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64 7 8 ( 3' 9 Newsletter
December 2001
No. 40
THE B.A.F. INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL 2001
The B.A.F. International Summer School 2001 took place at Chester University College at the beginning of August. This was a special
occasion, for it was the 21st B.A.F. Summer School that Steve Parr had organised. Fittingly, it saw the largest attendance for many years,
nearly 250 participants from 14 different countries around the world. A record number of 35 students came from Russia and Belarus.
The chief instructors this year were the B.A.F.’s Technical Director, Shihan Minoru Kanetsuka (7 Dan), Shihan Shigeru Sugawara
(6 Dan) from the Hombu Dojo (Tokyo) and Matthew Holland (6 Dan), Chief Instructor of the Scottish Aikido Federation. Senior B.A.F.
Instructor Ken Cottier (6 Dan) was able to take classes on the first day before he set off for Hong Kong. Senior 5 Dan B.A.F. instructors,
Don Morgan, Ian McClarence, Ken Marsden, and Allan Rowley also took classes throughout the week.
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The B.A.F. has Full Recognition from the Aikikai Foundation (Aikido World Headquarters, Tokyo), President: Moriteru Ueshiba;
and it is a member of the International Aikido Federation and of the British Aikido Board.
Head Office: Yew Tree Cottage, Toot Baldon, Oxford, OX44 9NE. Tel. & Fax: 01865 343500
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.bafonline.org.uk
BRITISH AIKIDO FEDERATION – NEWSLETTER NO. 40, DECEMBER 2001
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(1) Assembling for the first practice on Sunday.
(2) After a tree was planted at Chester College in
memory of the late Prince Dhirendra Shah of Nepal,
Sugawara Sensei presented a certificate of the
Prince’s posthumous promotion to Shodan, which he
brought from Hombu.
(3) Sugawara Sensei shows how to unbalance a
partner (here Tom Helsby) in Suwari-waza Ikkyo.
(4) Like the calm at the eye of a storm Kanetsuka
Sensei demonstrates Kokyu-nage on Ken Marsden.
(5) A welcome appearance of Ken Cottier before he
left to attend the 30 Years Celebration of the Hong
Kong Aikido Association, which he founded in 1971.
(6) Matthew Holland creating a human windmill.
STEVE
SUMMER SCHOOL PROMOTIONS
Those of you who were at Summer School will have been aware that it was a very
special one for Steve Parr; it was the 21st organised by him. I have known Steve for
many years, yet it was only when I became Chair of the B.A.F. that I started to have
an inkling of exactly how much work goes into the organisation of such a large event
as this. I suppose I understood that it’s not just a matter of one week every year, but
exactly how much time and effort was involved was not something I had ever given
much thought to.
Realistically speaking, as one
Summer School is taking place the next
is already in the pipeline. Who to invite;
which airport will they fly to and from;
who will pick them up etc., etc.. Summer
School does not end either when the last
of us finally leaves the campus; there are
still bills to pay and mats to be returned
to whence they came. True, the bulk of
the work is done in the last few weeks
before we turn up: organising the
transportation of mats from different
Steve Parr sporting the special commemoratory
ends of the country; trying to sort out
obi presented to him at the close of Summer
exactly how many overseas visitors will
School.
be joining us; setting up the crèche and
buying in supplies for the week; deciding who lives where… the list is a long one. I
suppose it is a mark of how good the organisation is that we all think it is so easy!
Steve is very rarely seen training during the week. This is not because he doesn’t
want to, or has some obscure injury. It is purely and simply because he is continuing
to make sure that things are running smoothly. Of course Steve has a very committed
and able body of helpers, Tony Doherty, Andy and Vicky Marginson, his daughters
Hannah and Jessica, but at the end of the day the weight of responsibility is on Steve.
Over the last 21 years he has done a remarkable job for the B.A.F.. On behalf of the
B.A.F. and of everyone who has ever or will ever attend one of his Summer Schools:
thank you Steve! We may not say it often enough or loudly enough and I am sure we
have no real idea of how much effort you put in but we are grateful to you and to the
team that you lead.
