Aikido World

The celebration of Kobayashi Dojo’s 40^th anniversary in September presented an opportunity for me to visit Japan for the first time in the company of three other members of Tenshinkan dojo in Chicago. This extraordinary experience allowed me to not only witness and practice Aikido in new ways, but also to meet Aikidoka of different nationalities and levels of training.

The opportunities for unique training seemed endless and included Meiji University, a seminar with The Doshu and Kobayashi Sensei, a class at Hombu Dojo, a class with Hiroaki Sensei, and a large demonstration that showed each country’s unique style of Aikido. After long training sessions, delicious food (such as octopus balls, beef, salty plums, sake, and beer) was shared as we learned of each person’s experience of Aikido in Japan. The three-day trip to Wakayama Prefecture, O’Sensei’s birthplace, was a highlight of the trip for me, accentuated y the breathtaking Nachi waterfall and O’Sensei’s hometown.

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- Aikido Today Vol. 3, No. 3, page 1.

Uchideshi means “inside student,” someone who wants to observe an instructor at close hand. This is the traditional method of training for professionals in Japan. It is most common in occupations involving physical skills such as fine arts, crafts and martial arts. But even in the business world, trainees for high level executive positions must spend a certain amount of time in lower level jobs. The term is very similar in meaning to “apprentice” in the West. Although apprentice systems have largely disappeared in Western countries, with the exception of certain trade union programs, uchideshi programs are still quite common in Japan.

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Later this month, a group from the AAA will be traveling to Japan to celebrate and honor the 40th anniversary of Aikido Kobayashi Dojo, headed by Yasuo Kobayashi. AAA/AAI Executive Director Stephen Toyoda previously studied at Kobayashi Dojo, as an uchideshi for Kobayashi Sensei.

The Aikido Journal conducted an interview with Yasuo Kobayashi in 1992, available online.

The Aikido Journal has recently reposted a link to an excellent 1996 interview with Fumio Toyoda Shihan.

The complete interview is available here.

Renshu: The initial stage in which the trainee repeatedly practices the basic forms.

Kunren: More intensive and varied training, for example, at seminars.

Tanren: Committed forging through repetition, despite any obstacles in the way.

Keiko: Reaching a feeling of the ancient origins or principles of the forms.

Kufu: Application of the art and its principles to everyday situations.

Shugyo: Mastery-the deepest possible spiritual/physical training.

In Spain, Aikidoka are currently celebrating the end of the 2007-2008 season. Maite Sensei (sandan) of AIKISUR in Spain wrote a brief story as reflecting on the past season.

You can read it in English and its original Spanish below.
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Aikido. The Way of Harmony. The Way of Harmonizing with Energy.

Ever since I began studying aikido, four years ago, many people I encounter often ask me to show them a technique. Many a time after I have shown them something, that person may retort, saying “That is not an aikido technique” or “That wouldn’t really work.” My question then becomes, “Why not?” Because something does not necessarily hurt does not mean that it does not work.

The essence of aikido, harmonizing, proves itself in many different aspects. There are many specific techniques a student of aikido learns as they grow within the art, but most importantly, they learn how to learn. In doing so, their technique and knowledge of aikido progresses. When this happens, the student realized that a technique does not have to be displayed to display aikido. On the other hand, sometimes it may need to be.

Part of the importance and value of aikido is that one can disable another without necessarily hurting them. Many times I have heard that aikido is worthless or useless. Nothing could be further from the truth. When faced with these comments, I ask, “Why?” Many times the response is that it is not aggressive enough or it is purely defensive. This leads me to believe that these people have never truly studied aikido. Part of why aikido is so great is that it does not have to be aggressive or offensive… but it can be.

There are countless aikido techniques that can be used to gently disable a person or gently force them to the ground. These same techniques can be used to very aggressively disable a person and very aggressively force them to the ground as a debilitating pin can be used as well. That is a large reason why aikido is so great. As mentioned before, a technique need not be used to display aikido. Just moving aside of an attack or escaping a grasp is also displaying the act of harmonizing with energy.

When given the statement, “That does not work” or “That is not an aikido technique,” a slight grin emerges on my face. Aikido is a very adaptive art, which is another quality of The Way of Harmony. Certain ideas or physical displays may not be conventional nor orthodox; however, they are still harmonizing with energy, blending with the surroundings. It can be easy to beat up another person. Controlling that person as well as the circumstance and what is happening around you all the while still protecting that person, when needs be, is something different all together and much more difficult. That is aikido.

To study aikido one does not need to be young or old, big or small, strong or weak, fast or slow. You cannot learn to be a certain age nor a certain size that is unattainable. What can be learned and gained is timing. Timing is a quality that will continue to grow within a person and serve them throughout their lives the more they study and learn.

At the other end of the spectrum, aikido is a valuable attribute that grows beyond physicality as it may consciously and subconsciously creep into one’s mindset as they harmonize with energy and blend with their surroundings avoiding and solving conflicts in daily life: practicing on the mat, work, school, relationships, etc.

That is why AIKIDO is great!

Luke Bahar is a Shodan and Assistant Instructor at University of Houston Aikido.

“It does look a bit like Ballroom dancing … with big trousers,” says my friend, with what looks suspicious like a smirk. I try not to be irritated and focus on one-point.

“It is very fluid and graceful,” I reply, taking the high road.

“He’s not really being thrown though, is he? He’s letting himself be thrown. What’s the good in that?”

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Editor’s Note: This article was first publishing in Aikido World in the 1990s.

The Concept of Ki - Stages in Training

by Shihan Fumio Toyoda, President and Chief Instructor Aikido Association of America

As martial artists, and especially as Aikidoka, the concept of ki is of some importance to us. Visit any Aikido dojo, and you will probably hear the word ki mentioned in a variety of contexts and with many shades of meaning.
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