Shihan X, y posiblemente uno o dos de los otros eslabones siguientes en la cadena, ya hayan fallecido.

Este es el punto en el que estamos ahora en la historia del Aikido.

La mayoría de los practicantes de Aikido nunca han estado en el Hombu, y no tienen relaciones personales allí.

Envían dinero y reciben (por correo) un pedazo de papel de alguien que nunca los conoció y que no sabe quiénes son. En este momento, pasadas cuatro generaciones de Aikido, tenemos una situación en la que estos grados se emiten esencialmente por correo.

Aikido Celebration Hawaii 2011 Poster

Si pusieras todos los sextos danes del mundo en una habitación, Moriteru Doshu sólo reconocería una pequeña fracción, y mucho menos conocería sus nombres. Esto es un hecho que conozco de primera mano por haber traducido para él en Hawai. Eso no es una crítica hacia el propio Doshu, sino que es un reconocimiento del hecho de que hay demasiada gente en el Aikido hoy y que ha crecido demasiado para que esas relaciones personales sean la base del vínculo organizativo con el liderazgo de Aikikai.

Pero ¿qué pasa con “Bruce”, con su muy, muy delgada relación con el Aikikai? ¿Recibe realmente algo de valor real de la organización?

Para la mayoría de los practicantes de Aikido, el único beneficio recibido del Aikikai en Japón es ese diploma expedido por correo, cuidadosamente escrito por alguien en la oficina de Hombu Dojo que no te conoce y no sabe quien eres.

Sí, la familia Ueshiba, Doshu y Waka-sensei, van al extranjero a enseñar seminarios. Pero la última vez que vi Moriteru Ueshiba Doshu enseñar una clase de seminario en el extranjero (febrero de 2011 en Honolulu) había casi quinientas personas en el tatami, y el acceso individual con el, para la mayoría de ellos era … inexistente. Cuando enseñó en París en 2004, hubo tres mil practicantes de Aikido allí y se puede imaginar cuánto tiempo había para la interacción personal.

Sí, hay otros buenos instructores en el Aikikai Hombu Dojo que también van al extranjero a instruir, pero en este momento en la evolución del Aikido hay instructores de igual o mayor calibre en el extranjero, y hay muchos más si la gente simplemente “aprobara” a los instructores sin “ojos de gato”.

Y sí, el Aikikai fue en gran parte responsable de la propagación del Aikido en el extranjero y el desarrollo de ese abundante número de instructores, a través de sus esfuerzos para enviar a instructores al extranjero. Sin embargo, para muchas personas eso es algo que ahora mismo pertenece a otras generaciones en el pasado; una vez más, la relación se está estirando.

Cuando “Bruce” abandona la organización porque no tiene ninguna relación personal con el Aikikai y recibe poco valor, le duele … muy poco, si es que realmente le llega a doler.

La mayoría de los nuevos estudiantes no tienen ni idea de lo que es el Aikikai y les importa todavía menos. Incluso he encontrado a Yudanshas que realmente no saben lo que es el Aikikai. Los estudiantes más viejos se pegan por su instructor, están allí porque disfrutan entrenando bajo su dirección, y sé que poca gente abandonaría a un instructor con el que gozan simplemente porque no enseña bajo la marca de fábrica de Aikikai.

Esto es un problema… es un problema para el Aikikai, y algo que además va a ser cada vez más difícil de arreglar , ya que el desgaste crece, y el Aikikai como organización se convierte en algo que ya no es relevante para la mayoría de los estudiantes de Aikido.

¿Qué hay que cambiar? Creo que es algo que tendría que ser dirigido (pero no dictado) por el Aikikai, y apoyado popularmente por los miembros.

Como puntos a tener en cuenta, hay una serie de modelos de organizaciones profesionales exitosas que unen a personas de metas e intereses comunes en una estructura que proporciona beneficios reales a sus miembros.

También hay una serie de modelos de organizaciones exitosas de revisión por iguales y de acreditación que mantienen estándares de calidad y currículo entre las organizaciones educativas de una manera justa e imparcial, de nuevo, proporcionando un beneficio real a los miembros de esa organización, y, tal vez, proporcionando una lección sobre cómo dar sentido a un sistema de licencias real.

Una cosa de la que personalmente estoy totalmente seguro es que seguir funcionando como una organización tradicional japonesa de estructura piramidal, donde el principal beneficio de estar en la organización es … estar en la organización, no va a funcionar bien por mucho más tiempo.

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Cuatro Generaciones de la Familia Ueshiba [Spanish Version] appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Kisshomaru Ueshiba – Morihei Ueshiba – Koichi Tohei

This is the Spanish translation of the article “The Ueshiba Legacy – Part 1, by Mark Murray“, provided courtesy of Juantxo Ruiz .

Qúe significa todo esto? Significa que la visión común a propósito de que la propagación del aikido después de la guerra se llevo a cabo bajo la tutela directa del Fundador, es fundamentalmente un error. Tohei y el actual Doshu (* Kisshomaru Ueshiba) merecen la parte del león del crédito, no el Fundador. Significa además que O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba no estuvo seriamente involucrado en la instrucción o administración del aikido en los años de la posguerra. Ya estaba jubilado y muy centrado en su entrenamiento personal, desarrollo espiritual, viajes y actividades sociales.

—“¿Es O-Sensei Realmente el Padre del Aikido Moderno?“, De Stanley Pranin.

La cita anterior proviene de un artículo escrito por Stanley Pranin que fue publicado originalmente en Aikido Journal # 109 en 1996. Los lectores asiduos de Stanley Pranin probablemente están familiarizados con esta línea de pensamiento, que ha sido apoyada por una cornucopia de material publicado en Aikido Journal y en el antiguo Aikinews.

Lo que sigue es la parte 1ª de un ensayo de Mark Murray. Es una resumen de algunas de las cuestiones importantes que rodean la ahora clara divergencia entre el Aikido de Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei y el Aikido de su hijo, Ni-Dai Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba.

Mark es un “especialista en informática para el comercio y un escritor por elección” (echa un vistazo a la página web de Mark Murray Books, y la página de autor de Mark Murray en Amazon), pero cuando no está haciendo ninguna de esas cosas suele entrenar en las artes marciales , Y ese es el contexto en el que la mayoría de nosotros probablemente estamos familiarizados con él.

En 2006 fue uno de los primeros aikidokas en publicar una detallada revisión pública (que originalmente apareció en AikiWeb) de su reunión con Dan Harden, y esto fue un paso importante en el proceso que eventualmente llevó a Dan a enseñar públicamente:

El trabajo me llevo a Boston para unos días. Antes de irme a Boston, me puse en contacto con Dan Harden y le pregunté si se encontraría conmigo. Dije que me gustaría empezar a aprender cosas internas. Una vez en Boston, conocí a Dan en mi hotel un día después del trabajo, y paseamos juntos hacia el Commons (un parque en el centro de Boston).

Terminé aprendiendo un montón de cosas. Una es que Dan es un gran tipo. Trabajar con él durante el corto espacio de tiempo que tuve fue un placer. Un continuo ir de una cosa a otra: “Ok, ¿cómo hiciste eso?” sin parar de reir. La mayor parte del tiempo me olvidé que estaba de pie en el Boston Commons.

Lo segundo es que no pude empujarlo. Y dejadme deciros que fue una sensación muy desconcertante. Traté de empujar con ambas manos sobre su pecho, traté de tirar de él lateralmente de uno de sus brazos, y luego colocando una mano en el lado de su cabeza y empujando. Sólo se quedó allí, relajado. No sé cómo explicar lo que sentí allí. Parte de ello era como empujar y notar que nada se movía. Casi como poner un mano en una pared, inclinándose en ella, empujando, y lo único que pasaba era que no se movía, aunque no era tan duro o inflexible como la superficie de una pared. Y parte de ella podía sentir que había perdido mi propio equilibrio cuando empecé a empujar. De ese modo, yo estaba empujando y Dan estaba moviendo su centro de tal manera que él sabía dónde estaba perdiendo mi equilibrio o en qué pie tenía la mayor parte de mi peso.

Fue una muestra asombrosa de una parte de lo que puede hacer. Digo una parte porque también conseguí sentir una pequeña porción de la energía que puede generar. Otro ejemplo de este poder relajado fue que extendió las dos manos y me pidió que lo lanzara en un lanzamiento de tipo judo. Agarré ambos brazos y eso fue lo más que pude hacer. No había aperturas. Nunca llegué a tsukuri, o en forma, porque ni siquiera podía obtener kuzushi. De hecho, había un kuzushi pero estaba en mí. Si alguna vez has oído algunos de estos refranes, “mantener la parte inferior del peso”, “extender ki”, “mantener un punto”, bueno, tengo que decir que pude experimentarlo de primera mano. Dan también me mostró el ejercicio de “empujar hacia fuera” donde lo tenía agarrado pero no podía dar un paso adelante. Aunque no me sentía como si estuviera demasiado cansado, todavía no podía dar un paso. Mis pies se sentían arraigados en el suelo.

El golpe sin distancia (¿?)fue increíble. Y sí, no había distancia, pero la fuerza estaba definitivamente allí. No diría que se sentía exactamente como un puñetazo, sino que era más una sensación de percusión. No, era más como una bola de energía/poder golpeándome y unas ondas de choque vibrando entrando en mi cuerpo. Lo siguiente que sé es que me encontré levantándome del suelo a pocos metros de distancia.

Mientras tanto, Dan me estaba explicando cómo se hacia todo. Estaba abierto y dispuesto a compartir información sobre lo que estaba haciendo y cómo lo hacia. Me mostró algunos ejercicios para practicar y probé algunos de ellos. Probar es una buena palabra. Tomará algún tiempo practicarlos, especialmente el hanmi. LOL. Pero en el corto tiempo que estuve allí, voy a decir que definitivamente me ayudó.

Lo que Dan está haciendo es algo bueno. Ojala hubiera podido visitar su dojo y conocer a todos los demás, pero espero que en mi próxima visita pueda hacerlo.

———————————–

Actualización (1 de diciembre de 2015): Me gustaría comentar sobre la relevancia de incluir el repaso de Mark sobre su reunión con Dan Harden, ya que el contexto puede parecer confuso para algunas personas.

Para aquellos que han seguido el proceso, gran parte del material de este artículo se desarrolló a lo largo de discusiones (y argumentaciones) en AikiWeb y otros foros de discusión en Internet. Muchas de esas discusiones (y argumentos) se centraron alrededor de las teorías de Dan Harden, y su participación contribuyó grandemente a la evolución de la conversación.

Como Mark afirma en su experiencia, “Si alguna vez has oído algunos de estos dichos, ‘mantener el peso debajo’, ‘extender ki’, ‘mantener un punto’, pues bien, pude experimentarlo de primera mano”. Para mí, esta es una declaración reveladora, y sintomática de los dos legados que Marck pasa a describir en el cuerpo principal de este artículo – un estudiante de Aikido moderno que se asombra al encontrar una manifestación real de habilidades tan a menudo discutidas, pero tan rara vez desplegadas.

¿Es relevante para el Aikido lo que hace Dan Harden? Bueno, en parte dependerá de cómo entienda uno mismo el Aikido, pero esto es lo que un estudiante directo de Morihei Ueshiba dijo después de conocer a Dan, y un debate sobre lo que podía significar..

Ahora bien, alguien puede pensar que el foco de este artículo y la referencia anterior quiere decir que ninguno de los estudiantes de Morihei Ueshiba entendió nada o fue capaz de captar ningún aspecto de su transmisión, pero no se trata de eso en ningún caso. He discutido este tema en artículos anteriores, pero voy a decir aquí de nuevo que cada estudiante directo del Fundador que he conocido (y he conocido a bastantes) parece haber recibido algo del Fundador; algunos un poco, y otros mucho. La advertencia es que también tuvieron problemas para explicar y transmitir lo que sea que obtuvieron de su tiempo con él: hay una discusión más detallada de este problema en el artículo “Morihei Ueshiba – Perfiles del Fundador“.

— Chris Li

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Y ahora … vamos al ensayo de Mark Murray – “El Legado de Ueshiba”.

Padre e Hijo delante de Aikikai Hombu Dojo
Fundador del Aikido Morihei Ueshiba y Ni-Dai Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba

El legado de Ueshiba – Parte 1

por Mark Murray

Hay dos Legados Ueshiba. El legado de Morihei Ueshiba y el legado de Kisshomaru Ueshiba. Los dos son completamente diferentes. Sus caminos rara vez se cruzan, con sólo un puñado de puntos en común.

A: Las palabras

De la traducción en el sitio web de Sangenkai: “el Aikido es el camino de la armonía, es decir la forma viviente de Ichirei Shikon Sangen Hachiriki, la forma del tejido del universo, específicamente la forma de la Alta Llanura del Cielo”. (1) Ueshiba hablaría de esto a menudo.

Explicó Hachiriki como “Los 8 poderes son fuerzas opuestas: Movimiento-quietud, Fusión – Congelación, Tirando – Aflojando, Combinando – Dividiendo / 9-1, 8-2, 7-3, 6-4” (1). Tenga en cuenta que las 8 potencias son 4 pares de opuestos.

Fundador del Aikido Morihei Ueshiba y un grupo de estudiantes extranjeros
De izquierda a derecha: Alan Ruddock, Henry Kono, Per Winter, Joanne Willard, 
Joe Deisher, O-Sensei, Joanne Shimamoto (más tarde casada con Akira Tohei),
Kenneth Cottier, Edward Yamaguchi, Norman Miles, Terry Dobson

Cuando Henry Kono le preguntó a O-Sensei: “¿Por qué no podemos hacer lo que haces, Sensei?” La respuesta fue sencillamente “Porque no entiendes In y Yo.” (2) Fuerzas opuestas. Uno de los doka de Ueshiba (“poemas del camino”) fue “Manifiesta Yo (yang) en la mano derecha, cambia la mano izquierda a In (yin) y guía al oponente”.

Otra cosa que dijo Ueshiba: “El Aikido es el Camino y el Principio de la armonización del Cielo, la Tierra y el Hombre.” Ueshiba habló de Izanami y Izanagi. Habló sobre El Puente Flotante del Cielo. Habló de kami, que a menudo se escribía como ka (火 / fuego) y mi (水 / agua). Ya sea durante la famosa época de antes de la guerra o durante la posguerra, Morihei Ueshiba describió su aikido usando una ideología espiritual específica.

Rinjiro Shirata en el Dojo de Kobukan en 1935

Rinjiro Shirata, otro estudiante de antes de la guerra, da algunos detalles más sobre el estilo de enseñanza de Ueshiba: “Nunca practicamos técnicas en ningún orden específico. No era una práctica donde se nos enseñara. Como te dije antes, Ueshiba tenía su propio entrenamiento. Por lo tanto, practicó técnicas como él quería. Ese fue su entrenamiento. La manera de explicar las técnicas de Ueshiba Sensei fue, en primer lugar, dar los nombres de kamisama (deidades). Después de eso, explicaba el movimiento. Él nos decía, ‘Aikido originalmente no tenía ninguna forma’. Los movimientos del cuerpo en respuesta a su estado mental se convertían en las técnicas. “. (3)

“Aikido Shugyo“, por Gozo Shioda

Las reflexiones de Shioda sobre Ueshiba: “Como se mencionó anteriormente, en el Dojo de Ueshiba en los viejos tiempos no teníamos ninguna forma predefinida explícitamente. Lo único que los estudiantes podían hacer era copiar las técnicas que Sensei realizaba por su cuenta. En cuanto a la instrucción, lo único que se nos dijo fue “convertirnos en uno con el cielo y la tierra”. (4)

Black Belt magazine, May 1966

De un artículo en la revista Black Belt sobre el entrenamiento en la posguerra: “La primera clase suele tratar principalmente sobre Dios y la naturaleza; Uyeshiba da la charla y los uchideshi escuchan. En este momento los jóvenes uchideshi están expuestos a la filosofía zen ya los significados más profundos del aikido; su perfección y comprensión no violenta y defensiva.

Si todo esto suena bastante remoto y difícil de entender para un lector occidental, puede ser interesante saber que el joven uchideshi japonés a menudo se sentía de la misma manera. Uyeshiba, de 83 años, habla muchas veces de temas sumamente abstractos, pasando por lo general a la antigua fraseología japonesa, por lo que a sus oyentes a menudo les resulta difícil seguirlo.”  (5)

Morihei Ueshiba con Robert Frager

Robert Frager también habla de su formación y de los incomprensibles discursos de Ueshiba: “Comprendí muy poco de sus conversaciones. Osensei usaba un gran número de términos sintoístas esotéricos, y hablaba con un fuerte acento regional. Sus enseñanzas llegaban a un nivel filosófico, místico, muy por encima de mis preocupaciones como principiante acerca de dónde tenía que poner mis manos y pies. Me desconcertó declaraciones como: “Cuando practiques Aikido, estás en el puente flotante entre el cielo y la tierra”, y “Ponga a la diosa sintoísta “Ella-que-invita “en su pie izquierdo y el Dios ” Él-que-se-aproxima ‘En su pie derecho.’. “. (6)

Training with the Master, por Walther Krenner con John Stevens

Walther Krenner observa que Ueshiba a veces entra y habla durante mucho tiempo. (7) Kisshomaru Ueshiba también habla de las experiencias espirituales desconcertantes de su padre. (8) Yoji Tomosue también encontró difícil entender a Ueshiba. (9) Tamura relata que los jóvenes estudiantes no entendieron lo que Ueshiba les estaba diciendo. (10) Hay una interesante entrevista con Henry Kono en una revista de Aikido Today:

ATM: Cuando tenías conversaciones como estas con O’sensei, ¿de qué hablabais?

HK: Bueno, por lo general le preguntaba por qué el resto de nosotros no podía hacer lo que hacía. Había muchos otros maestros, todos haciendo aikido. Pero el lo hacia de otra manera, algo diferente. ¡Su movimiento era tan limpio!

ATM: ¿Cómo respondía O’sensei a sus preguntas sobre lo que estaba haciendo?

