The article below has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.
This article was published in the November 1942 issue of Shin Budo magazine, a martial arts publication which appeared briefly in Japan during the war years. The writer, Takuma Hisa Sensei, well-known to readers of AIKI NEWS as a direct student of Morihei Ueshiba and Sokaku Takeda, gives us a rare glimpse into the Japanese martial arts world as it was during World War II. Hisa offers a lucid analysis of Judo as a martial art, and sketches portraits of his teachers Morihei Ueshiba and Sokaku Takeda. References to the Emperor as a divine being and the mystique of Japan as an ordained nation reflect the national psychological climate of 50 years ago and stand in sharp contrast to the mentality prevailing today.
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Interesting. Then it was judo. Today we have other sports.
Recently had the opportunity to train with Hisa Sensei’s Takumakai Daito-ryu organisation. Some really nice insights there for aikido and quite different but complimentry to other DR I have been exposed to through Aikido Yuishinkai
Different and more up to date here…
http://judoinfo.com/new/alphabetical-list/judo-as-a-martial-art/508-judo-as-a-martial-art
The above link has many .pdf files for downloading and more…
http://judoinfo.com/new/alphabetical-list/judo-history/512-the-future-of-budo
“Randori and Shiai (Free-practice and Competition)
In 1886 the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Academy hosted a tournament between the Kodokan and the prominent Jujutsu ryu, Totsuka-ha Yoshin-ryu, to determine which “style” the Academy would adopt into their training regiment. Of the tournament’s 15 matches the Kodokan won 12, drew one and lost two (Muromoto 2005). The reason why the Kodokan was so successful at this historic meeting lies in one word: Randori. Randori or free sparring trained Kano’s judokas in as close to real life and death combat as possible.
Randori training, unlike kata training, pits you against a fully resistive, uncooperative opponent. Only through randori and shiai does one truly test the mind, body and spirit under adverse conditions. Judo competition demands that its participants execute techniques against a fully resistive opponent, when physically drained, out of breath, and gasping for air. Such an experience can never be gained through self-defense training via kata or form work alone, no matter how realistic the scenario may be”.
Taisho, I borrowed the above as the same lovely argumentation is being thrashed out on aikiwebb…. ‘ave a look….
I know…I have been following you there…and Aiki-bunny told me he used to do Judo…but hates competition…I asked him if I punched him in the nose….what would he do?…said bleed on your hand.
Sums it up really…. What next? break your fist with my “ki”?
I let some uni students do a video of me and some long lost student in 2006/7. I did the usual “ki” and “pressure point” tricks for fun as they asked me to do it…. When I saw it up online I asked where the randori shiai had gone? They had edited it out (badly) as they thought it a bit strong and might infringe ‘elf and safety rules for students who might think about taking it up!! Pissed me off a bit, but I use it as a mediocre/bad promo video as I can’t afford to do otherwise….
There are not only bunnies in aikido, they are everywhere now!! Society has been well and truly infected by them if you ask me….
Needless to say I am now not teaching there anymore, I don’t have a dojo (as I can’t afford one), the litigation is getting beyond a joke now…..
I’m hoping to resurrect the club, but it’s proving to be quite difficult….. money, money, money…..