Maria Helsby
Shodan
Arabella Braun (Ryushinkan, London)
Eric Gillett (Fushi Cho Kan, Colchester)
Alec MacHenry (Bradford Dojo)
Charlie Richardson (Swansea University Dojo)
Russell Milton (Shobukan, Cardiff)
Luis Alberto San Martin Chinea (Ryushinkan,
Tenerife)
Nidan
Jon Barton (Ryushinkan, London)
Andrey Khanin (Russian Aikido Federation)
Andrei Okounev (Russian Youth Aikido Federation)
Robbie Tenant (Aberdare Dojo)
Robert Yates (Wagokan, Manchester)
Jason Williams (Ryushinkan, London)
Richard White (Ryushinkan, London)
KANETSUKA SENSEI’S SUMMER VISIT TO FRANCE
BRITISH AIKIDO FEDERATION – NEWSLETTER NO. 40, DECEMBER 2001
A number of B.A.F. students travelled to France to attend a course conducted by Kanetsuka
Sensei in July.
In July, from the 13th to the 17th, Kanetsuka Sensei conducted a course at Cierp-Gaud
in the French Pyrenees.There are two principal dojos in France which are closely
associated to Ryushinkan International, headed by two brothers, Pascal and Luc
Médan in Bordeaux. They were attracted by Sensei’s subtle Aikido in the mid-1980s,
and in the early 1990s they established the long tradition of inviting Kanetsuka Sensei
over to France several times a year. There are now four such stages held each year; at
either Bordeaux or Agen in March, Lille in May, Cierp-Gaud in July, and Toulouse in
October or November. The July stage is longer than the others; generally four days to
coincide with the national holiday of 14th July.
Cierp-Gaud is a small town in South-west France near the Spanish border. It boasts
one bakery, a small grocery store, a football pitch and a large, impressive sports hall.
The tradition of hosting this Aikido course is held in high regard by the town and its
mayor. They have acquired 100 high quality tatami for this purpose, and the mayor
attended the festive dinner held at the sports hall on the last evening.
The Agen and Bordeaux clubs have, together, close to 200 adult members. Though
not all were able to join the course in July, we were happy to meet so many people
trying to follow Kanetsuka Sensei’s Aikido. We were received with great warmth and
hope to see reciprocal visits to the UK.
Jonathan Witztum (Oxford University Dojo)
CHESHIRE DOJO AFFILIATES TO THE B.A.F.
The Jiriki Musubi Dojo, which holds its practices in Winsford under its instructor
Ben Fitzpatrick, has affiliated to the British Aikido Federation.
YUDANSHA
Sandan
Robin Browne (Leeds Dojo)
Tim Soar (Swansea University Dojo)
William Jackson (Oxford City Dojo)
Yondan
Arthur Blick (Bradford Dojo)
Colin Morgan (Port Talbot Dojo)
Godan
Peter Gillard (Shobukan, Cardiff)*
*Promotion to be announced at the Kagami Biraki
Ceremony at Hombu in January 2002
KYU GRADES
6 Kyu
Jonathon Coote (Bristol University Dodo)
Corinne Fletcher (Seishinkan, Newcastle)
Tom Hume (Airenjuku, Brighton)
Leroy McCaulsky (Ryushinkan, London)
John Parkinson (Leeds University Dojo)
Mark Reddish (Shiseikan, Southampton)
Max Roos (Eton College Dojo)
Christopher Thomas (Port Talbot YMCA Dojo)
Christopher Willams (Swansea University Dojo)
Paul Wyatt (Oxford University Dojo)
Hikari Yoshida (Whitechapel Dojo, London)
5 Kyu
Lucy Aitken (North London Aikido Dojo)
Piero Daurat (North London Aikido Dojo)
Nicholas Jones (Oxford City Dojo)
Julian Lester (Leicester Dojo)
Katrina Nunn (Airenjuku, London)
Duncan Parker (Ryushinkan, London)
Antonia Plasentia (Ryushinkan, Tenerife)
4 Kyu
James Anderson (Shiseikan, Southampton)
Simon Cowell (Swansea University Dojo)
Mark Evans (Aberdare Dojo)
Hywel Matthews (Aberdare Dojo)
Patricia Perera Diaz (Ryushinkan, Tenerife)
Lindon Rochester (Ryushinkan, London)
3 Kyu
Hannah Adkins (Swansea University Dojo)
Rob Barker (Genbukan, Macclesfield)
Mark Colley (Ryusuikan, Chester)
Laura Handoca (Oxford City Dojo)
Simon Hirst (Fushi Cho Kan, Colchester)
Patrick McNichol (Ryushinkan, London)
Andrew Thompson (Leicester Dojo)
Mark Walsh (Airenjuku, Brighton)
Jonathon Witztum (Oxford University Dojo)
1 Kyu
James Ladyman (Bristol University Dojo)
Fiona Teare (Leicester Dojo)
Important points in
SHOMEN-UCHI DAI IKKYO
(Suwari-Waza)
5LGAhl5
JB;K
Photos and text: Peter Megann
Graphics and typesetting: Graham and Laura Jones
Uke: Richard Martin
Demonstrated and explained by Kanetsuka Sensei
Omote
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Photo 1: In the omote form of Ikkyo it is Tori who takes the
initiative by making a strike at Uke’s head. Note that if the ma-ai
is not so great between Tori and Uke there is no need for Tori to
take a (knee) step forward at he makes shomen-uchi at Uke’s
forehead. Tori’s action causes Uke to raise his right hand to protect
himself.