HK: Decía que yo no entendía yin y yang [in y yo]. Por eso, he hecho de eso, del estudio de yin y yang, mi trabajo de toda la vida. Eso es lo que O’sensei me dijo que hiciera. (11)

Volviendo a la época anterior a la guerra, se podría pensar que en ese tiempo Ueshiba habría sido mucho más fácil de entender. Sin embargo, tenemos que recordar que Ueshiba tuvo unos diez años para refinar su ideología espiritual antes de que el dojo Kobukan se abriera. Takako Kunigoshi afirma que no había nadie que pudiera entender a Ueshiba. (12) Shirata recuerda a Ueshiba dando los nombres de los kamisama como explicaciones. (13) Mochizuki consideraba a Ueshiba un “genio primitivo que no podía explicar nada”. (14) De hecho, Mochizuki continúa diciendo que Ueshiba no explicaba sino que prefería decir que venia de Dios (su conocimiento). (15) (16)

Los dioses Izanagi e Izanami en el Puente Flotante del Cielo

Ueshiba declaró: “La mano izquierda es Izanagi, la derecha es Izanami, en el centro es Ame-no-minakanushi, esto es usted mismo. Esto está parado en el puente flotante del cielo y dar vuelta en una espiral. Esto se llama Taka-ama-hara. El cielo y la tierra son una unidad, el agua y el fuego también son una unidad, todo aparece a través de Iki (aliento). Esta es la aparición interminable de los Kami. La técnica de Aiki surge interminablemente.”. (17)

Más de Ueshiba: “Se dice que al hacer Aikido primero debes estar en el Puente Flotante del Cielo. Se dice que el Puente Flotante del Cielo es el intercambio de Fuego y Agua. Precisamente en forma de cruz, es el mundo del Fuego y del Agua en armonía. En otras palabras, se dice que este mundo se crea a través de las dos acciones de los dioses gemelos Takami-Musubi y Kami-Musubi que se enrollan en una espiral a la derecha y se enrollan en una espiral a la izquierda. El fuego (“Ka”) y el Agua (“mi”) se convierten en “Kami”, la fuente de este “Kami” (Fuego y Agua) vuelve al uno, pero el uno se convierte en la fuente de lo físico y lo espiritual. “. (18)

No importa si miramos el período anterior a la guerra o después de la guerra, nos encontramos con que la ideología espiritual de Ueshiba obstaculizó a sus estudiantes la comprensión en lo que a trabajar en la formación aiki se refiere. Casi nadie comprendió realmente lo que Ueshiba quería decir con sus explicaciones.

En cuanto a la versión mundial del aikido que se diseminó después de la muerte de Morihei Ueshiba, desde alrededor de 1970, ¿con qué frecuencia un estudiante de aikido se ha sentido frustrado al oír hablar a su instructor de Izanami, Izanagi, kami, Hachiriki o el puente flotante del cielo? ¿Con qué frecuencia se han presentado esos términos? Si alguna vez aparecen (lo cual es raro), ¿cómo se les explica?

Kisshomaru Ueshiba recibió el control sobre el dojo de Tokio y cambió muchas cosas. Uno de ellos era el verdadero mensaje de su padre. A modo de breve explicación, esto paso después de la guerra cuando Japón había sido derrotado y estaba en estado de agitación. Las artes marciales fueron prohibidas en su mayoría. El dojo de Tokio estaba en ruinas. Kisshomaru recogió las piezas, las volvió a juntar y, a partir de sus experiencias durante la guerra, cambió el mensaje del aikido a algo que el mundo podía abrazar, como así ha sido por millones de personas.

El hecho es que las palabras y la visión del aikido de Morihei Ueshiba y lo que se extendió por todo el mundo, el Aikido Moderno, a falta de un término mejor, son dos cosas completamente diferentes.

(1) “Aikido and the Structure of the Universe”
(2) “Aikido Memoirs” by Alan Ruddock
(3) Aiki News Issue 062
(4) “Aikido Shugyo” by Gozo Shioda
(5) Black Belt 1966 Vol 4 No 5
(6) Yoga Journal March 1982
(7) “Training with the Master” by John Stevens
(8) Aiki News Issue 031
(9) Aiki News Issue 031
(10) Aiki News Issue 066
(11) Aikido Today Magazine; #31 Dec.93/ Jan. 94.
(12) Aiki News 047
(13) Aiki News Issue 062
(14) Black Belt 1980 Vol 18 No 4
(15) Black Belt 1980 Vol 18 No 4
(16) Black Belt 1989 Vol 27 No 8
(17) “Aikido and the Floating Bridge of Heaven”
(18) “Morihei Ueshiba and the Way of the Cross”

San-Dai Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba enseña a 3.000 personas en París – 2004

B: El entrenamiento

Según una estimación de Aikikai, 1,2 millones de personas están practicando aikido en todo el mundo, pero eso probablemente no incluye escuelas no relacionadas con Aikikai. Sin embargo, como mínimo, millones de personas están entrenando aikido. Si nos concentramos en todos esos millones de aikidokas que toman “ukemi” durante 40 a 50 años, y prestamos atención al hecho de que algunos de ellos han pasado un poco más de tiempo de entrenamiento con sus maestros que lo que hicieron con Ueshiba sus alumnos de antes o después de la guerra, entonces ¿dónde están las personas que rivalizan con las habilidades de Gozo Shioda o Kenji Tomiki, y mucho menos con el nivel de habilidad de Morihei Ueshiba? ¿Cuántos de los millones que han entrenado y aprendido las técnicas físicas externas del aikido durante 40-50 años han repetido las hazañas de Ueshiba?

Bajo la bandera de Dai-Nippon Senyokai (大日本武道宣揚会)
Morihei Ueshiba (izquierda) con
Sumiko y Onisaburo Deguchi de Omoto-kyo en 1932.
Aritoshi Murashige se colocan de nuevo a la derecha.

¿Qué sucede cuando miramos a todas las personas que están estudiando misogi-no-gyo, o Omoto kyo, o meditación Zen? Si nos enfocamos en esas personas, tampoco tenemos a nadie que haya alcanzado las habilidades de Ueshiba. ¿Cuántas personas que se han concentrado únicamente en lo espiritual y que practican los ejercicios de misogi han repetido las habilidades de Ueshiba? Podemos recurrir a uno de los estudiantes de Ueshiba para obtener una respuesta. Alrededor de 1952, Seiseki Abe dice esto acerca de una conversación con Ueshiba: “¿Cómo has aprendido un budo tan maravilloso”, y él contestó, “a través de misogi”. Yo había estado haciendo misogi desde 1941 y cuando escuché que el Aikido venía del misogi , fue como un estallido, los dos (las dos cosas) se unieron. “. (1)

Seiseki Abe, de pie a la izquierda, con Morihei Ueshiba
Kumano Juku, 1954

Seiseki Abe había estado haciendo misogi por lo menos 10 años antes de entrenar en el aikido y no estaba cerca de las destrezas o habilidades de Ueshiba, ni siquiera veía el misogi y el aikido como similares. Sin embargo, bajo la tutela de Ueshiba, Seiseki Abe siguió creciendo como artista marcial. De esto podemos deducir que algo que Ueshiba conocía y había entrenado era la base subyacente para alimentar sus ejercicios de misogi. Otras personas que no tenían ese algo seguro que no crecieron hasta poder reproducir las habilidades de Ueshiba. Mirando a Omoto kyo, ¿cuántas personas que no practican técnicas han reproducido las habilidades de Ueshiba? ¿Cuántos practicantes de Omoto kyo que si las practican han reproducido las habilidades de Ueshiba? Sin embargo, cuando miramos a los compañeros de Ueshiba, descubrimos que reprodujeron hazañas y habilidades. Esos compañeros no practicaron Omoto kyo ni misogi. Lo que practicaban eran ejercicios de Daito ryu aiki. Este aiki era el poder detrás del misogi de Ueshiba y no al revés.

Ahora bien, si miramos a los millones de aikidokas practicando técnicas día tras día, año tras año, década tras década, sin reproducir las habilidades de Ueshiba, ¿no es hora de aceptar la verdad de que el Aikido de Morihei Ueshiba y el Aikido Moderno son muy diferentes?

El enfoque en las técnicas fue un cambio moderno inculcado en lo que se ha convertido el Aikido moderno. Ueshiba nunca predicó técnicas. De hecho, su arte era informe. Los estudiantes se quejaban de que rara vez veían una técnica dos veces. Cuando se le preguntó acerca de las técnicas, la respuesta de Ueshiba mostró la abrumadora naturaleza de tratar de aprenderlas todas. Dijo: “Hay alrededor de 3.000 técnicas básicas, y cada una de ellas tiene 16 variaciones … así que hay muchos miles. Dependiendo de la situación, se crean otras nuevas.”. (2)

Rinjiro Shirata explicó sus recuerdos de los primeros entrenamientos con Ueshiba: “Nunca practicamos técnicas en ningún orden específico. No era una práctica donde se nos enseñaran. Como te dije antes, Ueshiba tenía su propio entrenamiento. Por lo tanto, practicó técnicas como él quería. Ese fue su entrenamiento. La manera de explicar las técnicas de Ueshiba Sensei era, en primer lugar, dar los nombres de los kamisama (deidades). Después de eso, explicaba el movimiento. Él nos decía: ‘Aikido originalmente no tenía ninguna forma. Los movimientos del cuerpo en respuesta al estado de ánimo de uno se convierten en las técnicas “. (3)

y

“Como el Aikido no tiene forma, nos movemos de acuerdo a cómo nos sentimos.” (3)

y

“Ueshiba Sensei no tenía técnicas. Dijo: “No hay técnicas. Lo que expresas cada vez es una técnica.” (4)

Kanshu Sunadomari con Morihei Ueshiba, alrededor de 1960

Kanshu Sunadomari comentó que si te pegas a la forma, sólo obtienes el estilo antiguo de artes marciales. También habló de Ueshiba y de la formación: “O-Sensei dijo:” Aiki es enseñar la base para la creación del budo en el que las técnicas nacen como uno se mueve. “Así que usted tiene que entender la base para poder crear las técnicas. La base es el poder kokyu. No hay nada más. Cuando desarrollas el poder kokyu, surgen innumerables técnicas. No se pueden crear técnicas sólo haciendo las formas del pasado”. (5)

Shioda observa que en el entrenamiento previo a la guerra, no había formas preestablecidas. Tenían que imitar lo que hacia Ueshiba. (6) A su vez, David Lynch afirma que Shioda desarrolló un plan de estudios sistematizado para ayudar a los nuevos estudiantes a aprender mejor. (7) Si abordamos la cuestión real de las técnicas, es interesante encontrar lo que dos principales instructores de aikido pensaron acerca de esto.

Kisshomaru Ueshiba: “Fue alrededor de 1937 o 1938 cuando empecé a practicar el Aikido en serio. Ya había aprendido técnicas para entonces. Uno puede aprender las técnicas en dos o tres años “. (8)

Koichi Tohei: “… las técnicas físicas se pueden aprender fácilmente en un lapso de tiempo corto, como en otras Artes Marciales”. (9)

Koichi Tohei: “Cuando visité Chicago hace unos meses, cuatro Ohioans (nativos de Ohio) vinieron a estudiar conmigo y me sorprendió porque conocían las técnicas bastante bien. Cuando pregunté quién les enseñó, dijeron que lo habían aprendido de mi libro. Una persona leía mientras los otros practicaban las técnicas. No revelaron grandes fallos en sus movimientos”. (10)

Como meramente un tecnicismo, se podría decir que Ueshiba enseñó técnicas. Esto es de hecho un punto importante, como lo demuestran las diversas escuelas de aikido; Ueshiba tuvo que haber enseñado algo o de lo contrario no tendría un plan de estudios basado en la técnica. Sin embargo, ¿como cuestión de fondo? No, Ueshiba no enseñó técnicas. Él veía su arte como sin forma, y cuando su cuerpo se movía, su compañero de entrenamiento iba creando las aperturas para que las técnicas ocurrieran. Los estudiantes hicieron lo mejor que pudieron con lo que Ueshiba les dio. Como no estaba enseñando realmente los secretos, los estudiantes imitaban las formas y técnicas entrenadas. Fueron los estudiantes quienes desarrollaron un currículo escribiendo técnicas y clasificándolas en algún tipo de programa.

En la época anterior a la guerra, no había muchas horas de enseñanza bajo Ueshiba sino más bien muchas horas de práctica con compañeros y con alumnos avanzados. Se ha mencionado que los estudiantes de antes de la guerra a menudo hacían técnicas con alumnos avanzados. Podemos ver en películas cómo Ueshiba “enseñó”. ¿Quién realmente aprendió técnicas de Ueshiba en esas películas, o es que los estudiantes simplemente imitaron lo que vieron? Muchos de los estudiantes de Ueshiba se quejaron de que no mostraba una técnica dos veces. También debemos considerar que Mochizuki se queja de que Ueshiba redujo completamente las técnicas de Daito ryu a un número muy pequeño. Si las técnicas eran el enfoque de Ueshiba, ¿por qué recortó tanto? ¿Por qué no estableció algún tipo de plan de estudios? ¿Por qué dijo que su arte era informe?

Si cambiamos nuestro enfoque para considerar la era de posguerra, cuando Ueshiba estaba en Iwama, ¿quien enseñó en Tokio? Cuando Ueshiba viajaba alrededor, ¿quién enseñaba en Iwama o Tokio? ¿Cual era el programa de entrenamiento en Tokio, donde Ueshiba sólo “enseñó” durante la clase de la mañana? Incluso entonces, muchos de los estudiantes se quejaron de que hablaba la mayor parte del tiempo. ¿Quién preparó realmente un programa de jo y bokken en Iwama? Saito lo hizo.

Morihei Ueshiba que demuestra en el Dojo de Shinbuden
Manchurai, 1942

También podemos ver otro ejemplo que demuestra que Ueshiba no estaba centrado en las técnicas en absoluto, sino más bien en su visión del aikido. En una demostración en Manchuria, Ohba, como uke, demostró que Ueshiba tenía habilidades que salían de la visión espiritual. Se suponía que era una demostración preacordada, pero Ohba cambió sus ataques. Ueshiba tubo que realizar algunos ataques muy realistas. De hecho, Shigenobu Okumura declaró: “En ese momento yo era un estudiante y vi esta demostración. Fue tan seria como ninguna otra que yo haya visto. Podía decir que no era una demostración preestablecida.” (11) Ueshiba se puso furioso debido a que Ohba cambiara sus ataques y se mantuvo así hasta que se apaciguó con las palabras de Hideo Sonobe, quien le dio grandes elogios. Da la impresión que la demostración elegida por Ueshiba de cómo veía su arte, el aikido, fue arruinada por los ataques muy fuertes y sin ensayos de Ohba. Ueshiba tenía una visión preestablecida de su aikido que incluía un énfasis en el conjunto de los ataques, con los cuales permitía al kami manifestar la técnica. El foco no estaba en las técnicas

Gozo Shioda con Morihei Ueshiba
del manual técnico “Budo”, 1938

Shioda también comentó como Ueshiba le dijo: “En una pelea real, el Aikido es un 70 por ciento de atemi y un 30 por ciento de proyección”. (12) El factor específico aquí es “pelea real”. Podemos adivinar que en un encuentro real que no está preestablecido, Ueshiba confió en su entrenamiento de Daito ryu, que incluía atemi y aiki. Las técnicas no eran el foco. Podemos ver que Ueshiba definitivamente tenía las habilidades, pero eligió mostrar solamente o utilizar ciertos aspectos, o ciertos subconjuntos, en su visión del aikido. Considere que cuando un estudiante era elegido como uke por Ueshiba, si ese estudiante no atacaba de la manera muy específica que Ueshiba quería, entonces ese estudiante no volvía a ser escogido de nuevo como uke. Ueshiba fue muy específico en la demostración de su visión del aikido. Veía su trabajo como una ideología espiritual usando a sus estudiantes como compañeros de entrenamiento en lugar de centrarse en enseñar a sus estudiantes el secreto de aiki.

Yukiyoshi Sagawa con Masaru Takahashi y Tatsuo Kimura

Hablando de aiki, si miramos a Yukiyoshi Sagawa, encontramos que dice que aiki es un método de entrenamiento corporal y que no se trata de técnicas. De hecho, Sagawa, Kodo Horikawa, Seigo Okamoto y Ueshiba dijeron que su arte era informe. No hay ningún plan de estudios de técnicas, simplemente no hay forma. Luego encontramos que Tokimune Takeda (“Solo Training for Kokyu-ryoku and Ki in Daito-ryu Aiki Budo“), Takuma Hisa, Kodo, Sagawa, y Ueshiba tuvieron ejercicios de entrenamiento en solitario que no se enseñaron. ¿Dónde está su enfoque en las técnicas? No lo tenían.

Fundador del Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu Kodokai Kodo Horikawa

Hablando de aiki, si miramos a Yukiyoshi Sagawa, encontramos que dice que aiki es un método de entrenamiento corporal y que no se trata de técnicas. De hecho, Sagawa, Kodo Horikawa, Seigo Okamoto y Ueshiba dijeron que su arte era informe. No hay ningún plan de estudios de técnicas, simplemente no hay forma. Luego encontramos que Tokimune Takeda (Takuma Hisa, Kodo, Sagawa, y Ueshiba) tuvieron ejercicios de entrenamiento en solitario que no se enseñaron. ¿Dónde está su enfoque en las técnicas? No lo tenían.

El enfoque en las técnicas esta en el Aikido moderno. Ahora que el mundo ha practicado el Aikido Moderno y sus técnicas desde, digamos, 1960, ¿hacia dónde ha progresado la gente? ¿Dónde están las personas del mismo nivel que Gozo Shioda o Rinjiro Shirata? ¿Qué hay de aquellos que han conseguido repetir las habilidades de Ueshiba? Incluso algunos de los estudiantes directos han dicho que no han alcanzado el nivel de Ueshiba. ¿Qué nos dice eso de sus estudiantes?

