is Hiroyuki Sanada (Seibei Iguchi) Aikido black belt?

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[TomasCruz]

I was searching this forum for Hiroyuki Sanada, and found nothing I was hoping to find. I'm wondering if anybody noticed any Aikido in the fight scene (it begins roughly @ 43 minutes, although the physical part of the confrontation begins @ around 44 min 55 sec, I think the movie fps is 23.976).

I don’t think this fight scene would look like this if it happened at the time period movie is set into (please correct me if I’m wrong), because I think such movement and the lock done with a wooden stick wasn’t yet existing at the time. Again, please correct me if I’m wrong.

My google search on Hiroyuki Sanada didn’t offer me any martial arts history of his, so I was wondering is it Aikido? He certainly seems like a Dan grade holder, maybe it’s Kendo or Iaido or Aikido, I don’t know… can anybody on the forum help me with this?

Anyway, I think Seibei Iguchi fought this fight by the principles of Aikido, and his movements and the lock I mentioned certainly reminded me of Aikido…

Any thoughts and information will be appreciated, thanks in advance. In any case, I’m interested what people think about it.

P.S. Oh yes, I forgot to mention - this is a wonderful movie, I heartily recommend it.

[dps]

I was searching this forum for Hiroyuki Sanada, and found nothing I was hoping to find. I'm wondering if anybody noticed any Aikido in the fight scene (it begins roughly @ 43 minutes, although the physical part of the confrontation begins @ around 44 min 55 sec, I think the movie fps is 23.976).

I don't think this fight scene would look like this if it happened at the time period movie is set into (please correct me if I'm wrong), because I think such movement and the lock done with a wooden stick wasn't yet existing at the time. Again, please correct me if I'm wrong.

My google search on Hiroyuki Sanada didn't offer me any martial arts history of his, so I was wondering is it Aikido? He certainly seems like a Dan grade holder, maybe it's Kendo or Iaido or Aikido, I don't know… can anybody on the forum help me with this?

Anyway, I think Seibei Iguchi fought this fight by the principles of Aikido, and his movements and the lock I mentioned certainly reminded me of Aikido…

Any thoughts and information will be appreciated, thanks in advance. In any case, I'm interested what people think about it.

P.S. Oh yes, I forgot to mention - this is a wonderful movie, I heartily recommend it.

Is this the scene you are referring to from "Twilight Samurai"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x8jsqQS6p0

[Ron Tisdale]

If you are refering to this movie:
The Twilight Samurai - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twilight_Samurai

Then yes, this is an excellent movie!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroyuki_Sanada
Best,
Ron

[Janet Rosen]

I certainly enjoyed Twilight Samurai but I wonder what makes you think it is aikido or that "a lock with a stick" would not have existed in a koryu art?

[TomasCruz]

yes it is from "twilight samurai". I don't think things like what he did didn't exist in a koryu art, I'm just interested if anybody can tell me more about it :) Does anybody know what's his martial carrier? Or was it just coreography practised for the movie?

[George S. Ledyard]

yes it is from "twilight samurai". I don't think things like what he did didn't exist in a koryu art, I'm just interested if anybody can tell me more about it :) Does anybody know what's his martial carrier? Or was it just coreography practised for the movie?

Sanada is an actor, not a martial artist. But he attended the school founded by Sonny Chiba for martial artists to learn acting and actors to learn martial arts called the Japan Action Club. He looks good because he has talent and has some training. This is much like Toshiro Mifune who was an actor but had lessons in Katori Shinto Ryu from Sugino Sensei.

In my opinion, movies fare better with actors who have trained in the martial arts rather than martial artists who have decided to be actors. Michelle Yeoh is another in this category, although she was a dancer originally rather than an actor.

[BAP]

In my opinion, movies fare better with actors who have trained in the martial arts rather than martial artists who have decided to be actors. Michelle Yeoh is another in this category, although she was a dancer originally rather than an actor.

The question then arises where does the great thespian Stephen Seagal falls within this continuum?

[Nick P.]

The question then arises where does the great thespian Stephen Seagal falls within this continuum?