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Photo 2: As Tori’s hand descends towards Uke’s head, Tori’s
weight comes onto his right knee as he slides it slightly forward to
the right, keeping a strong feeling in the toes.
Photo 3: Tori’s right te-gatana (hand-blade) is cutting down,
while his left hand rises with a feeling of atemi towards Uke’s
armpit and head and makes contact with the under part of Uke’s
upper arm just above the elbow. He is not actually gripping at this
moment; just cupping Tori’s arm with the palm and little finger of
his left hand. Tori’s whole body is moving forward and to the
right. Two important points at this stage: (a) Do not try to grip your
partner’s right wrist (a common mistake). If you do, you will bend
your elbow and your attack will be weakened. (b) Don’t push your
partner away from you. Keep him at a distance where you can
control him without losing your centre. Your energy should flow
strongly from your big toes as you make kiza. Keep your back
straight; don’t lean forwards. As you cut down, your right hand
makes a small circle and your left hand makes a large circle as
your body turns to the right.
To conform with the standard terminology of Aikido techniques found in Hombu publications we are now calling ikkyo, nikyo, sankyo, etc, dai ikkyo,
dai nikyo, dai sankyo, etc., where dai might be translated as ‘number’ (i.e .’number one’, ‘number two’, ‘number three’, etc.)
BRITISH AIKIDO FEDERATION – NEWSLETTER NO. 40, DECEMBER 2001
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Photo 4: As Uke loses his balance, Tori ‘chases’ him by bringing
his left foot forward. At the same time he grips Uke’s wrist gently
with his palm and little finger (no need for a strong grip).
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BRITISH AIKIDO FEDERATION – NEWSLETTER NO. 40, DECEMBER 2001
Photo 5: Tori maintains his control of Uke through the position
of his centre of gravity rather than by using arm strength. It is
important to maintain good balance through the stages of Photos
4 and 5.
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Photo 6: Tori’s left knee comes down to the tatami near Uke’s
armpit and his right knee moves forward to a point near Uke’s
wrist, inside his gripping hand. At this point Uke’s arm should be
lying at about 105° from his body (certainly more than 90°).
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Photo 7: As Tori pins Uke’s arm, he maintains a good posture,
sitting in kiza and keeping a straight back, his feet (together) and
his knees forming a triangle. Don’t rise up off your heels at this
point. The inside of your partner’s elbow should be in contact with
the tatami. Relax your shoulders and arms, and keep your armpits
closed (though not tightly). Keeping your centre of gravity low,
shift your weight with a rocking feeling onto your partner’s elbow
and wrist, as you breathe out. Don’t push down on your partner:
simply settle your weight down onto his arm. Don’t look down but
look at a point about a metre in front of you.