¿Qué ha estado haciendo el Aikido Moderno durante 50 años? Técnicas. ¿Por qué Kisshomaru Ueshiba y Koichi Tohei afirmaron que las técnicas se pueden aprender en un corto período de tiempo?

50 años de estudio focalizado en las técnicas sin que a nivel mundial haya aparecido nadie como Shioda, Shirata, o Ueshiba, ¿no nos dice nada muy definitivo?

¿No dice eso que hay dos visiones únicas del aikido? La de Morihei Ueshiba y la del Aikido Moderno.

(1) Aiki News Issue 045
(2) Aiki News Issue 018
(3) Aiki News Issue 062
(4) Aiki News Issue 063
(5) Aiki News Issue 065
(6) “Aikido Shugyo” by Gozo Shioda
(7) Aikido Journal 103
(8) Aiki News Issue 056
(9) From Westbrook and Ratti’s “Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere“.
(10) Black Belt 1965 Vol 3 No 11.
(11) Aiki News Issue 086
(12) “Aikido Shugyo” by Gozo Shioda

Conclusión

Hay dos legados muy diferentes en aikido. Kisshomaru creó una visión mundial del aikido que fue aceptada por millones. El mundo adoptó la visión pacífica y el currículo que se creo. Algunos tomaron el mensaje espiritual como la parte más importante sobre la viabilidad marcial, algunos tomaron la viabilidad marcial sobre lo espiritual, y otros mezclaron los dos.

Si alguien quería un entrenamiento espiritual en un ambiente pacifico, podía encontrarlo. Si alguien quería un ambiente más marcial podía encontrarlo también. No se equivoquen, incluso con todo el alboroto sobre aiki bailoteo, hay personas que han hecho un Aikido moderno muy marcialmente viable. El elocuente blog de Ellis Amdur con respecto a esto es solo un ejemplo. (1)

El mundo abrazó el Aikido Moderno, le dio vida, le dio propósito y creó un legado. Lo único desafortunado de todo esto es que el mundo erróneamente rastreó ese legado de regreso hasta Morihei Ueshiba.

El legado de Morihei Ueshiba se basa en aiki. Este aiki es el que le fue transmitido por Sokaku Takeda. Sus palabras eran explicaciones de entrenamiento real para desarrollar el camino de ese aiki específico. Y más allá de aquellas palabras que la mayoría no podía entender, también explicó aiki en términos muy simples y directos … a unos pocos selectos. Un paradigma (2) de entrenamiento muy específico para cambiar el cuerpo. Morihei Ueshiba tomó ese entrenamiento aiki, cambió su cuerpo, estudió Daito ryu, se metió en otras artes marciales, e infundió su Omoto kyo en él (en su entrenamiento). Un legado muy diferente al Aikido Moderno. El aikido de Ueshiba era válido marcialmente y se destacaba como único del jujutsu koryu, del judo y de otros sistemas marciales. El aikido de Ueshiba también creó una ideología espiritual visionaria basada enteramente en aiki pero expresada en términos de Omoto kyo.

El mundo es lo suficientemente grande para ambos legados. Visiones diferentes para diferentes personas. El Aikido moderno debe dar un paso atrás y empezar a reconocer a sus fundadores; personas como Kisshomaru Ueshiba, Koichi Tohei, Morihiro Saito y otros. Darles el crédito que es debido colgando su cuadro en el shomen. Morihei Ueshiba debe ser reservado para aquellos que buscan el legado de aiki que fue transmitido desde Sokaku Takeda.

(1) “The Use of Weapons in Aikidō Training”

Apéndice – Falta de forma de las artes

Aiki News nº 018

“Ueshiba: Hay alrededor de 3.000 técnicas básicas, y cada una de ellas tiene 16 variaciones … así que hay muchos miles. Dependiendo de la situación, se crean otras nuevas. “

Aiki News nº 062

“Nos dijo,” Aikido originalmente no tenía ninguna forma. Los movimientos del cuerpo en respuesta a su estado mental se convirtieron en técnicas. “” – Shirata

“Como el Aikido no tiene forma, nos movemos de acuerdo a cómo nos sentimos.” – Shirata

Shirata Sensei: Nunca practicamos técnicas en ningún orden específico. No era una práctica donde nos enseñaron. Como te dije antes, Ueshiba tenía su propio entrenamiento. Por lo tanto, practicó técnicas como él quería. Ese fue su entrenamiento. La manera de explicar las técnicas de Ueshiba Sensei fue, en primer lugar, dar los nombres de kamisama (deidades). Después de eso, explicó el movimiento. Nos dijo: “Aikido originalmente no tenía ninguna forma. Los movimientos del cuerpo en respuesta al estado mental de uno se convirtieron en las técnicas.

Aiki News nº 063

“Ueshiba Sensei no tenía técnicas. Él dijo: “No hay técnicas. Lo que expresas cada vez es una técnica. “” – Shirata

Aiki News nº 065

“Sensei entendió la palabra” takemusu “como la revelación de uno de los kami. “Takemusu” es la base para la creación de todas las cosas. El Aikido representa la forma que crea todas las cosas a través del cuerpo. O-Sensei dijo: “Aiki es enseñar la base para la creación del budo en el cual las técnicas nacen como uno se mueve.” Así que usted tiene que entender la base para la creación de técnicas. La base es el poder kokyu. No hay nada más. Cuando desarrollas el poder kokyu, surgen innumerables técnicas. No puedes crear técnicas sólo haciendo las formas del pasado. “- Sunadomari

“Si enseñas solo la forma, acabas solo con un arte marcial de estilo antiguo.” – Sunadomari

Aiki News nº 074

Sagawa: El método de enseñanza de Takeda Sensei siempre fue práctico. Él nunca nos enseñó kata (formas).

Aikido Journal 103 (Vol. 22, nº 2)

Entrevista con David Lynch
Shioda Sensei, al igual que muchos otros antiguos estudiantes de O-Sensei, sentía que la enseñanza de O-Sensei no era sistemática, y por lo tanto ideó su propio conjunto de ejercicios básicos que tenían la intención de hacer el arte más fácil para el estudiante medio. Estos ejercicios básicos (hiriki no yosei y shumatsu dosa, por ejemplo) no se encuentran en otros dojos.

Aikido Shugyo por Gozo Shioda

Como se mencionó anteriormente, en el Dojo de Ueshiba en los viejos tiempos no teníamos explícitamente ninguna forma preestablecida. Lo único que los estudiantes podían hacer era copiar las técnicas que Sensei realizaba por su cuenta. En términos de instrucción, lo único que se nos dijo fue “convertirnos en uno con el cielo y la tierra”.

Peter Goldsbury, Presidente de la Federación Internacional de Aikido (IAF)

(Publicado originalmente en AikiWeb)

Hay muchos relatos subjetivos de cómo Morihei Ueshiba se entrenó y lo que enseñó, pero no creo que estos relatos nos permitan afirmar categóricamente que esto o aquello era cómo Ueshiba enseñaba o entrenaba. Aparte de Doshu, que creo que está en una categoría especial, el instructor Hombu con quien he discutido estos temas es Hiroshi Tada. Al igual que Tohei, H Tada era un estudiante de Tempu Nakamura, pero parece haber sido muy cuidadoso en cuanto a lo que enseñó en el Hombu y lo que enseñó en su propio dojo y en Italia. En otras palabras, parece haber aceptado la idea de que sólo ciertas cosas debían ser enseñadas o practicadas en el Hombu, y que sin embargo otras cosas debían ser practicadas en otra parte. Enseña armas en Italia, pero nunca en el Hombu, y cuando mencioné algunos detalles de una cierto kata de jo que practiqué en Italia a otro instructor del Hombu, este se mostró muy curioso, y se preguntaba donde lo habría aprendido Tada. Al igual que otros instructores del Hombu más antiguos, Tada aporta un gran compendio de ejercicios en solitario y estos parecen consistir principalmente en ejercicios de kokyu de creciente sofisticación y complejidad. Pero nunca ha enseñado nada como empuje de manos, etc, y sospecho que la ocasión de ver los resultados de todo este entrenamiento kokyu tendría que ser en el waza básico de aikido, como shomen-uchi ikyo. La cuestión para mi es qué parte de la formación de Tada viene de Nakamura y qué parte viene de Ueshiba, y si se podría hacer una distinción.

Se añade a esto la teoría de Ellis Amdur sobre el uso, por parte de Ueshiba, de sus estudiantes como “maniquíes de prueba de choque”, y también hay que jugar con la posibilidad de que mostró cosas diferentes a diferentes estudiantes; y lo mostró haciéndoles tomar ukemi. También hay que tener en cuenta la posibilidad de que las habilidades de Ueshiba que pudieran ser interpretadas como habilidades IP fuesen adquiridas por sus estudiantes de varias maneras, pero no necesariamente del propio Ueshiba mediante una transmisión directa.

y

No estoy seguro de que aceptación sea la palabra correcta aquí. Sufrimiento podría ser más apropiado. Uno de los yudansha que entrena con el grupo que cuido en los Países Bajos asiste a los talleres de Dan Harden y Minoru Akuzawa cuando vienen a Europa. Su aikido proviene de otra fuente, por supuesto, pero en una ocasión un instructor senior del Hombu se detuvo y le preguntó: “¿Por qué eres tan fuerte?” La pregunta no era en un sentido negativo y no hablaba de fuerza física. El instructor sabía exactamente lo que estaba viendo y creo que la generación más antigua de instructores en Japón también lo sabe. Pero, como usted dice, este conocimiento es clandestino y limitado a los individuos. Estos individuos están en el Aikikai, pero están disminuyendo en número. Yamaguchi, Tada y Arikawa solían visitar nuestro dojo regularmente y una vez le pregunté a un instructor por qué Doshu (el actual Doshu, no Kisshomaru) nunca fue invitado. Esto fue hace unos años y la respuesta fue bastante contundente: “Es demasiado joven y no sabe lo suficiente”.

Creo que Doshu es un exponente activo de una cierta interpretación de iemoto, pero el gran peligro aquí es que el aikido no es un koryu y no tiene kata en el sentido entendido en un koryu. Hay una sensación de que el waza puede ser visto como un vehículo para la expresión de la creatividad y esto, a mi juicio, es lo que Morihei Ueshiba quería decir con Takemusu Aiki. Siempre mostró waza, al igual que Takeda Sokaku, pero parece haberlos presentado de forma ligeramente diferente a diferentes deshi. Así que la creatividad se puede entender de muchas maneras. A diferencia de la generación actual de exponentes de artes marciales japoneses, Morihei Ueshiba también leía los clásicos chinos y estaba familiarizado con todos los textos que son la base de las artes internas chinas. Recientemente me encontré con un trabajo académico sobre yin-yang y su lugar en el pensamiento y la cultura china. Incluso una lectura rápida fue suficiente para demostrar que se trata de un concepto complejo y multifacético. Todos sabemos la pregunta que un estudiante le hizo a Morihei Ueshiba y su respuesta, citando el conocimiento del yin y el yang. Ueshiba no dio ninguna explicación más y dejó que los estudiantes comprendieran lo que quería decir. El punto es que probablemente estaba familiarizado con toda la amplitud y profundidad del concepto, pero sus estudiantes no compartían esta familiaridad.

“Oculto a la vista” por Ellis Amdur (pp. 181-182)

“El entrenamiento en solitario parece ser un vínculo común entre los practicantes de Daito-ryu, y los diversos métodos de este entrenamiento desarrollan diferentes tipos de fuerza interna. Tal entrenamiento puede incluir: A) retorcimiento / torcedura / enrollamiento del cuerpo para desarrollar el tejido conectivo; B) métodos de respiración para generar “presión”, que construye el poder de adentro hacia afuera; C) imágenes mentales y atención enfocada que provocan micro-ajustes sutiles del sistema nervioso que, en esencia, “renuevan” el cuerpo, de modo que funciona a niveles crecientes de eficiencia, sin conflictos innecesarios entre músculos extensores y flexores, por ejemplo. Diferentes practicantes de Daito-ryu, incluyendo a Ueshiba, probablemente usaron diferentes ejercicios y también probablemente entrenaron en estos aspectos en diferentes proporciones. De esta manera, sus habilidades se habrían desarrollado en diferentes esferas “.

Continúa en la Parte 2 …

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post El Legado de Ueshiba – Parte 1, por Mark Murray [Spanish Version] appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Morihei Ueshiba en Ayabe, 1922
frente a un cartel que indica “Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu”

This is the Spanish translation of the article in English “Ueshiba-ha Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu” , provided courtesy of Héctor Muñoz Garcia.

En 1922 Sokaku Takeda se trasladó a las instalaciones de Omoto en Ayabe a vivir con Morihei Ueshiba y proporcionarle entrenamiento y formación intensiva durante cinco meses. Ueshiba conoció a Takeda por primera vez en 1915 en el Hisada Inn (una posada) en Engaru, Hokkaido, y entrenó de forma intensiva con él durante unos años antes de trasladarse a Ayabe. Tokimune, el hijo de Sokaku Takeda, comentó una vez:

Entrenó de forma extensa y entusiasta. Era el alumno favorito de Sokaku.

En 1922, al finalizar su estancia en Ayabe, Sokaku Takeda le concedió a Morihei Ueshiba la certificación Kyoju Dairi (instructor asistente) en Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu, pasando a ser instructor certificado en este arte marcial.

Certificado Kyoju Dairi Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu expedido a Morihei Ueshiba

Esta relación entre maestro y discípulo entre Sokaku Takeda y Morihei Ueshiba se prolongaría durante veinte años:

Permíteme comenzar afirmando categóricamente que la mayor influencia técnica en el desarrollo del aikido es el Daito-Ryu jujutsu. Este arte marcial, que se dice es la continuación de la tradición marcial del Clan Aizu, y que se remonta varios siglos en el pasado, se propagó por Japón durante la era Meiji, Taisho, y el principio del periodo Showa por el célebre artista marcial Sokaku Takeda. Conocido a partes iguales por su proezas y su carácter severo, Takeda había utilizado sus habilidades en situaciones de vida o muerte en más de una ocasión. Takeda tenía cincuenta y cuatro años cuando conoció a Morihei Ueshiba por primera vez en el Hisada Inn en Engaru, Hokkaido, a finales de febrero de 1915. Este encuentro marcó el comienzo de una tormentosa y duradera, a la par que productiva asociación entre los dos, que duró durante más de veinte años.

Aikido Journal Editor Stan Pranin – “Morihei Ueshiba and Sokaku Takeda“

Pero, ¿qué pasó después?

Kisshomaru Ueshiba y el Aikido de la postguerra

El 27 de octubre de 1985 en Sendai, asistí a una ponencia sobre la historia del aikido impartida por el Segundo Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba. Durante esta charla Kisshomaru Sensei hizo la siguiente aseveración: “El Fundador sólo estudió Daito-ryu durante tres semanas, más o menos.” ¡Me quedé con la boca abierta de incredulidad cuando escuché decir, a la persona más versada en la historia del aikido, hacer una afirmación que era evidentemente falsa!
Aikido Journal Editor Stan Pranin – “Beware the big lie!“

La foto de Morihei Ueshiba al comienzo de este artículo fue tomada en 1922 después de recibir su certificación Kyoju Dairi de Sokaku Takeda, momento que da comienzo a su carrera como instructor de artes marciales, y como instructor en Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu bajo la autoridad de Sokaku Takeda.

Sin embargo, hay una versión distinta en el mundo del Aikido moderno, una que es apoyada por la Aikikai, en donde el Aikido es la creación única y original de Morihei Ueshiba. Esta narrativa estipula que el Aikido es algo que él creó después de estudiar numerosas artes marciales, y que representó un cambio radical con respecto a sus prácticas pre-guerra, representando un dimensión espiritual nueva y original.
Pero, ¿estamos seguros de que fue así?

Pero, ¿estamos seguros de que fue así?

Para empezar, esta versión no se sostiene con las afirmaciones de Kisshomaru Ueshiba, que aseguró que la revelación clave, la de “el gran espíritu de la mutua protección” (万有愛護の大精神) — sucedió 1925. En lugar de ocurrir después de la guerra, esto sucedió hacia el comienzo de su carrera como instructor de Daito-ryu.

Kisshomaru Ueshiba con su padre Ueshiba Juku en Ayabe, 1925

Volviendo al Daito-ryu en sí mismo, vemos que las raíces filosóficas de Morihei Ueshiba…ya existían.

Masao Hayashima — alumno directo de Sokaku Takeda
“Aiki-jutsu es llamado el Budo de la Armonía”.

Además de Masao Hayashima (arriba), también tenemos a un contemporáneo de Ueshiba y compañero de Sokaku Takeda, Yukiyoshi Sagawa afirmar que “El Aiki Budo es el Camino del Desarrollo Humano”.

También tenemos a Tokimune Takeda, hijo de Sokaku Takeda, hablar sobre las enseñanzas de su padre:

“Los principios fundamentales de Daito-ryu son Amor y Armonía”

“El objetivo de enseñar Daito-ruy es “Armonía y Amor”, manteniendo este espíritu nos permite preservar y realizar justicia social. Este fue el último deseo de Sokaku Sensei.”

Pero estos conceptos tienen su origen en las tradiciones marciales japonesas, lejos de ser únicas de Morihei Ueshiba o del Daito-ryu.