"Great" + "thespian" + "Steven Seagal": not words I ever expected to hear strung together.:D

[TomasCruz]

Sanada is an actor, not a martial artist. But he attended the school founded by Sonny Chiba for martial artists to learn acting and actors to learn martial arts called the Japan Action Club. He looks good because he has talent and has some training. This is much like Toshiro Mifune who was an actor but had lessons in Katori Shinto Ryu from Sugino Sensei.

In my opinion, movies fare better with actors who have trained in the martial arts rather than martial artists who have decided to be actors. Michelle Yeoh is another in this category, although she was a dancer originally rather than an actor.

Thanks for your reply. I very much like Sanada's acting, and this movie. As for the sword vs. stick fight scene in the movie, you said he's just an actor with some martial arts training...

But I still think this fight scene was very much about the essence of Aikido. He got into this duel instead of his unskillful friend, who would get badly injured or killed by that alcoholic bully with higher social standing AND some fighting knowledge (well, at least some formal knowledge). He then avoided any injury to the opponent or himself to the end of the duel, when he hit the guy on the base of the skull, so the duel ended with the bad guy being in a state of unconsciousness, without really being hurt. Tehniques aside, when I see something like this, some thoughts about Aikido cross my mind...

Cheers,
Toma

[crbateman]

The question then arises where does the great thespian Stephen Seagal falls within this continuum?Understanding that yours is only a sarcasm, I don't think we'll be seeing any Academy Awards with Seagal's name engraved thereon any time soon... :o

[TomasCruz]

Understanding that yours is only a sarcasm, I don't think we'll be seeing any Academy Awards with Seagal's name engraved thereon any time soon... :o

I really don't see why... he's such a great actor. His face looks the same whether he's cheerfull, angry or sad, and I don't think many actors can pull that off. But he's certainly a great martial artist.

This thread seem to have got beyond my simple question, so... anybody seen "Kuro-obi"? I remembered it because of this MA artist being an actor or vice versa thing. Those guys in "Kuro-obi" are real karate masters, and the movie itself is somehow naive, and the acting requirement was not too high... but their acting is quite OK, for such a movie.

And I liked the movie, though it's no where near the rank of "twilight samurai". But I liked the movie and I think anyone with a slightest interest in karate should see it.

[Don_Modesto]

I don't know if this movie ever made it over here, but it's lavish, clever, and sensitive (to maybe a li--ttle mawkish, as Jpn movies can seem to Americans): Sharaku (1995).

Sanada plays a UKIYOE artists in love with a fancy courtesan. There are a couple of action scenes that show off his talents in that, too.

[jason jordan]

[QUOTE=George S. Ledyard;234264]Sanada is an actor, not a martial artist. But he attended the school founded by Sonny Chiba for martial artists to learn acting and actors to learn martial arts called the Japan Action Club. He looks good because he has talent and has some training. This is much like Toshiro Mifune who was an actor but had lessons in Katori Shinto Ryu from Sugino Sensei.

I am sorry to seem arrogant. I do not mean to come off this way. But Sanada is in fact a martial artist. The info on Wikipedia is not complete.

I remembered him from his role as "Ujio" from "The Last Samurai"
He began in Kendo and did various forms of Karate.

Here is one source.
http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=662

[batemanb]

Hiroyuki Sanada started out as a stuntman before landing roles as an actor.

[Carl Thompson]

Wasn't he opposite Jackie Chan in in the last Rush Hour?

[TomasCruz]

[QUOTE=George S. Ledyard;234264]Sanada is an actor, not a martial artist. But he attended the school founded by Sonny Chiba for martial artists to learn acting and actors to learn martial arts called the Japan Action Club. He looks good because he has talent and has some training. This is much like Toshiro Mifune who was an actor but had lessons in Katori Shinto Ryu from Sugino Sensei.

I am sorry to seem arrogant. I do not mean to come off this way. But Sanada is in fact a martial artist. The info on Wikipedia is not complete.

I remembered him from his role as "Ujio" from "The Last Samurai"
He began in Kendo and did various forms of Karate.

Here is one source.
http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=662

I knew he was a martial artist! Don, thank you for info about that movie (Sharaku), I'll sure look it up.