Ura
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Photo 8: As Uke makes a shomen-uchi strike against Tori’s head, Tori rises
up into kiza. His left hand floats up to engage Uke’s striking hand with tegatana (DO NOT GRASP THE WRIST). Note that Tori’s left wrist is
rotating at this point – as in the suwari-waza kokyu-ho exercise – so that the
thumb is pointing towards Tori’s forehead, his left elbow slightly expanding
outwards as it moves towards Uke. The left arm is not held stiffly outwards
towards Uke but rises in an arc. The feeling is that of making a strike at Uke’s
forehead. Like the left elbow the right elbow is expanding slightly outwards.
(Notice again the similarity with the movement of the arms in the suwariwaza kokyu-ho exercise.) At the same moment Tori’s right hand floats up to
meet Uke’s arm just above his elbow, making contact with a cupping action
(see text for Photo 3). The action of both arms in unison is similar to the
action of defending your head (furi-kaburi) in sword-work. Do not push
against your partner during this action. There should be a feeling of
‘dropping’ in your elbows. Your centre is advancing with energy flowing
upwards from your toes; your knees have not yet moved.
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BRITISH AIKIDO FEDERATION – NEWSLETTER NO. 40, DECEMBER 2001
Photos 9−12: Tori slides his right knee slightly forwards to a
point just in front of Uke’s left knee. Keeping his feet together he
pivots on his right knee, his whole body turning to the left as he
draws his left knee backwards in a large arc. Be careful not to pull
your partner during this tenkan movement. You must bring your
partner around you in a spiral movement. His arm must always be
in front of your centre. Your partner should be as if floating in
front of you. A stable, square-like feeling must be maintained
throughout the whole of the tenkan. As you begin to turn, rotate
your hand-blade (thumb turning downwards) to deflect your
partner’s power. The shape of your arms should remain constant
(they should remain extended). Your right hand is pointing to the
left and is at a point in line with your navel. Your left hand is
leading to a point just beyond your left hip. Don’t grip too soon or
your arms will straighten and your wrists will roll over outwards.
Rather, your wrists should be depressed so that your hands form
an angle with your forearms such as when you place your hands
on the tatami when you begin to make za-rei (Photo 12). Keep
your arms in a horizontal position and maintain the same pressure
on your partner’s arm. Don’t use too much physical force: just
keep contact with your partner’s arm. If you keep good ma-ai,
move smoothly, keep a correct relationship and don’t force the
movement, your partner will almost fly through the air. This is
why the study of kokyu is important. You should make one
unbroken sweeping movement with energy flowing from your
toes to your palms.
Photos 13 & 14: The pin is the same as in Photos 6 & 7.
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A LETTER FROM THE DOSHU
British Aikido Federation
To the British Aikido Federation
23 October, 2001
Our most sincere appreciation of your congratulatory telegram on
the occasion of the Aikikai Foundation’s celebratory event. Thanks
to your kind assistance, the Commemoratory Celebration was held
with great success. We wish to extend our most heartfelt gratitude
for the kindness you have shown to us. We hope that you will
continue in the future to assist us in furthering the growth and
prosperity of Aikido. We humbly ask for your continued kind
favour and support.
Sincerely
SPRING COURSE
13 − 14 APRIL
with
SHIHAN
MINORU KANETSUKA
(7 Dan, Technical Director of the British Aikido Federation)
and
MATTHEW HOLLAND
Ueshiba Moriteru
Chairman,
Aikikai Foundation
(6 Dan, Chief Instructor of the Scottish Aikido Federation)
at
MALDWYN LEISURE CENTRE
Plantation Lane
NEWTOWN (POWYS)
WALES
BRITISH AIKIDO FEDERATION – NEWSLETTER NO. 40, DECEMBER 2001
Saturday: 4 − 7 pm, Sunday: 10 am − 1 pm
For further information phone 01865 343500
B.A.F. ESSENTIAL TEACHING SYLLABUS VIDEOS
FROM BEGINNER TO BLACK BELT
DEMONSTRATED BY SHIHAN MINORU KANETSUKA
Volume 1: Syllabus for 6th Kyu and 5th Kyu
Volume 2: Syllabus for 4th Kyu and 3rd Kyu
Price: £20 (please enquire about concessionary price for dojos)
P&P: UK – £2; Outside Europe – £3
Please make cheques payable to Ryushinkan
Order from: Philip Loftus, Secretary of Ryushinkan Dojo,
29 Buckhurst Ave., Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1LZ
Tel./Fax.: 01732 741673
E-mail: [email protected]
RYUSHINKAN COURSE OF 8−9 SEPTEMBER
Since January 1998 Tatsuo Suzuki Sensei, Director of the Wado International Karate-do Federation,
has featured regularly at Ryushinkan courses organised at the Somers Town Community Sports
Centre in London NW1. When asked why he is so keen to introduce Suzuki Sensei to Aikido
practitioners Kanetsuka Sensei replied that first of all there has been a long association between
Wadoryu Karate and Aikido. Hironori Ostuka Sensei, the founder of Wadoryu Karate, took part in
martial arts demonstrations in which O-sensei participated. Secondly, and most importantly, if we
want to make our Aikido universally effective, we must be able to defend ourselves against punches
(tsuki) and kicks (keri). Indeed, punches and kicks are the most common forms of attack. And
nobody can deal a swifter and more effective blow or kick than a karate exponent. So, in order to
train in Aikido against such attacks, we must be aware of their efficacy and we must be able to make
realistic tsuki and keri ourselves so that we can practise Aikido defence against them. We can also
learn from a karate expert the finer points of tai-sabaki against such attacks.