• 「武ハ弋止ノ義何ゾ好テ以テ殺戮センヤ」 “Bu es el abandono de la violencia. Uno no debe encontrar placer en la batalla.”, Katayama-ryu Densho – 1647
• 「我モ勝ズ人モ勝ズ相得テ共ニ治ル」 “No somos capaces de alcanzar la victoria ambos, uno mismo y el otro. Entonces los dos deberán alcanzar mutuamente un estado de paz.”, Katayama-ryu Densho – 1647
• 「兵法は平法なり」  “Los métodos de la guerra son los métodos de la paz.”, Iizasa Ienao of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu  –  1387–1488

Estos argumentos fueron expresados por el Profesor Karl Friday, historiador japonés y estudiante de las tradiciones marciales de Japón (recibió formación completa en Kashima Shin-ryu) en este extracto de una entrevista en 2009:

La evolución de la sabiduría en las artes marciales japonesas (ryūha bugei) está íntimamente ligada a la historia de la guerra. Los sistemas y colegios de artes marciales fueron desarrollados con el objetivo de servir como herramientas para transmitir las habilidades necesarias en el campo de batalla, como respuesta a la intensa demanda de hombres hábiles en la lucha generada a comienzos de la Era Sengoku. Los guerreros que deseaban sobrevivir y prosperar en los campos de batalla durante el medievo comenzaron a buscar conocimientos y entrenamiento en soldados veteranos, que empezaron a codificar su conocimiento y a sistematizar sus enseñanzas. Así el bugei ryūha surgió de forma más o menos directa debido a las exigencias de las guerras medievales. Durante la Pax Tokugawa que empezó en 1600 y trajo más de 200 años de paz, se produjeron cambios fundamentales en la práctica de artes marciales. La instrucción se profesionalizó y, en algunos casos, se comercializó; los periodos de entrenamiento se prolongaron, el currículo se formalizó; y se elaboró el sistema de niveles para los estudiantes. Sin embargo, los motivos y los objetivos fundamentales de la práctica bugei fueron remodelados de forma significativa. Los samurai, que ya no van a pasar tiempo en el campo de batalla, buscaron y encontraron una forma más racional y relevante de estudiar artes marciales, enfocándose no sólo en las capacidades en combate, como tenían sus ancestros, sino también en el cultivo del ser.

Esta es básicamente la historia que he resumido en mi libro “Legacies of the Sword Book” (legado del libro de la espada). Comienza por la asunción lógica de que ryūha bugei (sabiduría de las artes marciales) se origina como un instrumento para el entrenamiento militar, y evoluciona desde ahí hacia el budō, un medio para el auto-desarrollo y la auto-realización. Pero hay algunos problemas en esta imagen que se manifiestan si lo comparas con investigaciones recientes sobre las guerras medievales.

En primer lugar, queda claro que ryūha bugei sólo puede ser considerado una pequeña parte del entrenamiento militar del siglo XVI. Había como máximo unos pocos ryūha durante el siglo XVI, pero los ejércitos de aquella época movilizaban decenas de miles de hombres. Para que incluso una pequeña fracción de guerreros Sengoku pudiesen haber aprendido artes marciales a través de una o varias ryūha, cada una de las mismas debía haber entrenado al menos varios cientos de alumnos por año. Por tanto, Ryūha bugei debían haber sido entonces una actividad especializada, realizada por solo un porcentaje diminuto de guerreros Sengoku.

Un problema aún mayor, sin embargo, es la aplicación de esas habilidades que los bugeisha se concentraron en desarrollar durante las guerras medievales del siglo XVI. Las estrategias y tácticas estaban evolucionando. Donde en el siglo XV se dependía de guerreros individuales y pequeños grupos tácticos, en el XVI se concentra en maniobras militares de grandes grupos. Esto significa que los ryūha bugei se estaban enfocando en el desarrollo de habilidades individuales de combate, floreciendo en proporción inversa al valor de dichas habilidades de los guerreros en el campo de batalla.

Recientes estudios sobre las últimas guerras medievales, demuestran que la espada nunca se convirtió en un armamento clave en el campo de batalla en Japón, sino que era considerada un arma suplementaria, análoga a las armas de mano que llevan soldados modernos. Mientras que las espadas se llevaban en el campo de batalla, se usaban con más frecuencia en peleas callejeras, robos, asesinatos y otros disturbios callejeros no relacionados con la guerra. Herramientas de proyectil — flechas, piedras y más adelante balas — dominaron las batallas durante el periodo medieval.

Por otra parte, casi todas las ryūha que datan del periodo Sengoku o antes, aseguran que el uso de la espada juega un rol principal en el entrenamiento desde el comienzo. Tsukahara Bokuden, Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami, Iizasa Chōisai, Itō Ittōsai, Yagyū Muneyoshi, Miyamoto Musashi y otros fundadores de escuelas de artes marciales son conocidos por sus proezas en el manejo de la espada.

Al principio, me pregunté si el lugar que tiene el estudio de la espada en las artes marciales medievales representaba una prueba contradictoria frente al nuevo consenso sobre el las últimas guerras medievales. Después de todo, si los bugei ryūha empezaron como sistemas para entrenar guerreros para el campo de batalla, e hicieron del arte de la espada el eje central de su estudio, ¿no sugeriría esto que la espada era más importante en las guerras medievales que lo que estos nuevos estudios nos quieren hacer creer?

Después de batallar sobre esta cuestión por un tiempo, surgió la idea de que el problema puede residir en la primera premisa del argumento. Todas estas cuestiones que me inquietaban (¿por qué los bugei ryūha surgen en un momento en que la estrategia militar estaba eclipsando rápidamente a las habilidades marciales individuales como elemento decisivo en el campo de batalla, y clave para una carrera militar exitosa? ¿Por qué había tan pocos ryūha durante la era Sengoku, y por qué proliferaron tan rápido durante el comienzo del periodo Tokugawa, después de que los años de guerra hubiesen acabado? ¿Y por qué el manejo de la espada era tan prominente incluso en los primeros bugei ryūha?) eran más fáciles de responder si dejabas a un lado la premisa de que los bugei ryūha se originaron como instrumentos para formar en las técnicas necesarias en el campo de batalla. Y la verdad sobre este asunto es que hay muy poca base para esa vieja premisa, más allá del hecho de que la guerra era endémica en Japón cuando las primeras escuelas de artes marciales surgieron. La sabiduría recibida se basa, en otras palabras, en un error hoc ergo (porque un evento suceda después de otro no significa que el primero cause el segundo).

Parece entonces que esos ryūha bugei y sus enseñanzas tenían un objetivo más abstracto desde el comienzo, comunicando ideales más profundos de desarrollo personal y cultural. Esto significa que los ryūha bugei fueron una abstracción de la ciencia militar, no una mera aplicación de la misma. Fomentaron rasgos de la personalidad y agudeza táctica que hacía que aquellos que la practicaban fuesen mejores guerreros, pero sus objetivos e ideales eran más parecidos a los de la educación liberal que a la formación profesional. En otras palabras, el bugeisha, incluso durante la era de Sengoku, tenía más en común con los competidores de puntería de los Juegos Olímpicos, entrenando con armas especializadas para desarrollar niveles esotéricos de habilidad bajo condiciones particulares, que con los fusileros. También tenían tanto — quizás más — en común con la era Tokugawa y los artistas marciales modernos que con los guerreros ordinarios de su propia época.

Básicamente, estoy argumentando que no hubo un cambio fundamental de propósito en la educación de las artes marciales entre finales del siglo XVI y mediados del siglo XVII. El budō de la era de Tokugawa representó no una metamorfosis del arte marcial tardío medieval, sino la maduración del mismo. Ryūha bugei en sí constituía un nuevo fenómeno -uno derivado, no una mejora lineal, de un entrenamiento militar anterior y más prosaico.

(Para el argumento completo, vea mi obra “Off the Warpath”, en Alex Bennett’s Budo Perspectives [Auckland, Nueva Zelanda: Kendo World Publications, 2005], 249-68).

Lejos de ser nuevo y original, o único de Morihei Ueshiba y el Aikido moderno, vemos que el concepto de una tradición marcial para el desarrollo espiritual y personal es algo muy antiguo y endémico para muchas artes marciales.

¿Eso importa?

Ciertamente, Morihei Ueshiba era una persona espiritual, y creía que practicaba y enseñaba un arte que permitía el desarrollo personal y espiritual.

Que los conceptos que él expresó no eran ni únicos ni originales no quita importancia a ese mensaje.

En mi opinión, es hora de abandonar la presunción de excepcionalismo espiritual y la singularidad que a menudo existe en el Aikido moderno, ya que a largo plazo es destructivo para el arte en su conjunto.

Morihei Ueshiba y Daito-ryu

Entonces, ¿qué hay de la implicación de Morihei Ueshiba en Daito-ryu y Sokaku Takead?

La descripción que se hace en la web de Aikikai dice:

Aikido es un Arte Marcial moderno creado por el fundador, Morihei Ueshiba.

Un descripción más detallada contiene la misma narrativa:

Aikido es un Arte Marcial japonés creado durante los años 20 por Morihei Ueshiba (1883~1969), un experto que alcanzó el más alto nivel de maestría en las Artes Marciales clásicas japonesas.

Ninguna de las dos hace mención a Sokaku Takeda o Daito-ryu, aunque Takeda es mencionado una vez (sólo una) en el cronograma de la vida de Morihei Ueshiba:

El Fundador conoce a Sr. Sokaku Takeda, el creador de Daito-ryu Jujutsu, en el Hisada Ryokan en Engaru, y solicita ser instruido.

Y eso es todo…

De forma similar, en los libros de Kisshomaru Ueshiba “The Spirit of Aikido” y “The Art of Aikido” no hay ni una sola mención al Daito-ryu. Ninguno de los libros es un trabajo histórico, pero tampoco mencionan que el Daito-ryu fue el único arte marcial en el que Morihei Ueshiba tenía certificación como instructor (además del suyo propio).

En el trabajo más reciente, “Best Aikido“, escrito por Kisshomaru Ueshiba y Moriteru Ueshiba, hay una breve mención a Daito-ryu como uno de los muchos artes marciales que Morihei Ueshiba estudió, pero ninguna mención relativa a la profundidad del estudio de dichas artes — dicho capítulo no reconoce el hecho de que, con excepción del Daito-ryu, todas esas artes marciales fueron estudiadas en periodos muy breves de tiempo.

AikiWeb: O-sensei también habría estudiado un montón de otras artes koryu aparte de Daito-ryu
Stan Pranin: Yo diría que eso no es cierto.

Si lo miras históricamente, fue a Tokio en 1901 y pasó allí un año. Durante esta estancia en Tokio, cuando estaba entrenando para convertirse en un comerciante, hizo un poco de jujutsu Tenjin Shinyo-ryu. Probablemente era un dojo “machi”, es decir un pequeño dojo en el área de Asakusa de Tokio. Él iría allí por la noche, fueron cerca de tres o cuatro meses en total antes de enfermar de beriberi, dejar Tokio y volver a Tanabe. Lo estaba haciendo mientras trabajaba muy duro durante el día y fue un período muy breve de sólo unos pocos meses. Sería difícil imaginar que eso tuviera una fuerte influencia técnica.

Por la misma razón cuando estaba en el ejército, también comenzó a estudiar Yagyu-ryu jujutsu. Hay algunas preguntas sobre cuál era el nombre real del arte marcial. O-sensei se refirió a él como Yagyu-ryu jujutsu, mientras que [Kisshomaru Ueshiba] Doshu hizo algunas averiguaciones y dijo que era Goto-ha Yagyu Shingan-ryu o similar.

Él estaba en el ejército en ese momento y también fue enviado a Manchuria durante un tiempo. Era difícil para mí imaginar que iba regularmente mientras estaba en el ejército, así que no sé si su entrenamiento fue en los fines de semana o qué. Al parecer, estaba entusiasmado con su formación, pero no se daban las circunstancias para permitir un estudio en profundida.

Sin embargo, siguió estudiando un poco de Yagyu-ryu después de salir del ejército, pero estaba en Tanabe, ¡estaba a un par de cientos de millas de distancia y tenía que ir en ferry! Tal vez subió tres, cuatro o media docena de veces, pero no era el tipo de un estudio intensivo con alguien durante años.

Sin embargo, él tenía un makimono (rollo de papel oficial donde se firma el certificado oficial) también — sin embargo, no lleva ningún sello. Uno sólo puede especular lo que eso significa. A veces lo que sucede es que a una persona se le dice que prepare un makimono o que alguien lo prepare y, por cualquier circunstancia o razón, el maestro nunca está disponible para firmarlo. Por lo tanto, el rollo no puede considerarse oficial.

Por lo tanto, parece que estudió esta forma de Yagyu-ryu más que el jujutsu de Tenjin Shinyo-ryu, pero probablemente hizo un año o dos como mucho.

El otro arte que él estudió, pero otra vez no en mucha profundidad, habría sido judo. La primera descripción del maestro que fue enviado del Kodokan a Tanabe por el padre de O-sensei para enseñar a Morihei y varios parientes y amigos dio la impresión de que este maestro de judo era un experto. Resulta que tenía 17 años. Conocí a su esposa en la década de 1980 y me lo dijo directamente. Podría haber sido un shodan, máximo. Además, O-sensei estaba involucrado con otras cosas en esta fase de transición de su vida tratando de averiguar lo que iba a hacer con su carrera. Una de las razones, según Doshu, de que esta persona del judo fuese traída era ayudarlo a centrarse y canalizar sus energías. Pero O-sensei terminó yendo a Hokkaido.

Por lo tanto, tienes este período muy breve en Tenjin Shinyo Ryu, un poco de entrenamiento en Yagyu Ryu jujutsu mientras que está en el ejército, un poco de judo, y luego Daito-ryu. Eso es todo. La impresión de que estudió muchas artes distintas de Daito-ryu y las dominó es completamente falsa.

Aikiweb Interview with Stan Pranin – Agosto, 2000

Ahora, volvamos a la foto de 1922 en la parte superior de este artículo. En esa foto Morihei Ueshiba está sentado delante de un cartel que lee “Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu”.

Por desgracia, el Aikikai retocó la foto un poco en varias ocasiones y en varias publicaciones — muy probablemente con el fin de apoyar la narración pública que se promueve después de la guerra.

Aikido Shimbun, número 2 – mayo de 1959
scan original de Stan Pranin

El segundo número del boletín de la Fundación Aikikai, el “Aikido Shimbun” (foto superior) mostraba una copia de la foto de Ayabe, de 1922, con el letrero “Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu” cuidadosamente editado. Además, no hay ninguna mención, en absoluto, de Daito-ryu, o el contexto de la foto, en el texto del artículo.

“Aikido Nymon”, de Kisshomaru Ueshiba – 1975
scan original de Stan Pranin

En esta imagen, a partir de un libro publicado por Ni-Dai Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba en 1975, los caracteres de “Daito-ryu” han sido editados, dejando sólo las palabras “Aiki-jujutsu”.

“Aikido Shintei” de Kisshomaru Ueshiba – 1986

En esta foto, de una publicación de 1986 llamada “Aikido Shintei”, los caracteres de “Daito-ryu” también son editados, de forma chapuzera, dejando intacta parte del carácter “ryu”.

Invitación para clases de verano con Morihei Ueshiba
en Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu y Aiki-budo, 1931

Morihei Ueshiba y Daito-ryu – Continuidad

En 1933 Morihei Ueshiba publicó un manual de instrucciones técnicas de Daito-ryu, Aikijujutsu Densho. Que fue titulado “Aikijujutsu”, y fue distribuido a los estudiantes que reciben certificados en Daito-ryu como una especie de documento de transmisión. Más adelante — volvió a publicar el mismo manual, con las mismas técnicas y explicaciones (pero sin usar el lenguaje imperial de antes de la guerra) en 1954 como Aikido Maki-no-ichi. Morihei Ueshiba usó este manual como libro de texto cuando enseñó en los años 50.

En 1938, Morihei Ueshiba publicó el manual técnico “Budo”. Este libro, re-descubierto por el editor del diario Aikido Stan Pranin, contiene técnicas que Morihiro Saito afirmó eran idénticas a las técnicas enseñadas por Morihei Ueshiba en la casa de Morihei Ueshiba en Iwama, donde vivió desde 1942 hasta cerca del momento de su muerte.

Un día, en julio de 1981, estaba llevando a cabo una entrevista con Zenzaburo Akazawa, un uchi deshi de pre-guerra de Morihei Ueshiba del periodo Dojo Kobukan. El Sr. Akazawa procedió a mostrarme un manual técnico publicado en 1938 titulado Budo que nunca había visto antes. Contenía fotos de unas cincuenta técnicas demostradas por el propio fundador. Mientras volvía lentamente las páginas del manual, me sorprendió ver en las fotos que la ejecución de varias técnicas básicas como ikkyo, iriminage y shihonage eran virtualmente idénticas a lo que había aprendido en Iwama bajo Saito Sensei. Aquí estaba el propio fundador demostrando lo que yo había considerado hasta entonces como técnicas “estilo Iwama”. El señor Akazawa, que vive a pocas manzanas del Dojo de Iwama, me prestó amablemente el libro y me apresuré a mostrarlo a Saito Sensei.

Siempre recordaré la escena cuando llamé a la puerta de Sensei para compartir con él mi nuevo descubrimiento. Para mi sorpresa, nunca había visto ni oído mencionar el libro antes. Se puso las gafas de lectura y hojeó el manual con los ojos examinando las secuencias técnicas con atención. Entonces me sentí obligado a disculparme por haber dudado de su afirmación de que estaba haciendo todo lo posible para preservar fielmente las técnicas del fundador. Saito Sensei se echó a reír y, obviamente con un gran placer, gritó: “¡Ves, Pranin, te lo dije!” Desde ese momento hasta el final de su vida, Saito Sensei siempre tenía a su lado su copia de Budo en el Dojo de Iwama y en sus viajes lo utilizaba como prueba para demostrar que una técnica particular se originó en las enseñanzas del fundador.

Aikido Journal editor Stan Pranin – “Remembering Morihiro Saito Sensei“

En 1940, Takuma Hisa — una de las únicas personas que han recibido Menkyo Kaiden (“certificado de transmisión completa”, mostrando que uno ha dominado la totalidad de un sistema marcial) en Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu directamente de Sokaku Takeda, publicó “Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden”. Este manual sobre Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu es casi una copia exacta, tanto en explicación técnica como en las técnicas ilustradas, del manual “Aikijujutsu Densho” publicado por Morihei Ueshiba en 1933 … el manual que se utilizó como libro de texto para loa estudiantes post-guerra en la década de 1950 como “Aikido Maki-no-Ichi”.

