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I had great hopes of being able to conduct research on aikido history while I was there, but got almost no cooperation from the Japanese side. I did have one success of great importance on the research side. I had Bob Frager’s articles on O-Sensei with me in Tokyo, and one day sat down to take a good look at them. I knew I had only some of the articles, but did not know how many there were in the series, or when or where they were published. Let me tell you how I solved this problem…
May
16
How it all started! “The Improbable Launch of My Career as an Aikido Historian,” by Stanley Pranin
May
15
Video: Shoji Seki’s powerful display of technique at 10th International Aikido Congress
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Shoji Seki, 7th dan, is one of a group of Aikikai Hombu Dojo instructors who began their careers in the late 1960s. He has maintained himself in excellent physical condition, and his technique is fast and precise. Although Seki Sensei is not verbose in his explanation, he repeats the technique he is demonstrating many times, and it is possible to catch the fine points of his movements through careful observation…
May
15
Video: “Shoji Nishio — Developing an innovative Aikido system that includes the missing weapons training”
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Over a span of decades, Nishio Sensei and his senior students developed an elaborate system built on aikido’s fundamentals, but that reintroduced martial integrity and the use of weapons. The four lengthy instructional videos compiled by Nishio Sensei in the late 1990s present his unique system. Here we present highlights of these videos for the study of our audience of aikido practitioners….
May
15
Video: “Crosstraining to fill the gaps in the Aikido curriculum in Tokyo”
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Being unable to get satisfactory answers to his questions, and absent weapons training, Nishio Sensei set out to crosstrain in other martial arts to fill the gaps. He already had a background in judo and karate. Nishio Sensei expanded his training by studying the use of the jo and ken, and also took up iaido training…
May
15
Video: “Shoji Nishio’s dilemma… and his solution”
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Shoji Nishio began his aikido training at the end of 1951 when there was little activity at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo. Kisshomaru Ueshiba and Koichi Tohei, and a small cadre of relatively inexperienced instructors conducted classes. Although Nishio Sensei was captivated by aikido and the art of Founder Morihei Ueshiba, he felt disillusioned at the lack of martiality and weapons training at the central dojo. Being unable to get satisfactory answers to his questions, and absent weapons training, Nishio Sensei set out to crosstrain in other martial arts to fill the gaps…
May
15
Shoji Nishio: “The Last Photo with O-Sensei…”
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I thought that even though one practiced Judo all of his life, he could only reach this staqe. On the other hand, I thought that the depth of Aikido as budo was great. It was that incident which caused me to stop my Judo training. O-Sensei’s way of thinking appeared in practice itself. He said, “It’s wrong to use the words ‘winning and losing’. You shouldn’t think in those terms.” His words were great. As we continue to live I think it’s important to digest all of his words…
May
15
Can you deal with this? Randori against 4 armed opponents in Russia
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This video consists of a randori demonstration against four armed opponents by S.M. Botov on the occasion of the Russian Army Day. Excellent reception by audience…
May
14
Making it work! Morihiro Saito demonstrates Morotedori Kokyuho contrasted to the Aikikai Hombu Dojo approach
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This is an unusual video where Morihiro Saito, 9th dan, explains morotedori kokyuho in depth as taught by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. He then contrasts this way of executing the technique with the current Aikikai Hombu Dojo approach. Saito Sensei offers an alternative to this technique when nage employs ura footwork…
May
14
Shoji Nishio: “The Last Photo with O-Sensei…”
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One week before O-Sensei entered the hospital, we posed for pictures with him. I said to him, “Sensei, let’s take a picture.” He told me to bring him his “montsuki” (kimono bearing family crest). He said, “My photo will remain. What I’m wearing is not appropriate.” I went to the present Doshu’s wife and asked for the montsuki explaining that we were going to take a picture of O-Sensei. Well, she sure complained a lot….
May
14
“Morihei Ueshiba’s philosophy served as a beacon for Shoji Nishio’s thinking in developing his unique aikido.”
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“I always say that if a teacher of Aikido takes up the ken, he can re-apply his knowledge to the ken. And the same is the case for the jo. (When I was a beginner) I asked how they applied the body techniques to the ken, but no one showed me. Since there was nothing to be done about the situation, I began practicing the ken in 1955 soon after I began Aikido training. What else could I do? Nobody taught me!…”
May
14
Shoji Nishio: “His technical legacy is totally unique in the aikido world”
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Nishio’s technical legacy is totally unique. Although Morihiro Saito’s aikido also included the use of the sword and staff, what Saito did was to preserve and formalize the founder’s weapons techniques with little modification. Nishio, instead, mastered the basics of several of the modern weapons systems from which he drew many elements in addition to his prior experience in judo and karate….
May
14
You must learn this! Morihiro Saito’s genial 31-kata kumi jo
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In this video, Stephanie Yap and Kaspar Jensen perform the 31 Kumi Jo in Iwama. This kata was devised by Morihiro Saito Sensei to allow paired practice of the movements of the 31-jo kata. Stephanie Yap Sensei earned a 6th degree black belt and the Menkyo Kaiden in Aiki-Ken and Aiki-Jo which were awarded to her by the late Morihiro Saito Sensei, 9th dan…”