Here are two impressions of the course from B.A.F. Students:
Saturday was spent wholly with Suzuki Sensei, while on Sunday we
had the benefit of instruction from both Kanetsuka Sensei and
Nakamura Sensei. As Suzuki Sensei guided us in techniques which
were essentially of karate, most of us were practising an art that we
were not familiar with, though conscious that we hoped to gain
something that would benefit our Aikido. By the end of the day I had
come to the conclusion that although we might study different martial
arts, many of their essential elements are the same, e.g. moving off the
line of attack, achieving correct ma-ai, making good contact, etc. In
some cases we were working at closer quarters than we would usually
do in Aikido practice when facing a tsuki attack, which really
emphasized the importance of correct ma-ai and timing.
On Sunday the class began with Kanetsuka Sensei demonstrating
bokken movement; after which we had a period with Nakamura
Sensei, an adept in Chokushinkan (‘contact’) Karate, demonstrating
movements from that school. I was left thinking, how would I deal
with an attack from someone of his skills?!
All in all, it is difficult to identify anything specific that I learned
from the weekend, since we covered so many skills that these experts
were seeking to impart. It must be from continual exposure that we
gradually improve our understanding, possibly obtaining an insight
into the essence of the art we are practising. So … until the next
course, when we might come away equally confused! Maybe the real
lesson is to persevere and keep on practising. Perhaps the destination
is less important than the journey.
Eric Gillett (Fushi Shin Kan, Essex)
LONDON RYUSHINKAN
SPECIAL NEW YEAR COURSE
at
Somers Town Community Sports Centre,
134 Charlton St, London NW1
SATURDAY, 5 JANUARY
2.30 – 5.30 pm
TATSUO SUZUKI SENSEI
(Hanshi 8 Dan, Director of Wado International Karate-do Federation)
Tsuki, Keri and Tai-sabaki for Aikido Practitioners
(Practitioners should wear white belts unless they are yudansha of the
Wado International Karate-do Federation)
SUNDAY, 6 JANUARY
10 am – 1. 00 pm
KANETSUKA SENSEI
(Shihan 7 Dan, Technical Director of the B.A.F.)
Aikido with bokken, jo and tanto
Fee: 2 days − £30; 1 day − £20 (no need to book in advance)
For further details phone 01732 741673 or 07931 787151
(London Ryushinkan is affiliated to the British Aikido Federation)
On Sunday Kanetsuka Sensei started with his usual sequence of
preparatory exercises, beginning with deep tori-fune. In recent years
he has started to do a less strenuous form of this where the hands are
raised from the floor in a large scooping movement, but then returning
the hands to the floor close to the body, rather than keeping full
extension on the way down. In this motion there is a strong connection
between the hands and hips, supported by the strong foundation of the
legs and feet. It is very like the feeling in kokyu-ho, which became a
strong theme of his teaching that day.