Sokaku Takeda en el Asahi Shimbun Dojo en Osaka  – 1936

Takuma Hisa también es importante ya que fue una de las pocas personas que tuvo la oportunidad de comparar directamente a Sokaku Takeda y Morihei Ueshiba en profundidad durante un período prolongado de tiempo:

La formación que Hisa recibió de Takeda le dio la oportunidad de comparar las técnicas que había enseñado durante los tres años anteriores (1933–1936) Ueshiba con las enseñadas por Takeda. Su conclusión fue que eran lo mismo, lo que significa que Ueshiba no había modificado significativamente ni evolucionado lo que Takeda había enseñado. En años posteriores, Hisa era inflexible acerca de las técnicas de Ueshiba y Takeda siendo idénticas. Lo expresó claramente en una mesa redonda: “Cuando Tomiki llegó a Osaka para enseñar aiki-bujutsu al pueblo Asahi, las técnicas que tanto Ueshiba y Takeda enseñaban eran las mismas. Definitivamente lo mismo. El Maestro Ueshiba debería decir que le fue enseñado por el maestro Takeda. Debería decir que era Daitoryu. Pero nunca dijo eso. El Sr. Tomiki (quien también viajó desde Tokio a Osaka para enseñar el sistema de Ueshiba en el dojo Asahi) sabe esto, ¿no? Pero Ueshiba nunca lo dijo. Y Tomiki respondió: “Definitivamente no. ‘Yo [Ueshiba] lo establecí todo … [sonriendo misteriosamente]’. Sin embargo, los viejos artistas marciales a menudo lo hacen de esa manera. “[Shishida (Ed.), 1982, p.1]

“The Process of Forming Aikido and Japanese Imperial Navy Admiral Isamu Takeshita: Through the analysis of Takeshita’s diary from 1925 to 1931”
 – Fumiaki Shishida (Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan)

Tanto Sokaku Takeda como Morihei Ueshiba mantuvieron un registro de sus estudiantes. Cuando alguien se convierte en un estudiante su nombre sería ingresado en el libro y el estudiante adjunta su sello. El Sr. Kimura habla un poco sobre el registro, que firmó en 1942 en “Mr. Kimura’s Aikido Memories, Part 1”.

Mamoru Okada también recuerda la firma de este registro — en este caso firmó el registro en 1949, después de la guerra.

Hiroshi Isoyama también declara que firmó este registro — de nuevo en 1949, después de la guerra. Además, su testimonio confirma que el registro estaba titulado “Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu”:

Y el título en mi papel de registro es “Registro Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu”. Esto es lo que firmé. En la parte superior del registro de estudiantes, también hay los nombres de personas como el Almirante Takeshita Isamu.

“Interview with Isoyama Hiroshi Shihan, the master of the Iwama Dojo“

Es decir — Morihei Ueshiba estaba inscribiendo a gente como estudiantes de Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu en una fecha tan tardía como 1949.

Aquí hay algunas fotos de un rollo de Hiden Mokuroku (gracias a Scott Burke por las fotos) — el “catálogo de enseñanzas secretas” que compone el primer rollo en el currículo de Daito-ryu. Este rollo fue publicado por Morihei (entonces usando el nombre de Moritaka) Ueshiba en 1925:

“Aiki-jujutsu Hiden Mokuroku”, 1925

El sello de Aiki-jujutsu en la esquina superior derecha es similar (pero ligeramente diferente en forma) al sello que aparece en el manual técnico 1919 de Morihei Ueshiba Aikijujutsu Densho — AKA Budo Renshu.

Aquí otra sección del mismo rollo de 1925:

Aiki-jujutsu técnicas con paraguas 1925

Esta sección del rollo habla sobre técnicas con un paraguas y está sellado como “Aiki-jujutsu”.

Hiden Mokuroku 118 Techniques

Una continuación del rollo — a la izquierda indica que este rollo contiene 118 técnicas. Las 118 técnicas básicas del primer rollo de Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu.

Página de firma – Hiden Mokuroku 

Esta es la página de la firma del rollo de 1925. Firmado por el estudiante de Sokaku Takeda Masayoshi Minamoto (武田惣角源正義), Moritaka Ueshiba Seigan Minamoto (源晴眼).

Claramente un rollo Daito-ryu, y claramente emitido bajo la autoridad de su maestro, Sokaku Takeda. Lo mismo ocurre en este rollo, también publicado bajo la autoridad de Sokaku Takeda:

Hiden Mokuroku expide a Minoru Mochizuki en 1932
“Ueshiba Moritaka, estudiante de Takeda Sokaku”

Y aquí otro rollo más:

Aikido Hiden Mokuroku

La calidad de la imagen no es tan buena, pero hay algunas cosas interesantes que podemos observar:

1. El pergamino ahora lee “Aikido” en lugar de “Aiki-jujutsu”.
2. La estructura del pergamino es idéntica a la del Daito-ryu.
3. El título del pergamino es “Hiden Mokuroku”, el mismo que el rollo Daito-ryu.

Aikido Hiden Mokuroku – detalle

Aquí hay una sección del rollo en mayor detalle. Al igual que el rollo Daito-ryu, este pergamino contiene una sección sobre técnicas de paraguas. Este también contiene una sección sobre las técnicas de Bo (palo).

En el lado izquierdo se especifica que este rollo contiene 118 técnicas, igual que el rollo Daito-ryu de 1925.

Página de firma – Aikido Hiden Mokuroku

Aquí está la sección de la firma del pergamino. El nombre de Sokaku Takeda ya no aparece en el rollo, sino que está firmado por Aikido Doshu Tsunemori Ueshiba (un nombre que Morihei Ueshiba usó con frecuencia después de la guerra).

La fecha que aparece en el rollo dice March Showa year 35 – 1960.

Entonces, en resumen:

• 1922 – Morihei Ueshiba es certificado como instructor en Daito-ryu, tiene poca experiencia en otras artes marciales en ese entonces.
• 1922-1936 – Morihei Ueshiba es documentado como enseñando Daito-ryu bajo la autoridad de Sokaku Takeda.
• 1933 – Morihei escribe Aikijujutsu Densho, un manual de instrucciones de Daito-ryu.
• 1936 –  Takuma Hisa compara lo que estaba haciendo con Sokaku Takeda y encuentra que ambos están haciendo Daito-ryu. Sokaku Takeda se hace cargo del Asahi Shimbun dojo y Morihei Ueshiba se va por su cuenta.
• 1940 – Takuma Hisa publica el Aikijujutsu Densho de Morihei Ueshiba como un manual de Daito-ryu.
• 1949 –  Morihei sigue inscribiendo estudiantes como estudiantes de Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu después de la guerra.
• 1954 – Morihei Ueshiba publica Aikido Maki-no-Ichi, que duplica las explicaciones técnicas y las ilustraciones técnicas de Aikijujutsu Densho. Enseña a los estudiantes de posguerra de este manual.
• 1957 – Lee Price dice que hay 2.664 técnicas en Aikido de Morihei Ueshiba para el programa de televisión estadounidense “Rendezvous with Adventure” (esto puede haber sido un error de traducción del habitual número de 2.884 técnicas citadas por los Takumakai) en lugar del reducido número de técnicas en el Aikikai de posguerra. Morihei Ueshiba afirma que el arte fue fundado por Minamoto Yoshimitsu en 1120, que fue transmitido a través de la familia Takeda, y que se representa a su legítimo heredero — no al fundador. Cuando se le preguntó cuándo comenzó el Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba dice “hace unos 50 años”. Recordemos que esto es 1957, por lo que haría hace 50 años sobre el tiempo que conoció a Sokaku Takeda, mucho antes de la guerra.
• Morihei Ueshiba enseña las mismas técnicas en Iwama después de la guerra en los años 50 y los años 60 como fueron documentados en el manual técnico 1938 Budo.
• Morihei Ueshiba emite certificados Daito-ryu, con el nombre cambiado a Aikido pero con todos los otros detalles conservados, tan tarde como 1960 — y mucho más tarde, en rollos que son privados.

Estoy seguro que ves por donde voy:

1. Antes de la guerra Morihei Ueshiba era instructor de Daito-ryu bajo Sokaku Takeda, enseñó Daito-ryu durante muchos años y emitió licencias en Daito-ryu.
2. Lo que Morihei Ueshiba enseñaba y distribuía después de la guerra en las décadas de 1950 y 1960 era esencialmente el mismo material que estaba enseñando y distribuyendo antes de la guerra: Daito-ryu, hasta los certificados y el nombre en el libro de inscripción.
3. No hubo cambio de fase en la técnica básica, o invención radical de la nueva técnica marcial.
4. Que había una continuidad básica en la línea de su formación y enseñanza como estudiante y maestro de Daito-ryu desde 1922 hasta su muerte en 1969.

Comparando la continuidad del legado técnico de Morihei Ueshiba visualmente

Como dijo Masatake Fujita, que pasó casi todos los días con Morihei Ueshiba durante los últimos dos años de su vida:

P: ¿En cuanto a la técnica, notó un cambio en el Fundador mientras lo observaba?

R: No, no hubo ningún cambio. Eso es probablemente cierto incluso antes de la guerra, porque incluso cuando ves la cinta de vídeo de Showa año 12 (1937), el año en que nací, eso es verdad (* Nota del traductor: en realidad es la demostración Asahi News de 1935). Sin embargo, hubo algunas técnicas de ese período que se han olvidado hoy. Estoy enseñando ese tipo de técnicas ahora, pero por supuesto es difícil.

“Interview with Aikido Shihan Masatake Fujita, Part 2“

“No, realmente no hubo ningún cambio”.

En otras palabras, el legado de Morihei Ueshiba era, en realidad, lo que algunas personas podrían llamar “Ueshiba-ha Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu”, propia rama de Morihei Ueshiba del árbol del arte marcial de Sokaku Takeda.

Para más información sobre lo que pasó con los legados divergentes de Morihei Ueshiba y su hijo Kisshomaru, revise el ensayo de Mark Murray “The Ueshiba Legacy” — Parte 1 y Parte 2. También podría estar interesado en Aikido Journal Editor El ensayo de Stanley Pranin “Es O -Sensei realmente el padre del Aikido moderno?” (Inglés: “Is O-Sensei Really the Father of Modern Aikido?“).

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Ueshiba-ha Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu [Spanish Version] appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Yoshimitsu Yamada en Kauai Hawaii, 1966

*This is the Spanish translation of the article “Something’s Rank – Black Belts in Aikido“, provided courtesy of Juantxo Ruiz.

¿De qué modo pensaba Jigoro Kano?

El otro día estaba leyendo una entrevista con Yoshimitsu Yamada en el sitio web de Aikido Sansuikai. Este pasaje llamó mi atención:

Bueno, el sistema de clasificación en aikido es otro dolor de cabeza. Yo personalmente no estoy de acuerdo con este sistema. Un certificado de enseñanza está bien, un cinturón negro está bien. Pero después de eso, no hay números, ni shodan, ni nidan, etc. La gente sabe quién es bueno y quién es malo. El sistema de clasificación dan crea una mente competitiva, porque la gente juzga a los demás – “oh, él es sexto dan, pero no es bueno, este tipo es mucho mejor …

Yamada ha hecho declaraciones similares antes, lo sé, pero siempre es interesante cuando la persona responsable de distribuir grados a un gran número de personas en varios países declara públicamente que él mismo se opone al sistema de clasificación.

Donn Draeger – coordinador de artes marciales en el set
de La película de James Bond You Only Live Twice (1967)
– el primer no-japonés para entrar Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū

La Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū (天 真正 伝 香 取 神道 流) es la más antigua tradición marcial organizada en Japón, datando de 1447.

Usted se puede preguntar porque la Katori Shintō-ryū es relevante para la entrevista de Yoshimitsu Yamada, y aquí está: no tenía grados.

Durante más de 400 años, no había grados ni un sistema de clasificación, ni cinturones negros, en las artes marciales japonesas tradicionales.
De alguna manera, estas artes sobrevivieron, e incluso prosperaron.

Todo eso terminó cuando el fundador del Judo Jigoro Kano adoptó el sistema de clasificación Dan en el Judo y promovió a Shiro Saigo y a Tsunejiro Tomita a Shodan en 1883. Este sistema de clasificación alcanzaría una gran popularidad en la era prebélica, llegando a ser adoptado por prácticamente todos las Modernas (y muchas de las no tan modernas) artes marciales japonesas.

Antes de eso, durante más de 400 años, no había ni grados ni cinturones negros en el Budo japonés.

Hasta la introducción del sistema de clasificación moderno en 1883 (y casi 60 años más tarde en el Aikido) la gente que conseguía un certificado de “Menkyo” demostraba su cualificación entre las miembros del Ryu.

Morihei Ueshiba participó en tal sistema bajo Sokaku Takeda en Daito-ryu.

Eimeiroku de Sokaku Takeda

Sokaku Takeda mantuvo un “Eimeiroku” (英 名録), en el que se registró el estudio de cada estudiante, junto con un registro de las licencias concedidas a ese estudiante.

Por ejemplo, en la foto, la página de la derecha muestra la concesión de la licencia Kyoju Dairi (instructor asistente) a Morihei Ueshiba en 1922. La página de la izquierda es de 1931 y registra que Sokaku Takeda enseñó a Morihei Ueshiba las 84 técnicas Goshin’yo No Te durante 20 días en la casa de Ueshiba en Ushigome (ahora Wakamatsu-cho).

Goshin’yo no Te (護身 用 の 手) fue el rollo (o diploma) de nivel más alto otorgado en el momento en que Morihei Ueshiba estaba entrenando bajo Sokaku Takeda.

La mayoría de los estudiantes de pre-guerra de Morihei Ueshiba (Minoru Mochizuki, Rinjiro Shirata, Kenji Tomiki, por ejemplo, entre otros) también recibieron alguna versión de estos pergaminos.

Entonces el Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (大日本武徳会) entro en juego.

El Dai Nippon Butoku Kai fue organizado bajo la autoridad del Ministerio japonés de Educación, y fue el encargado de estandarizar y de regular las artes marciales japonesas tradicionales. Fue, por ejemplo, el responsable de la adopción de “Aikido” como el nombre para el arte de Morihei Ueshiba.

Junto con el cambio de nombre llegó el sistema estandarizado de clasificación kyu-dan, establecido por Jigoro Kano, ya en uso en muchas otras artes marciales en Japón. Tanto el cambio de nombre como el sistema de clasificación Kyu-Dan fueron implementados por Morihei Ueshiba a instancias del Dai Nippon Butoku Kai a principios de los años cuarenta.

1. Esto significa que muchos de los maestros de Aikido que instruyen hoy en día son en realidad más viejos que el llamado sistema de clasificación “tradicional” como se usa en Aikido.
2. También significa que el sistema de clasificación “tradicional” de Kyu-Dan realmente no tiene conexión con el Budo japonés tradicional, ósea, que es una convención moderna.

Por su parte, el propio Ueshiba parece haber tenido una actitud bastante descarada hacia el sistema de clasificación moderno.

Por ejemplo, aquí está la opinión de Yamada sobre lo que O-Sensei pensaba acerca de estas cosas:

Además, no creo que O-Sensei estuviera de acuerdo con ese sistema de clasificación. Para él el número no importaba. Una vez, cuando le estaba dando un masaje, me dijo: “Señor Yamada, ¿qué grado tienes?” Le respondí: “Soy shodan”, y él respondió: “Pues hoy te voy a dar el sandan.” [Risas] Nadie creía eso. Conocía su personalidad y no lo tomé en serio. Simplemente respondí “Muchas gracias.” Eso es lo que pasó.

Yamada no es el único que cuenta este tipo de anécdota; he oído las mismas o similares anécdotas de varias personas.

Yasuo Kobayashi (derecha) en el viejo Dojo de Aikikai Hombu

Otro estudiante de posguerra de la década de 1950, Yasuo Kobayashi, relató algunos incidentes similares ocurridos alrededor de 1958:

Alrededor de este tiempo hubo los siguientes incidentes. La gente venía del campo de repente exigiendo una licencia de 10 º dan. Esto se debía a que en los viejos tiempos, cuando O-Sensei enseñaba en las áreas locales, se fijaría en alguien que, por un momento, parecía entender, y decía: “Oh, este tipo lo tiene. Le daré un 10º dan. “” Parecía que decía fácilmente cosas como, “¡Eres genial! Hagámosle 9º dan, “”; Hubo gente que se lo tomo en serio, aunque pueden haber sido solamente un 3ro o 4to dan. Esa era una cara de O-Sensei. “Cuando yo era más joven, O-Sensei me dijo, también, muchas veces, que yo era un 9º o 10º dan. Los otros uchideshi también fueron “promovidos” al 9º o 10º dan muchas veces.

Mitsugi Saotome, otro contemporáneo de Yamada y Kobayashi, me relató una historia similar, en la que fue espontáneamente “ascendido” a octavo dan por O-Sensei después de haber tenido un momento particular de discernimiento (él no fue promovido a Octavo dan hasta mucho más tarde, mucho tiempo después de que O-Sensei hubiera fallecido).

Certificado de Shusaku Honinbo (本因坊秀策) en Go, circa 1840

Cuando Jigoro Kano instituyó el sistema de grdos Kyu-Dan, lo que hizo en realidad fue adoptar un sistema que había estado en uso en el juego del Go japonés desde 1600, cuando fue introducido por  Dosaku Honinbo (本因坊道策).

Jigoro Kano era formador de comercio, y realmente era director de educación primaria por el Ministerio de Educación (文部省) durante varios años. También estaba profundamente comprometido con la modernización del sistema educativo de Japón, que estaba en medio de una transición del sistema tradicional de Educación en los Templos (Terakoya Kyoiku / 寺 子 屋 教育) al moderno sistema de educación Gakusei (学制) basado en métodos educativos occidentales que se instituyó a partir de 1872.

Educación del Templo en el Período Edo

Morihei Ueshiba, en una muestra de lo que sucedía en el período Edo, fue enviado para ser educado en un templo budista Shingon a la edad de 7 años.

