aikinotes@ces

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Robert Frager Shihan at Aikido of Santa Cruz, November 2011


Photo credit: Larry Colen

Robert Frager Shihan at Aikido of Santa Cruz, November 2011

“Kisshomaru Ueshiba’s stamp on modern aikido,” by Stanley Pranin

“Kisshomaru Ueshiba’s stamp on modern aikido,” by Stanley Pranin

Aikido Journal Online, Mar 27, 2011

"Kisshomaru worked to create an official version of aikido history, starting with his biography of his father titled “Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido” in 1977. In addition to providing a great deal of previously unpublished material on his father’s life and the early years of aikido, Kisshomaru’s work staked out the official stance of the Aikikai on a number of sensitive historical issues. These included the following:

the influence of Sokaku Takeda and Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu on the formation of aikido

a Morihei-centric version of the founder’s involvement in the Omoto religion

the minimizing of the extensive connections of early aikido to right-wing political and military figures and institutions

the obscuring of the respective roles of Morihei’s nephew Yoichiro Inoue, Kenji Tomiki and Koichi Tohei in the evolution of the art

...

During the last decade or so of his life, Kisshomaru created conditions whereby political rebels who had sided with Koichi Tohei on his split from the Aikikai could return to the good graces of the mother organization. His attitude of forgiveness where deep-seated wounds lingered will no doubt accrue to his credit on analysis by future aikido historians. Kisshomaru also had the foresight to accept various independent and desenfranchised federations into the Aikikai fold, in those instances where their size and cohesiveness met the necessary criteria."

http://blog.aikidojournal.com/blog/2011/03/27/kisshomaru-ueshibas-stamp-on-modern-aikido-by-stanley-pranin/

Interview with Koichi Tohei

Interview with Koichi Tohei (2): Mind-Body Unification (Shin Shin Toitsu) and Ueshiba Sensei

by Stanley Pranin

Aikido Journal #109 (Fall/Winter 1996)

He also used to say fantastic things like, “The gods became like smoke and entered my body,” and “In all the world, past and present, even among saints and wise men, there has never been anyone who could understand what I say, and even I myself, though I am saying it, do not understand.” Now how in the world were we supposed to make anything of talk like that!?
...

I never paid as much attention to what Sensei said as to what he did. You could ask him all the questions you wanted and never understand his answers. He would just show you and say something to the effect of “It’s done like this.”

http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=127