During his intensive sitting stretches he emphasised the
movement of the hands, again with the feeling of extension through
the open hands away from the belly. This movement of protecting the
head as you stretch forward is like raising a sword to the side of the
head in furi-kaburi (which he showed while he was stretching). It’s
also like the movement of bowing – particularly za-rei – in that the
movement comes from the hips, while keeping the back straight and
the shoulders and arms relaxed.
We spent some time practising with bokken, drawing the sword in
seiza and raising it above the head, as well as practising furi-kaburi
(protecting the head). Kanetsuka Sensei emphasised the importance
of relaxing the arms and shoulders, changing grip at the top of the
swing to allow sword to move naturally. This is again like the image
of ‘opening an umbrella’, which he uses often when teaching
shomen-uchi irimi-nage – your hands rise almost spontaneously to
protect your head, at the same time as you move off the line of attack.
Nakamura Sensei (an expert in Chokushinkan Karate) took over
the class for forty-five minutes or so, leading us through basic
sequences of punching, blocking and kicking. He emphasised the
importance of ma-ai for contact, pointing out that the posture and
distance in sparring and ‘real’ fighting are very different from when
we are practising kihon and kata. He showed how punches and kicks
are made with movements of the elbow and knee, respectively, while
the hand and foot are kept much more free. It was interesting to notice
how small his blocking movements were, and how soft his arm felt at
the moment of contact, just as we aim for in Aikido.
When Kanetsuka Sensei resumed the class, we practised cutting in
kesa-giri, and then paired off for exercises based on kesa-giri (the
kihon dachi of Kashima Shinryu). Again Sensei reminded us to relax
the shoulders and cut with the forward movement of the centre. The
feeling should be of swinging the sword, not forcing, and when you
meet your partner’s attack, it is important to keep the hips low,
relaxing the shoulders and focusing through the sword, rather than
having a ‘blocking’ feeling, which opens you up to further attack.
To finish the class we practised tachiwaza morote-dori kokyu-ho
and shiho-nage, with tori holding the sword. I’m always amazed how
much different these simple exercises feel when you have the sword
in your hands – this seems to take the awareness out of the wrists and
the partner’s grip, and makes it much easier to feel the whole of the
partner’s body. When we ended with two or three partners holding
(without the sword), I found I could relax my shoulders and control
my partners much more when I imagined where the tip of the blade
would have been.
Alex Megann (Shiseikan, Southampton)
BRITISH AIKIDO FEDERATION – NEWSLETTER NO. 40, DECEMBER 2001
Suzuki Sensei
TWO NOTABLE EVENTS IN 2001
In Japan, the Aikido calendar is generally centred on the seasons
of the year. As in the B.A.F., there is etsunen-geiko at the Aikikai
Hombu, followed by the daily diet of training. New recruits enter
university dojos in April and the pace of training generally
becomes more intensive in preparation for the natsu-gasshuku,
intensive training in the hot summer season when practice adds
another dimension to sweating. As the weather cools, training
becomes more intensive in preparation for intensive winter
training when practice adds another dimension to freezing,
especially through misogi exercises preformed in a river or under
a waterfall. The training schedule is punctuated by annual events
such as kagami-biraki, when the higher-grade promotions are
announced, and the May All-Japan Demonstration, a kind of dojo
reunion on a nationwide scale. But there are also special events
and two of these occurred in 2001. Both events are related to the
recognition of aikido as an ‘international’ martial art. The 6th
World Games took place in Japan for the first time and the Hombu
celebrated two special anniversaries in a traditional style.
BRITISH AIKIDO FEDERATION – NEWSLETTER NO. 40, DECEMBER 2001
World Games in Akita
The World Games are held every four years in the year
following the summer Olympic Games. Since the I.A.F. became a
member of the General Association of International Sports
Federations (GAISF) in 1984, Aikido has been represented at
successive World Games. The late Doshu, Kisshomaru Ueshiba,
made very clear the Hombu’s thinking behind participation in
GAISF and the World Games. Aikido is not a competitive sport
and does not have competitions. However, it is eminently
reasonable, and desirable, that Aikido − as an martial art practised
in 80 countries worldwide − should be represented on
international bodies. This is done through the I.A.F.. In the World
Games, Aikido is presented as a traditional martial art in the
traditional way, through demonstrations. Thus, when the decision
was made to hold the 6th World Games in Japan, the birthplace of
Aikido, it was considered natural that Aikido should be
represented.