Entonces … ¿por qué Jigoro Kano no mantuvo el sistema tradicional de Menkyo?

1. Dependiendo del Ryu particular, el sistema de Menkyo consiste en un sistema que puede constar de dos a ocho certificados, con años (a veces muchos años) entre las certificaciones. Esto es muy adecuado para los adultos, que tienen largos períodos de atención y se comprometen a un período de formación medido en años, pero no tanto para los niños.
2. Bajo los sistemas tradicionales de Menkyo no hay un sistema de reconocimiento visible a los logros personales en el arte; la “medalla de oro” del sistema de los cinturones de colores que ha sido adoptado en la clasificación moderna.

Una vez más, bien adaptado para los adultos, que están (o deberían estar) más interesados en aprender un arte que en dar publicidad a sus proezas con un testigo alrededor de su cintura, pero no tanto para los niños.

Especialmente no tanto para los niños en un sistema educativo moderno, que se basa en una estructura de grados, filas y medallas de oro.

Y eso fue realmente el enfoque y la meta de Jigoro Kano: introducir el Judo en el Sistema educativo moderno como forma complementaria de la educación física.

Incluso el “cinturón negro”, introducido tres años después del sistema Kyu-Dan, pudo haber sido adoptado por Kano de un sistema escolar en el que los estudiantes avanzados de natación se diferenciaban de los estudiantes principiantes mediante cintas negras usadas alrededor de su cintura.

Moshe Feldenkrais demuestra Judo
con Mikonosuke Kawaishi en París, 1938

El sistema de cinturones infantiles de colores (por ejemplo, blanco → amarillo → verde → azul → marrón → negro) no fue inventado en Japón en absoluto; fue introducido en Europa en 1935 por Mikonosuke Kawaishi, que era fundamental en la propagación del Judo allí y luego más tarde regresó a Japón. El esquema de color hizo más fácil que los estudiantes reutilizaran sus cinturones volviéndolos a teñir.

Una vez más, fue un sistema que se introdujo para… niños, y funcionó bien… para niños.

Nota: Demetrio Cereijo señala que los cinturones de color pueden haber sido introducidos en el Budokwai de Londres por Gunji Koizumi alrededor de 1927 y más tarde popularizados por Kawaishi)

Para adultos y como adultos, creo que la mayoría de nosotros tenemos alguna experiencia con los aspectos negativos del sistema de clasificación. Algunos de nosotros tenemos mucha experiencia con esos aspectos negativos.

La pregunta entonces se convierte en – ¿qué conseguimos nosotros, como adultos, de tal sistema, y vale la pena el precio que pagamos?

Si vuestras respuestas son similares a las mías, entonces la pregunta podría ser: ¿por qué simplemente no nos deshacemos de este sistema, como sugirió Yamada?

Por supuesto, la mayoría de las organizaciones alientan la existencia de un sistema de clasificación.

En términos de organización tiene sentido – Aikido ya no es un arte de una sola fuente, está disponible prácticamente en cualquier lugar, y si no te gusta un grupo, entonces puede unirse a otro con relativamente poco trauma.

En estos días realmente una organización, un dojo o un instructor sólo tienen un punto de control sobre sus estudiantes, y este es el grado.

Controlar quién obtiene grado y cuándo es el único mecanismo de control sobre los estudiantes fuera de la voluntad de los propios estudiantes.

Algún día puede ser que la gente se de cuenta de que todo este mecanismo es imaginario; Sólo funciona cuando los que están en el sistema “compran” las promesas hechas por el propio sistema.

También tienen sentido, en términos de organización, los aspectos económicos. La mayoría de las grandes organizaciones (e incluso muchas pequeñas) sobreviven en gran parte de las tarifas sobre pruebas y promociones ofrecidas a sus miembros, que pueden llegar a significar mucho dinero para algunas promociones.

Cuando Jigoro Kano introdujo el moderno sistema Kyu-Dan también abrió la puerta a una corriente de ingresos potencialmente difícil de ignorar tanto por las escuelas de artes marciales como para las organizaciones de artes marciales (federaciones, asociaciones,etc).

Lo que nos lleva de nuevo a la primera pregunta: ¿qué obtenemos de ese sistema, y vale la pena el precio que pagamos?

Hablando a nivel personal: he tomado dos veces la decisión de salir del sistema de clasificación, y dos veces terminé entrando de nuevo, así que realmente no tengo ninguna buena respuesta.

Las dos veces que terminé volviendo a entrar fue de nuevo por la misma razón: el triste hecho de que la cuestión es que la mayoría de la gente en el Aikido convencional te tratan de manera diferente de acuerdo a tu grado. Esto a pesar del hecho de que la mayoría de la gente también dice que el grado realmente no importa.

Debido al hecho de que tengo un grado en particular la gente me suele pedir mi opinión sobre el Aikido… pero se ignora el chico de pie junto a mí con un tercer kyu.

No importa que el tercer kyu me pueda patear el trasero durante todo el día, porque, ¿qué podría aprender alguien de un cinturón blanco?

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post El grado importa – Cinturones Negros en Aikido [Spanish Version] appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Morihiro Saito (left) with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba and his wife Hatsu
Iwama – 1955, San-dai Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba (4 years old) seated middle

「バカモノ！　まだ技をかけてないのに勝手に転びやがって！ここは本部ではない！開祖の合気道は、相手の協力なんかなくても倒れるように出来ているんだ！勝手に転ぶのではなく、倒されないように最後まで抵抗して掴め！開祖の合気道は武道なんだ！」

“Idiot! Falling down by yourself even though the technique hasn’t been applied yet! This isn’t Hombu! The Founder’s Aikido is made so that you can throw without the cooperation of the opponent! Don’t just fall down on your own, hold on and resist being thrown until the end! The Founder’s Aikido is Budo!

One person’s experience upon meeting Morihiro Saito.

Morihiro Saito was born in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1928. Hearing tales of an “old man doing strange techniques up on the mountain near Iwama”, he became a student of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba in 1946, at the age of eighteen and would train under him for the next twenty-three years.

His work schedule at the Japan National Railway allowed him long shifts working followed by long shifts off, allowing him to spend extensive periods training and acting as a training partner for Morihei Ueshiba as he refined his weapons curriculum. He eventually received a plot of land on Morihei Ueshiba’s property and where he built his house and lived with his wife and children. He and his wife cared for the Ueshiba’s through the last years of their lives.

Morihiro Saito acted as the guardian of the Aiki Shrine until his passing in 2002. He is famous for his dedication to preserving the exact form of Morihei Ueshiba’s techniques as he was taught them during his training under him in Iwama.

Budoka no Kotae – BAB Japan, 2006

This is the first section of the English translation of a three part interview that originally appeared in “Answers from Budoka” (“Budoka no Kotae” / 武道家の答え), published by BAB Japan in 2006.

Morihiro Saito with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba
in front of the Aiki Shrine, 1955

Budoka no Kotae – Talking to Morihiro Saito Sensei, Part 1

Aikido is formed after the war by Morihei Ueshiba

Q: In this book we are asking those training in budo for their cooperation in giving us their opinions on their budo training, but it may take a number of months before we are ready for publication.

A: Oh, is that right? It must be quite a lot of work, how many sections will there be?

Q: We will divide it into four main sections. Aikido, Judo, Karate-do and Kendo. There will also be a little related to Shorinji Kempo and kobudo.

A: Kobudo, that’s good. Kobudo is wonderful. Because it was since kobudo existed that Aikido was first born.

Q: And it’s likely that those arts like Judo or Kendo that are called gendai budo today would not have been born without kobudo either.

A: Yes, that’s right. Previously, the foreigner from Aiki News – it was Stanley Pranin who, when searching for the roots of Aikido, gathered together authorities from many of the arts that the Founder practiced, such as Daito-ryu , Kashima Shinto-ryu and Yagyu Shingan-ryu for a Friendship Demonstration.

Aikido Instructors at the 1st Aikido Friendship Demonstration in 1985
Left to right: Yasuo Kobayashi, Yoshio Kuroiwa, Kanshu Sunadomari,
Morihiro Saito, Shoji Nishio, Mitsugi Saotome

Q: Was that at the Budokan?

A: No, that was at the Yomiuri Hall in Yurakucho. It’s a small place. It wasn’t anything that was on a scale to hold at the Budokan.

Q: I see. It would be a much bigger event at the Budokan, wouldn’t it?

A: Yes, although in Aikido we hold something there once a year in May.

Q: During that time in the Yomiuri Hall was that person (Mr. Stanley Pranin) able to gather information relating to the roots of Aikido?

A: How about that… He is an Aikido historian – that is to say, he is investigating deeply into the history of Aikido.

Q: Is that right? When was there a book about the roots of Aikido that he published?

A: He published several times that year.

Q: Such as the Aiki News magazine?

A: That’s right. Concerning the Founder, in the Founder’s last years he went to Tokyo permanently, but of course after the war he was in Iwama continuously. Because after the war Budo was suppressed.

Q: For a period of time, right?

A: Yes. But in Showa year 23 (1948), when the Aikikai was reconfirmed under the law, an undersecretary named Tamura came here and secretly asked that at least a seed of Budo would be served from destruction. That really put the Founder in high spirits. The Founder was really serious about the training that started from that time. During the war he was ordered by the military to teach “Itto Issatsu” (“一刀一殺” / “One Cut One Kill”), and he went to the Army and Naval academies and the Toyama Military Academy, so it seemed that he wasn’t able to instruct in the way that he desired.

Q: Ahh, was there a period like that?

A: Yes, there was. He also instructed at the Nakano Spy School.

Q: Is that right? So for Morihei Sensei the defeat in the war was rather a kind of an opportunity?

A: That’s right. He could finally turn towards his original goals, and here in Iwama he was able to put aside the time for the establishment of Aikido. Because he was also, as you know, a student of religion. From Showa year 13 (1938) he became exceedingly vigorous in his activities. Here is a copy of a book from that time, haven’t you seen it before? (holding out a book)

Yoshinkan Aikido Founder Gozo Shioda in “Budo”, 1938
See “Budo – Moritaka Ueshiba’s 1938 Technical Manual“

Q: No, this is…?

A: Is that so? They don’t publicize things like this very much in Tokyo, do they? Mr. Pranin from Aiki News discovered this in the countryside and gave me a copy, it was created in Showa year 13 (1938) or thereabouts.

Q: So this is a book published in 1938? This is an important book, isn’t it?

Morihei Ueshiba’s “Rules for Training”
from the technical manual “Budo” – 1938

1. Aikido decides life and death in a single strike, so students must carefully follow the instructor’s teaching and not compete to see who is the strongest.
2. Aikido is the way that teaches how one can deal with several enemies. Students must train themselves to be alert not just to the front, but to all sides and the back.
3. Training should always be conducted in a pleasant and joyful atmosphere.
4. The instructor teaches only one small aspect of the art. Its versatile applications must be discovered by each student through incessant practice and training.
5. In daily practice first begin by moving your body and then progress to more intensive practice. Never force anything unnaturally or unreasonably. If this rule is followed, then even elderly people will not hurt themselves and they can train in a pleasant and joyful atmosphere.
6. The purpose of aikido is to train mind and body and to produce sincere, earnest people. Since all the techniques are to be transmitted person-to-person, do not randomly reveal them to others, for this might lead to their being used by hoodlums.

A: Here he writes some guidelines for training, such as “Training should always be conducted in a pleasant and joyful atmosphere.”. In any case, this was written during the war.

Q: By the way, of the people who trained directly with Morihei Sensei, there are very few left today, isn’t that true?

“Because it is my task to receive the actual techniques of the Founder and then pass them on directly and simply just as they are.” – Morihiro Saito

A: Even so, there many still remaining. Around 1952 or 1953 he started taking trips to the outside – he’d go to Kansai for a week, or travel around for about a month. Sometimes he’d also go to stay in Tokyo like this. So there were many people who were able to take the Founder’s hand directly and receive instruction.

However, in my case it was a matter of time. There was land, but there was no rice being distributed. So if we didn’t grow it ourselves we wouldn’t be able to eat! So when I was able to be there physically I would help with the farming from morning to night, and after I married my wife also helped with the farming full time. We also did all the other regular household chores. Many other people came, but there were a lot of things going on, and they didn’t last very long. In the end, I was the only one left.

Calligraphy for “Ki” by Morihei Ueshiba (signed “Tsunemori”)

What is “Ki”?

Q: Recently the word “Ki” has become widespread in a variety of forms, hasn’t it?

A: Yes, that’s right.

Q: Just what exactly is that “Ki”? Depending upon who’s speaking Ki means a great variety of things – what they call “aura” in Western terminology, or others explain it in Eastern philosophical terms such as “prajna” in Yoga. But is this something that can be seen with the eyes?

A: Well, O-Sensei was also particularly strict about what “Ki” was…. The Founder tended towards religious speech, and the students would study how to express the Founder’s speeches in modern terminology. They each express themselves from their own particular positions. I’m not very good at that kind of thing… Just actual techniques. Because it is my task to receive the actual techniques of the Founder and then pass them on directly and simply just as they are.

Q: Is that so?

A: The way that people do Aikido now changes quite a bit depending upon the instructor. There are people doing the complete opposite of what other people are doing.

Q: For example, in what way?

A: In our Aikikai organization, and outside of it, there are many students of the Founder. There are those who have formed separate organizations – for example Gozo Shioda-san of the Yoshinkan, or Koichi Tohei-san of the Ki Society, each of those were founded by people who came here to study after the war. Shioda-san came here surprisingly often. Tohei-san made that thing called “Ki” his foundation to spread Aikido.

Q: Tohei Sensei seems to be doing Aikido in a separate form, with “Ki” as the foundation.

A: Yes, that’s right. The core of it is in lectures, but he has created a separate Ryu and is working hard at it. He’s an Aikido 10th Dan, and people wanting to learn Aikido join the “Ki Society”, but since most of it is lectures the training is neglected. The Budo world is quite a difficult place!

Q: I see. Is the training here very strict?

A: Because technique is something that you can understand if you see it. People understand before they train, so they are happy, and they get the feeling that it is extremely logical.

Q: Even now do you take their hands and teach them directly?

A: Yes, all of them. The Founder also took the hands of the regular students here and taught them continuously until he passed away. Especially me, since I was assisting with the farming, in the morning he would teach me sword and staff privately.

Q: There are many foreigners also training here, what about them?

A: They are shugyosha.

Q: Is that right? Where do they live?

A: Here, or in apartments nearby.

Q: That’s long term, isn’t it.

A: There are those who are here for an extended period. That woman is here for the third time, she has been here since June last year. Americans, Germans, Australians – during the busy times there are people here from as many as ten countries. Well…right now we have about six countries.

Q: When they come, as they don’t understand Japanese over there, do they learn a bit before they come?

A: There are people like that, and then there are people who don’t understand any at all…I can’t speak any other languages.

Q: When that’s the case, we’re talking about a heart to heart transmission (以心伝心) between people aspiring to the same Budo?

A: One way or another, with a lot of gestures…however, it is very difficult with the French. They must not use much English. Normally, if they speak English than they can somehow communicate between each other, but somehow we have a difficult time when the French come. Also the Italians. But the young people who come from Scandinavia use English so we’re able to get by.

Q: Now Aikido has mostly moved overseas, so most of the people who come must be those who have seen and heard of Aikido over there and then come to the home of Aikido to master it?

A: This year it is nineteen years (at the time of the interview, 1988) since the Founder passed away, but I haven’t traveled anywhere so I have only taught those foreigners who have come here. It began with those who were introduced to Aikido after the Founder passed away. Most of the Europeans would enter Hombu Dojo and wouldn’t come here very often, but while that was happening people began to come, bit by bit.

When the Founder was alive here, one could not become a student without an introduction. That was true even for the local people. For that reason, the people here were a very select group. From there one person became two, two people became four, and then we couldn’t cut off the flow. However, we couldn’t accommodate them all…well, it’s good that people are coming.

Q: How many people are here now?

A: During training…? The evening classes have about thirty or forty people.

To be continued in Part 2…

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Budoka no Kotae – Talking to Morihiro Saito Sensei, Part 1 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Morihiro Saito – Traditional Aikido Volume 4

When O-Sensei was not in Iwama, I was in charge of the teaching. I do not know who taught in Hombu dojo when O-Sensei was not there for obvious reasons, I was in Iwama. I rarely went to Hombu dojo. During 1960-61 O-Sensei was very vital. He then sometimes went to Tokyo to teach Aikido, though not many days would pass before students of the Hombu Dojo called me asking me to take O-Sensei home! O-Sensei was giving them a hard time, scolding them for not practising the correct way. In Iwama O-Sensei used to do his own practise in the mornings and then I was the only student to take part. In return for his special teaching I worked in O-Sensei’s farm.

Interview with Morihiro Saito Sensei by Mats Alexandersson

Morihiro Saito Sensei was born on March 31, 1928 in a farming village near the Iwama dojo where he would spend more than twenty years training directly with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. Due to his 24-hour on and 24-hour off working shift with the Japanese National Railroad he was able to spend long periods of time alone with Morihei Ueshiba as his student and training partner – particularly as the Founder formulated his post-war system of weapons training. Early morning classes were devoted to prayer at the Aiki Shrine followed by weapons practice, the study of Aiki-Ken and Aiki-Jo and their relationship to empty-handed techniques.

Morihiro Saito acted as the guardian of the Aiki Shrine until his passing in 2002. He is famous for his dedication to preserving the exact form of Morihei Ueshiba’s techniques as he was taught them during his training under him in Iwama.

This is the second  section of the English translation of a three part interview that originally appeared in “Answers from Budoka” (“Budoka no Kotae” / 武道家の答え), published by BAB Japan in 2006. You may wish to read Part 1 before reading this section.

Morihiro Saito and Morihei Ueshiba
Tanren Uchi (“forge cutting”) in Iwama, 1955

Budoka no Kotae – Talking to Morihiro Saito Sensei, Part 2

Q: Is that everyday?

A: Yes. Mondays and holidays are off, but there are no days off for the uchi-deshi. They have training in the morning, for the first half of the day. In the evening, together with the sumi-komi (live-in) students, about thirty of forty students gather together.

Q: The dojo must get full, doesn’t it?

A: Right now there are ten people with just the sumi-komi students alone. They take their meals here, and they just reimburse us for the actual costs. But when they cook together a lot of problems come up! They come from different countries, there are people who don’t eat meat, or people who don’t eat fish.

Q: Especially with religious considerations, foreigners who are looking into things like Zen often don’t eat meat or fish, right?

A: That’s why I make it a condition of entrance that they not bring religion or politics with them. There are places in foreign countries that fight wars over religious differences, but here we function with absolutely no relation to that. The Kami-sama are enshrined in the dojo, but those Kami-sama have a connection to Budo that is not religious. They have been worshipped by warriors since ancient times, so there is no religious atmosphere. Everybody faces the front without reluctance, bows and claps their hands before starting practice.

Q: What about you? Is there some religion like Soto Zen Buddhism that has been passed down to you from your ancestors?

Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba’s grave in Kozanji

A: I was born into Shingon Buddhism, but there was no cemetery at that temple. A Soto Zen Buddhist temple nearby made a nice cemetery, so after I moved there I became a Soto Zen Buddhist. The Founder is now buried in a Shingon Buddhist temple in Tanabe, Wakayama called Kozanji (高山寺). One of his last wishes was “make me a grave here”, but for some reason Ni-Dai (Kisshomaru Ueshiba) had a grave in Wakayama Prefecture. That’s why people can’t take a day trip to visit the grave. It’s really pretty tough to get all the way to Wakayama.

In my case, since this was the Founder’s dojo, I believed that it is my responsibility to transmit what I was taught by the Founder. At one time a lot of things were said, but opinions have changed, and the number of requests to come here have greatly increased.

We first built a foundation of static training (個体稽古). Then the method built in stages into flowing techniques and then throwing without touching.

Q: Both here and Hombu Dojo must each have their own good points, this is is a wonderful place, isn’t it?

A: Any path is the same, but in those days the method of teaching was differentiated depending upon the dojo.

Q: Differentiated in what way?

A: Rather than saying that it was differentiated, it may be that the teaching became differentiated. In the end, in a place where one teaches for four days, or a place where one teaches for one week, or a place where one teaches 365 days a year the method of teaching changes.

Q: How was the teaching done here?

A: As you might expect, we first built a foundation of static training (個体稽古). Then the method built in stages into flowing techniques and then throwing without touching. Flowing techniques were from third-dan, so in the beginning we were only allowed to do static training, but now flowing training is the primary focus in Tokyo.

When one uses strength in Tokyo they get scolded. That’s the difference. We were taught to hold on strongly, to hold firmly in grabbing techniques.

Further, the Founder always emphasized strongly in his teaching that the sword, the staff and empty hand techniques are one thing. We are doing it that way, but in Tokyo the sword and the staff are not taught at all.

Q: Not at all?

A: They don’t teach it at all. For that reason, the fact of the matter is that high ranking students in Tokyo go to Iaido to learn the sword, or Muso-ryu (Shinto Muso-ryu Jodo) to learn the staff. The Founder did not teach either the sword or the staff in Tokyo. Here he taught everything from the basics on up…. We’re in the middle of student camps right now, students from Osaka Prefecture University were here and tonight students from Tokushima University will be coming. We’ll continue with the camps until the beginning of April.

Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba with students from Meiji University in Iwama
Yasuo Kobayashi – front, second from right

Q: How many people come from each university?

A: If too many come then we can’t accommodate them, so we limit it to about twenty people. Ibaraki University, Japan University, MIyagi University of Education, Tohoku University, Iwate University, Hirosaki University, the other day the students from Osaka Prefecture University went home, tonight Tokushima University comes, and when they’re finished Kanagawa University and Aichi University will come and then we’ll finally be done.

Three or four nights, or at the most five nights. We have all of the necessities for preparing meals, so the students go shopping and cook their own food.

Q: And they are normally each taught by the shihan in their area?

A: Yes, that’s right.

Q: Are those shihan very junior to you?

A: Yes, there aren’t very many people senior to me.

Q: It must be very exciting for them to come here, isn’t it?

A: Of course, since this was the dojo where the Founder performed his shugyo. But was that Tanabe? Some place inconvenient. Ha-ha-ha, in the morning they train outside swinging the sword and the staff. In the evening they train with the regular students. So there are more than sixty people and nobody can move! Ha-ha-ha-ha.

Q: Is that so?

A: Previously we had thirty-six mats (Note: tatami mats, about three feet by six feet each), but when the students began to come, the Founder in his later years said to expand that and we expanded the mat space. This is sixy mats, and I’m feeling that it would be good to have at least a hundred. But there are methods of training, no matter how tight the space is.

“The basic principle of Aikido is just to attack.”

Q: Is exchanging techniques with the ordinary students helpful to you?

A: For that reason, they go home happy.

Q: How does that work? In terms of level.

A: Depending upon the school it can be very different. Also, the teachers who bring students here are very broad minded! Because there are also many shihan who tell their students not to come here. Many of those are in Hombu in Tokyo – “Don’t go to Iwama!”, they say. A shihan at one of the universities is also an instructor at Hombu, but he says “Don’t go to Iwama!” and doesn’t allow his students to come here. Because we do static training here. When they learn and then go home it’s difficult to train with them.

Q: Subtle differences emerge?

A: Yes, they do. It’s a little embarrassing to talk about, but all paths tend to split in multiple directions…

Q: Looking at things in the long term, are there clear differences and destinations depending upon whether one does static practice or soft practice?

A: A clear result emerges! Oh yes, during combined training, it can be clearly seen there. It’s not even worth arguing about.

Morihei Ueshiba initiates with an attack
Budo – Moritaka Ueshiba’s 1938 Technical Manual

The Budo in which one attacks first

Q: By the way, many people say “in the Budo called Aikido there are no attacking techniques.”?

A: No, that’s ridiculous, the basic principle of Aikido is just to attack. Rather than talking about striking, by “attack” we mean that the basic principle is to strike the opponent and draw them out. It’s not a crushing blow, one enters in flash and when the opponent moves to counter they must extend their hand. To trap that hand is a basic principle.

Q: That makes sense, doesn’t it?

A: There are many places that don’t know this and practice by just waiting for the other person to come strike. The basic principle is different. Shomenuchi, you know, all starts with with an attack from my side. Like the example in this book, one strikes and moves forward, then grabs their chest.

Q: I see, One strikes from their side and then makes them receive the attack…this is a precondition.

A: Also right here in the Founder’s book it says “Move forward from your side and attack”. Recently people from that other school all said there are no attacks in Aikido, but that is mistaken. The basic principle is to attack… It is said “There is no defense that surpasses an attack” (攻撃に勝る防御なし) – at least in the case of shomenuchi, that is an attack.

Q: Is what you’re calling an attack different than what you’d see in the case of combat sports?

A: It’s different. It’s a matter of drawing out the opponent’s Ki, or absorbing their feelings, or matching with them, or connecting with them, and then controlling them.

Demonstration for the Jieitai (“Self Defense Forces)
Morihiro Saito and Morihei Ueshiba, 1955

Aikido is bodywork like swordwork
(and swordwork like bodywork)

Q: When you do that, is it also possible to explain that in the context of the so-called combat arts?

A: Yes, when one really moves in accordance to the principles, the movement of one against many is connected to the handling of the sword, and connected to the movements of the staff. For that reason, in Aikido one must also train in sword and staff that is specifically for Aikido. Whichever one you omit, your Aikido will not be complete.

It may be annoying for me to repeat this, but that group in Tokyo, perhaps because they have too much pride, don’t come here to learn. They learn the sword through Iaido and the staff through Muso-ryu. In Iaido it’s like the sword is put against the waist. In Aikido we do it while twisting the hips. It’s the opposite! In Iai one thrusts the hips forward and then draws them back in a flash, but in the sword of Aikido we twist the hips and pull.

Iaido is a wonderful Budo, but in the case of Aikido the meaning and the goals are different, so they are incompatible. Further, in the end the method of using the staff in Aikido and Muso-ryu is different. Because in Aikido the unified principles of bodywork like swordwork and swordwork like bodywork are one.

Q: Here everything is like that?

A: That’s how we are doing it. This may be the only place in the world. However, the Founder taught everything from these kinds of basics here, he didn’t teach them in Tokyo.

To be continued in Part 3…

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Budoka no Kotae – Talking to Morihiro Saito Sensei, Part 2 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Morihiro Saito and Morihei Ueshiba in Iwama
“Traditional Aikido – volume 2”

While he was working for the former Japan National Railways, Morihiro Saito Sensei lived in the Iwama Dojo compound, taking care of O Sensei and the Aiki Shrine and teaching in the Iwama Dojo. Sensei was devoted to O Sensei and for this I respect him. I often met Saito Sensei when I accompanied O Sensei to Iwama and during preparations for the Aiki festival. O Sensei was always there, so I don’t have any memories of taking any of Saito Sensei’s classes.

O Sensei was more than 75, so his techniques and movements had fully matured. Kisshomaru Sensei wasn’t around, and the techniques and movements changed. In one direction, Saito Sensei absorbed completely the movements and techniques that O Sensei had taught when he was healthy and strong. Since O Sensei lived in Iwama which had the Aiki Shrine as well, I think in that context it is proper to speak of “preserving the traditional Aikido of Iwama.” The Iwama Dojo was located in a large garden-like compound which was needed to practice ken and jo. O Sensei would teach ken and jo however he felt inclined, and then the next day would do something completely different. It was owing to the genius of Saito Sensei that an easy to understand system of teaching jo and ken was established. My dojo’s Igarashi Sensei cooperated with Saito Sensei’s publication of his book on jo and ken. When I was shown the first edition of the book, I noticed there was no photograph of O Sensei. I said something about this to Saito Sensei and he replied that he had no good photographs of O Sensei. Good photographic equipment wasn’t so readily available in those days. In the second edition appears photographs of O Sensei which I gave to Saito Sensei.

With this kind of connection, Aikido Kobayashi Dojos have incorporated regular ken and jo practice. Saito Sensei highly praised us for this. Today, in overseas seminars, everyone has their own jo and ken; this is Saito Sensei’s legacy.
Yasuo Kobayashi talking about Morihiro Saito in “Aikido, My Way“

Morihiro Saito Sensei was born on March 31st, 1928 and passed away on May 13th, 2002. For more than twenty years during that time he trained directly under Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba, one of his closest and longest serving students.

Morihiro Saito acted as the guardian of the Aiki Shrine until his passing in 2002. He is famous for his dedication to preserving the exact form of Morihei Ueshiba’s techniques as he was taught them during his training under him in Iwama.

This is the third  section of the English translation of a three part interview that originally appeared in “Answers from Budoka” (“Budoka no Kotae” / 武道家の答え), published by BAB Japan in 2006. You may wish to read Part 1 and Part 2 before reading this section.

Morihiro Saito – “Traditional Aikido – volume 2”

Budoka no Kotae – Talking to Morihiro Saito Sensei, Part 3

Q: Was it possible that he had some goal in mind?

A: No, that’s not it. He was angry. Because even though he would tell them to practice precisely and sharply they would only do flowing training. It annoyed them when the Founder said that and scolded them, so they would call and say “Saito-san, tell him that something came up and call him (the Founder) home”. When O-Sensei was there they’d say “That annoying old man is here”. So the Founder’s feelings finally snapped and he stopped teaching there.

Q: Something like “Respect from a safe distance” (敬して遠ざける)?

A: That’s right. For that reason, when he returned here he would stamp his feet and yell. Things like “Unacceptable!” (なっとらん!).

Ni-Dai Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba at Aikikai Hombu Dojo

The establishment of Hombu style

Q: How did things get that way?

A: I believe that it was caused by the sudden emergence of Aikido into the world after the end of the war. Because those demonstrations showed it in a really beautiful manner. For that reason people flocked to Aikido, and since they showed those people flowing movement everybody was happy. So because of that people said that Aikido is an enjoyable Budo, it’s beautiful, it’s smooth and attractive.

So Hombu Dojo, for that reason, had a temporary golden age. During that time people who were second or third dan scattered across the world. They said that they wanted to make a name for themselves. That is the Hombu Style that foreigners talk about. I followed another path of static training without doing that, so people around the world call that Iwama Style. They became international terms. A division that came about inside the same Aikido.

“Iwama Style” is first known overseas

Q: Is Iwama Style something special?

A: Some people don’t like it, you know, those from Tokyo. Or even from the country areas. So there are a lot of enemies. Even though when one speaks of Iwama Style one is speaking of the Founder’s style…

Q: Was it the same overseas?

A: However, I was rescued by the discovery of that book by the Founder. That book…that researcher into the history of Aiki from America, he found it in the countryside. That book proved that what I am doing is correct.

Morihiro Saito teaching from the 1938 technical manual “Budo“

Q: You must have been happy?

A: I was ecstatic! That’s why i carry that copy, and wherever I go I show it to people and say “There you are! Look at this, this is how I am teaching you”. When you compare the training, in the end it slaps them in the face. Aikido began from this Founder, and when you explain this clearly everybody is happy. There was someone from Switzerland who came the other day, tomorrow someone from Canada, they’re throwing away the techniques that they’ve been learning for fifteen years and starting over again from the beginning. I really have to give them credit.

Q: It’s significant that they even had the strength to make that realization, isn’t it? How about the Japanese instructors?

A: As you might expect, one issue is that without financial strength, making the changeover is difficult. Other than that, there are doctors, people running companies, and people who have their own jobs who are realizing that this is different from the Aikido that they have done previously and are devoting themselves to making a changeover. For that reason, I take precisely what I was taught by the Founder, make it easy to understand, and have them study it.

Q: Will you publish a book about that some day?

A: I’m thinking about it.

Q: Who is this? (pointing to the Founder’s book)

A: The Founder used that name at times. He’d use the name Tsunemori (常盛) or Moritaka (守高), but the name that appears in his family register is Morihei (盛平).

Q: Is this the original?

A: No, it’s a copy.

Q: I see, the reproduction is very good. Is there an original copy someplace else?

A: This name here is the name of the person to whom it was given. This was not made public in Tokyo. Perhaps the Ueshiba family has it.

This book is proof that I have been practicing honestly, Ha-ha-ha, it really helped me out. From that time I carry it with me whenever I go out in the world, Because from here this has changed again. I can explain the changes.

Morihiro Saito – “Traditional Aikido – volume 3”

Tales of experiences with Aikido (武勇伝)

“Train sincerely in the basics – the power found in them is kokyu-ryoku, Ki is there, Ki is extended, this will be the result.”

Q: By the way, this is a lower level question, but this book is targeted at a general readership who will be happy even with a casual discussion, so may I ask you some of those types of questions?

A: Even now we use these training methods, so in the end I think that I would like people to enjoy what they are reading.

Q: Yes, that’s right, isn’t it? For example, if you will excuse me, if you have some stories of a time that you were caught up in a fight related to Aikido, or a “tale of heroism” (武勇伝), or a story of a spiritual experience, then I would like to ask you about them.

Aikido Journal Editor Stanley Pranin translating for Morihiro Saito

A: I don’t know what you mean by spiritual, but Aikido training has conditioning in breath power (“kokyu-ryoku”), this is an extremely logical method of expressing power.

One night at Chichibu Station there was a fireworks display. About twenty people missed their chance to ride the last train and were in the station’s waiting room.

At that time someone who looked like a yakuza grabbed a young man wearing a business suit by the lapels and started pushing him around. So I said “Hey you, stop that!”, but he wouldn’t stop! Then when I grabbed the arm of the person who looked like a yakuza he let go of the other person and started grappling with me. So I took a step back, put my hand slightly under his chin and went to throw him. When I swept him with my right leg he flew straight backwards and hit his head on the concrete – he lost consciousness. The railway police came right away, so I passed him over to them.

That kind of kokyu-ryoku is what people talk about when they say things like “extend Ki”, but in the end Ki isn’t something special. Train sincerely in the basics – the power found in them is kokyu-ryoku, Ki is there, Ki is extended, this will be the result. When entering through theory without doing the actual techniques one cannot really realize this.

Q: If that is done, when a person surpasses a certain level will they be able to flip an opponent’s body over lightly just by touching them?

A: That’s if one is following the principles strictly, and if the situation at the time allows for it.

People who can match that skillfully with whatever technique is being used are skillful at Aikido. The person who takes the angle rationally is a strong person.

Morihiro Saito and Morihei Ueshiba – 1954

Q: When the opponent is an older person, or someone who’s body is stiff, no matter how skillful one is their way of falling will be unnatural – don’t they ever get injured?

A: There are often people who take pride in injuring others during Aikido training, but if one does it carefully they can become skillful without causing injury. The Founder almost never injured anybody! He taught us like beginners until our ukemi gradually became skillful and then skillfully led us into the bigger throws. When people like children fell he would put his hand under their head as he threw – it was really tender behavior.

As to other stories… Aikido begins with hanmi. If one steps forward, if one steps backward, if one opens or moves forward. I had in experience related to this.

At one time I was employed by the Japan National Railway. The tracks have inbound lines, center lines and outbound lines. On that day, I went out for a task at an engine that had stopped on the center line. At that time the steam engine was puffing steam, and since it was the middle of winter I couldn’t see anything at all. I was standing just at the point of the inbound line. Then, and I don’t really understand this myself, I suddenly jumped out of the way and landed in left-hanmi. You see, I had moved my body out of the way of the train. In that instant, an express train from Aomori passed by on the inbound line.

Q: Wow!

A: The crewmen knew that I was out there, so they thought that I had already been run over. But I was just standing there calmly, so both the crewmen and the people standing on the platform were astonished. I still don’t understand how or why I jumped out of the way or how I sensed that the train was coming. Once the express train passed my knees started knocking. How many years ago was that…it was in my twenties. There are times when human being’s knees actually knock, aren’t there? I was the one who was most surprised.