The preparation for the World Games was undertaken by the
Tohoku Aikido Federation, one of the oldest regional aikido
groups in Japan. The Tohoku region is the region in Honshu to the
north of Tokyo and the aikido federation is noteworthy for the
activities of four eminent aikido shihan: the late Rinjiro Shirata,
Morihiro Saito, Hiroshi Isoyama, and Masatake Fujita. A training
course was organised with all three of these shihan, with Doshu
Moriteru Ueshiba giving the final class.
The B.A.F. was represented at the World Games
Demonstration in two ways. The first demonstration was given by
the I.A.F. Chairman, who was firmly billed as coming from the
UK and a member of the B.A.F. Demonstrations were given by
members from a dozen countries and a very eminent member of
the Hong Kong group was our very own Ken Cottier. The training
course was held on days preceding and succeeding the
demonstrations. Isoyama Sensei and Fujita Sensei gave classes on
the first day and Saito Sensei and Doshu gave classes on the
second day. Comparing the various approaches of these four
experts to the basic techniques of aikido (they all taught basics)
was a very illuminating experience. Around 400 people
participated and for me the training course was a reminder of
Fujita Sensei’s classes in past B.A.F. Summer Schools and also of
a memorable course given by Saito Sensei in London around
1976. Does anyone remember this course?
The World Games events were held in August and for once
Akita was surprisingly hot (Akita is supposed to be in Japan’s
‘frozen north’, but it is on a similar latitude to Larissa in Greece
and Toledo in Spain). We all sweltered, but towards the end of the
World Games everything changed as a typhoon passed over Japan.
I had to teach an week-long intensive course at my university, but I
was lucky to be able to return to Hiroshima on schedule.
Two Hombu Anniversaries
The Founder of aikido had a very chequered career. He
interrupted his early training in Hokkaido with Sokaku Takeda
and planned to return to Tanabe, to see his dying father. But
instead of returning directly to Tanabe, he went to Ayabe to visit
Onisaburo Deguchi, one of the founders of the Omoto (‘Great
Truth’) religion. Greatly influenced by Deguchi, Morihei Ueshiba
opened a dojo in Ayabe and trained there until 1931, when he
moved to Tokyo and established a dojo where the present Hombu
Dojo stands. This was called the Kobukan (the ‘Place of Heavenly
Budo’) and this was the first reason for the anniversary party held
in Tokyo on 27th October.
The Kobukan flourished, but the art practised by Morihei
Ueshiba was originally called ‘Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu’ and later
‘Aiki-budo’. However, numbers gradually declined, as Japan’s
war effort accelerated, and eventually all of the uchi-deshi were
called up into the military. (The Founder eventually moved to
Iwama and continued training in an art which later passed as an
unusual kind of farming!) Nevertheless in 1941, at the beginning
of the war against the United States, the Japanese government
gave the Kobukan Dojo the status of a foundation (the Kobukai).
After the War, this name was changed to the Aikikai Foundation
and this is how we know the legal entity which stands behind the
Hombu Dojo. However, the creation of the original foundation in
1941 was the second reason for the party on 27th October.
The party followed the usual pattern, well-known to all
aikidoists who have spent some time in Japan. The gathering was
held in a very large ballroom in the Keio Plaza Hotel. In the centre
of the room were tables literally groaning with food and drink.
Around the tables stood large numbers of people, probably
between 1,000 and 2,000. There were welcome speeches, a toast,
and then everybody did elaborate tai-sabaki around the tables with
the aim of (a) eating a reasonable amount of food and (b) of
finding and talking to as many friends and acquaintances as
possible.
After sampling the comestibles, your correspondent made
precisely two journeys round the room in the space of two hours,
but in the process met many old friends and acquaintances. Most
of the guests were Japanese, but there were quite a few foreign
faces and I particularly enjoyed some very nostalgic meetings with
old friends from the time when I was active in the B.A.F. (in the
1970s). It reminded me of my aikido ‘roots’, when I trained with
Kanetsuka Sensei in the old Ryushinkan and Tenpukan Dojos.
Peter Goldsbury
B.A.F. , B.U.A.F. AND ASSOCIATED COURSES OVERSEAS
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