Q: That was a at a time when you had not yet mastered Aikido, right?

A: But that jumping tai-sabaki matches Aikido methods. I really don’t understand. What did I sense, it was just a short instant of time – conversely, if I had sensed that something was coming I think that might have become unable to move! It must be because I didn’t understand what was happening that I was able to move out of the way.

Q: Did you gain a deeper understanding of the principles of Aikido from that time?

A: Well, it’s something that could have happened to anybody…

Q: Or it may be that it was one of those spiritual experiences that we spoke about previously, don’t you think?

A: I think so. If I had put that tai-sabaki into practice after I became skillful then it wouldn’t have been anything. There was one time that I happened to get caught up in an odd situation.

Q: When was that?

A: Well, about thirty years ago, I think. One day I was drinking with a friend, and we were walking down the street bar hopping when there was a fellow making noise about how his motorcycle wouldn’t start. So, we thought we’d take a look at it, but when we touched the motorcycle all of a sudden we were surrounded. They were from some Kumi (Note: a yakuza group) from some construction site in Asakusa, it seemed that they had been in a fight with some local young people, beat them up and were chasing after them. The motorcycle belonged to their group, and they thought that I had come to get even with them. Hey! Hey! They came at us. Well, we had to protect ourselves (Note: “You have to sweep off the falling sparks” – in other words, protect yourself from possible dangers).

Q: How many of them were there?

A: Coming directly at us there were two people, but we were pretty drunk. I don’t remember a thing, but it seems that I threw them quite a distance while hardly touching them at all. When you are throwing, there are ways to throw so that they can take ukemi, or so that they can’t take ukemi. Because the others were just regular people who had started a fight….

With regards to sempai who force a throw even in training, it would be rude not to take ukemi so one forces themselves to take the ukemi, and then they get injured. I think that those people who injure others have no room in their hearts. Those people who have room in their hearts have feelings of consideration in the midst of their severity and will not cause injuries. People who cause injuries are practicing in an overbearing manner, and in that manner there is a contradiction with the principles, so I think that I would like them to study that area more. I’m not very good at speaking, so I can’t express it well…

Morihiro Saito reading “Budo“

The basic training of Aikido is static training

Q: Well, this has been really interesting. By the way, when I watch skillful people training together in Aikido they get thrown quite a distance. Or is it that they are purposefully trying to show something?

A: Do you see training like that? Well, people who train while taking that big ukemi are all weak.

When training in the real basics we don’t allow them to take big ukemi. I throw without allowing them to take big ukemi and then after they fall we hold them down. Some throw partway through. Then the person throwing is already done with their task, and the person being thrown is released there. But in the basics one holds them down until the very end, one does not release their Ki until the very end. It’s there that there is a difference in the degree of conditioning. Here (the Founder’s book, mentioned previously) it is too, in this technique everybody takes the big ukemi but even in this throw he is holding them down. This is basic in Aikido.

Q: Thank you for such a valuable discussion. I hope that many Budo shugyosha will find it a helpful reference.

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Budoka no Kotae – Talking to Morihiro Saito Sensei, Part 3 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Die Götter Izanagi und Izanami
auf der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke,
aus der Reihe “Eine illustrierte Geschichte Japans”
von Utagawa Hiroshige, ca. 1847-1852
Honolulu Academy of Arts

*This is a German translation of the article  “Aikido and the Floating Bridge of Heaven“, provided courtesy of Ian Eisterer.

Izanagi und Izanami auf der Brücke, die Himmel und Erde verbindet

Die “schwebende Himmelsbrücke“ (“Ame no Uki Hashi”) ist ein wichtiger Bestandteil des japanischen Schöpfungsmythos.

Laut dem Kojiki (“Bericht alter Angelegenheiten”), riefen die ersten Götter zwei himmlische Wesen ins Dasein – das männliche Prinzip Izanagi (“Der Mann der einlädt”/ 伊邪那岐) und das weibliche Prinzip Izanami (“die Frau die einlädt”/ 伊邪那美命). Diese zwei Wesen wurden damit beauftragt, die ersten Landmassen zu erschaffen. Sie nahmen einen mit Juwelen besetzten Speer und standen auf der schwebenden Himmelbrücke über dem Wasser und rührten damit im Meer bis ein Wirbel entstand. Vom Speer fallende Salzwassertropfen verwandelten sich in die ersten Inseln, worauf Izanagi und Izanami von der Brücke an Land gingen.

Es gibt noch viel mehr darüber zu sagen (das Kojiki ist eine großartige Geschichte, eine der ersten Soap Operas der Welt), aber kehren wir zur Bedeutung für das Aikido zurück.

Hier bezieht sich der Gründer des Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, auf die schwebende Himmelsbrücke, Ame no Uki Hashi:

合気道は「天の浮橋に立たされて」ということである。

Es wird gesagt, Aikido sei das „Stehen auf der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke”.

Dies ist einer jener poetischen Sätze des Gründers, den die Leute lieben – und kurz danach wieder vergessen, ohne sich zu fragen, ob O-Sensei implizit (oder gar explizit) auf eines der wichtigsten Prinzipien seiner Kunst hingewiesen haben könnte (Aikido; vielleicht schon mal davon gehört?).

Ist es überhaupt wichtig? Vielleicht nicht – die Prinzipien zu verstehen, macht einen nicht notwendigerweise besser, wenn es darum geht, eine gewisse Aktivität auszuüben, egal ob Ballett oder Fussball. Andererseits kann ein Verständnis der Prinzipien dabei behilflich sein, herauszufinden, welche Aspekte des eigenen Trainings man noch verbessern kann. Es eröffnet oft auch völlig neue Perspektiven.

Wenn Du ein Aikidoka bist, ist es für mich auch selbstverständlich, dass Du daran interessiert sein solltest, was der Gründer zu sagen hatte. Ich denke sogar, dass alle Aikidoka eigentlich eine Verantwortung haben, seine Aussprüche zumindest zu verstehen versuchen und ihnen so gut es geht auf den Grund zu gehen.

Wenn Du kein Aikidoka bist – nun ja, ich setze mich mit vielen Sachen auseinander, die nicht von Aikidoka geschrieben wurden, die aber sehr interessante Dinge machen, die mich interessieren und über die ich mehr wissen will, selbst wenn ich nicht immer verstehe, worüber sie reden, da es mir hilft zu verstehen, wo meine Grenzen liegen. Du kannst mir glauben, wenn jemand wie Chen Xiaowang Informationen ausgibt, werde ich zumindest vorbeischauen.

Zurück zu Morihei Ueshiba – hier spricht er noch direkter an, warum ihm das so wichtig ist:

この道は、天の浮橋に最初に立たなければならないのです。天の浮橋に立たねば合気は出て来ないのです。

Was den Weg (Do) anbelangt, muss man zuerst auf der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke stehen. Wenn man nicht auf der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke steht, wird Aiki nicht hervorkommen.

Das klingt ziemlich endgültig – keine schwebende Himmelsbrücke, kein Aiki. Und natürlich weiters – kein Aiki, kein Aikido.

Was also ist “Aiki”? Im Blogeintrag, “Aikido without peace or harmony“, haben wir versucht, eine brauchbare Übersetzung der Begriffe “Aiki” und “Take Musu Aiki” zu finden, und was wir schlussendlich als gut befunden haben ist:

“Gegensätzliche Kräfte mit Ki vereinen und die anziehenden Kräfte trainieren, die dadurch entstehen.”

Sehen wir mal, wie sich das mit der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke verträgt.

Aus dem obigen Zitat wissen wir, dass Morihei Ueshiba die schwebende Himmelsbrücke für eine Bedingung hält, ohne die Aiki nicht hergestellt warden kann. Das wird noch klarer wenn der Gründer folgendes sagt:

天の浮橋は、天の武産の合気の土台の発祥であります。

Die schwebende Himmelsbrücke ist der Ursprung der Grundlage für das himmlische Take Musu Aiki.

Jetzt sollte es langsam klarer warden (hoffe ich) – auf der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke zu stehen, ist eine notwendige Bedingung für Aikido, da es die Grundlage für Take Musu Aiki ist (“Gegensätzliche Kräfte mit Ki vereinen und die anziehenden Kräfte trainieren, die dadurch entstehen.” siehe oben). Sehen wir uns an, wie die Brücke gebaut wird:

合気道は「天の浮橋に立たされて」ということである。天の浮橋は水火結んでめぐるということ。火は水を動かし、水は火によって動かさる。火も水も一つのものである。螺旋状にめぐる。気をもって絡むのである。それは、息によるものであり、この息が合気であります。

Es wird gesagt, Aikido sei das “Stehen auf der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke”. Die schwebende Himmelsbrücke ist sich drehendes, verbundenes Feuer und Wasser. Feuer bewegt Wasser, Wasser wird durch Feuer bewegt. Feuer und Wasser sind eins. Sie drehen sich in einer Spirale. Sie sind durch Ki verflochten. Das ist etwas, das durch den Atem (“iki”) hervorgebracht wird. Dieser Atem (“iki”) ist Aiki.

Wir kommen der Sache näher – “Feuer” und “Wasser” stehen für gegensätzliche “In” und “Yo” Kräfte. In “Aikido without peace or harmony” haben wir gesehen, wie wichtig die gegensätzlichen Kräfte sind, die durch Ki verbunden oder verflochten werden. O-Sensei sagt, dass “Take Musu” das trainieren von “Inryoku” (“anziehender Kraft”) sei, welches dann entsteht, wenn gegensätzliche Kräft durch Ki verbunden werden.

Nun sehen wir, dass die schwebende Himmelsbrücke, da sie ja durch verbundene gegensätzliche Kräfte entsteht, in der Tat als Grundlage des “Take Musu Aiki” betrachtet werden kann.

In diesem Zitat aus “Aikido without peace or harmony” geht es ebenfalls um die Verbindung von gegensätzlichen Kräften:

上にア下にオ声と対照で気を結び、そこに引力が発生するのである。

Oben der Klang des “A” und unten der Klang des “O” – Gegensätze, verbunden mit Ki, wo anziehende Kraft (“Inryoku”) entsteht.

Sehen wir uns die Laute genauer an, und wie sie von Morihei Ueshiba als Erinnerungsstütze verwendet wurden.

Die “schwebende Himmelsbrücke” (天の浮橋) ist “AME-NO-U-UKI-HASHI” und enthält alle Grundvokale“ A I U E O” (vielleicht hast Du diese Laute schon mal bei Misogi-Uebungen gehört). Die Laute sind eine Gedächtnisstütze um zu verstehen, wie die schwebende Himmelsbrücke Himmel und Erde verbindet:

A: 天（ア）　高天原　　　　TA･KA･A･MA･HA･RA
“Die hohe Ebene des Himmels” ist selbst eine Gedächtnisstütze, die wir ein andermal unter die Lupe nehmen werden.

I: 火（イ）
“Feuer”

U: 結（ウ）　産　　　　　　 MU･SU
Das “Tai-Kyoku” bzw. das “grosse Ultimative” verbindet Feuer und Wasser, Himmel und Erde. Auch die Verbindung, das “Musu” in “Takemusu”

E: 水（エ）
“Wasser”

O: 地（オ）　淤能碁呂島　O･NO･KO･RO
“Erde”, eigentlich “die Insel Onokoro”, die ursprüngliche Insel Japans, von jenen Göttern gestaltet, die auf der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke standen.

Hier ist es – eine saubere Beschreibung der schwebenden Brücke. Zufälligerweise (oder vielleicht nicht so zufällig) ist es auch eine gute Beschreibung der chinesischen Trainingsmethode Himmel-Erde-Mensch, die wir in “Aikido without peace or harmony“ beschrieben haben.

Himmel-Erde-Mensch,
aus den illustrierten Erläuterungen des
Taijiquan der Chen Familie

Wenn man beide vergleicht, kann man sehen dass die schwebende Himmelsbrücke und Himmel-Erde-Mensch die selbe Übungsmethode beschreiben.

Die oben genannte Folge von Lauten beschreibt das Konzept der körperlichen Methode der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke (auch als “Himmel-Erde-Mensch” bekannt). Diese Laute wurden von Morihei Ueshiba oft anders angeordnet um unterschiedliche Ideen darzustellen. Beispielsweise wurden die Laute in einer anderen Reihenfolge angeordnet, um den Fortschritt des spirituellen Trainings und seiner Entwicklung auszudrücken. Eventuell werde ich darauf in einem anderen Beitrag eingehen, aber ich möchte es jetzt erwähnen, um Verwirrung zu vermeiden.

Es macht nichts, wenn man nicht selber auf das draufkommt – nicht jeder hat begriffen, was vor sich ging in den Momenten in denen Ueshiba Silbenlaute vor sich hin sang um sie als Gedächtnisstützen zu verwenden und seinen Erklärungen noch eine zusätzliche Bedeutungsebene zu verleihen – hier ist ein Zitat von Koichi Tohei:

Ich habe Aikido von Morihei Ueshiba gelernt, indem ich zuerst geübt und erst danach Fragen gestellt habe. Ueshiba Sensei war ein Meister des Ki, sowie der Gründer des Aikido. Er war aber auch ein überzeugter Anhänger der Omotokyo Religion, und dies hatte eine grossen Einfluss auf seine Art, Aikido zu unterrichten. Es war oft unmöglich seine esoterischen Erklärungen zu verstehen. Ich habe die Übungen die er uns gab gründlich trainiert, auch wenn viele dieser Übungen aus der Omotokyo Religion kamen und uns als sinnlos erschienen. Beispielsweise wurde von uns erwartet, das Alphabet in einer anderen Reihenfolge zu rezitieren. Anstelle der üblichen Reihenfolge der Japanischen Vokale “AIUEO” mussten wir sie endlos als “AOUEI” aufsagen, als ob diese neue Reihenfolge eine tiefere Bedeutung hätte.

Wir sehen dass diese gegensätzlichen Kräfte, durch Ki vereint, einander in durchgehenden Spiralen verstärken. Wir sehen auch, dass Ueshiba über “iki” spricht, was auch sehr wichtig ist, wir aber hier nicht besprechen können. Kannst Du dich an diese Spiralen aus “Morihei Ueshiba, Budo and Kamae“ erinnern?

Seide-Ziehen,
aus “Illustrated Explanations of Chen Family Taijiquan”

Hier oben wird im Chen Tai Chi der selbe Prozess beschrieben den Morihei Ueshiba beschreibt, wenn er von der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke spricht: die positiven und negative Spiralen, die sich durch den Körper winden (Fluss und gegen-Fluss von Shun und Ni.

Und noch ein Zitat von Morihei Ueshiba:

左手は伊耶那岐、右手は伊耶那美、真中は天之御中主（あめのみなかぬし）、これは自分のことである。天の浮橋に立たされて、螺旋状にめぐることである。これを高天原（たかあまはら）という。天も地も一つのもの、水も火も一つのもの、みんな息から現れるのである。神の常動の現れである。合気の技は常動により出てくるのである。

Die linke Hand ist Izanagi, die rechte ist Izanami, in der Mitte ist Ame-no-minakanushi, das bist Du selbst. Das ist auf der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke Stehen und sich in einer Spirale drehen. Das wird Taka-ama-hara genannt. Himmel und Erde bilden eine Einheit, Wasser und Feuer sind auch eine Einheit, alles erscheint durch Iki (Atem). Dies ist das endlose Erscheinen der Kami. Aiki-Techniken entstehen ohne Ende.

Izanagai und Izanami, die zwei Götter, welche auf der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke standen und die Welt erschufen, stehen für In und Yo, so wie in diesem sehr ähnlichen Doka von Morihei Ueshiba:

右手をば陽にあらわし左手は陰にかえして相手みちびけ

Offenbare Yo (Yang) in der rechten Hand, verwandle die linke Hand in In (Yin) und führe den Gegner.

Ame-no-minakanushi war die erste Gottheit, die im Himmel erschien – mit anderen Worten, der “Chef” der in der Mitte steht.

Ueshiba sagt, dass Du selbst der “Chef” bist – so wie in 我即宇宙・宇宙即我 ”Ich bin das Universum, das Universum ist ich.” Das ist ein sehr einfacher, aber sehr wichtiger Punkt. Es ist ein weiteres jener poetischen Zitate, das Leute lieben, ohne jemals daran gedacht zu haben, dass es eine der wichtigsten technischen Anweisungen ist, die er gegeben hat.

Der “Chef” steht auf der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke, vereint die gegensätzlichen Kräfte von In und Yo und bewegt sich in einer Spirale. Interessanterweise werden die Bewegung der beiden Götter Izanagi und Izanami als sie sich vereinten und paarten oft als Spirale dargestellt. Außerdem wurde eine Spirale bzw. ein Wirbel erschaffen, als Izanagi mit dem Juwelenbesetzten Speer im Meer rührte, um Land zu erschaffen.

Dieser Zustand, sagt O-Sensei, auf der schwebenden Himmelsbrücke stehen und die gegensätzlichen In-Yo Käfte vereinen und sich in Spiralen bewegen, ist Taka-ama-hara – der Himmel. Wie in “Aikido and the Structure of the Universe“ bereits erwähnt, ist dies ein Zustand, der sich laut O-Sensei in Dir befindet. Mit anderen Worten, Aiki ist ein Zustand der in Deinem eigenen Körper und Geist erschaffen wird.

Dies ist etwas völlig anderes als eine Situation, in der Aiki als sich-an-eine-äussere-Gegebenheit (Partner, Gegner) Anpassen definiert wird. Es bestärkt auch die Erkenntnis, die wir oben gewonnen haben – Du selbst bist der “Chef”.

Um zusammenzufassen: die schwebende Himmelsbrücke, auch als Himmel-Erde-Mensch (“Tenchijin”) bekannt, besteht darin, einen Zustand in sich selbst zu erzeugen, in dem man in der Lage ist, gegensätzliche Kräfte zu verbinden und diese Verbindung als Spiralen und Schrauben durch den Körper auszudrücken.

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

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