YouTube: Kisaburo Osawa

[Please visit our sponsor:]

[Charles Hill]

Here is a great clip of Osawa Kisaburo Sensei teaching in the US. The poster only put the word Aikido in the tags, so I thought I'd give some help by posting a link here. Osawa Sensei was a largely unknown yet hugely influential force in the Aikikai.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIl6iH1GBDQ&feature=related

[Russ Q]

Thanks for the post Charles! Suganuma Sensei cites Osawa Shihan as a main influence in his aikido....boy oh boy can you ever see it...they move in a very similar fashion.

Love Yamada and Kanai sensei's long hair!

Cheers,

Russ

[Peter Goldsbury]

Here is a great clip of Osawa Kisaburo Sensei teaching in the US. The poster only put the word Aikido in the tags, so I thought I'd give some help by posting a link here. Osawa Sensei was a largely unknown yet hugely influential force in the Aikikai.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIl6iH1GBDQ&feature=related

Charles,

I was present at a similar seminar he held in Boston at the old Central Sq. dojo. I think the year was 1974 or 75. Masatake Fukita was also there and you can see him taking ukemi from Osawa Sensei (as well as Yamada and Kanai).

PAG

[aikidoc]

Too bad modern video capture equipment was no available in those days. I think we probably lost some gems.

[JO]

We're lucky to have as many of these clips as we have.

What yeasr was this? This is the first clip I've seen of K. Osawa so young. Reminds me more of his son, who I've had the luck to experience in person, than in the clips I've seen of him as an older man.

[ze'ev erlich]

It's a wonderful video clip. and I am so happy to see Masatake Fujita Sensei here taking Ukemi for Osawa Sensei.

Thank you so much for giving a link to this video.

[rulemaker]

I also have a video of K. Osawa Sensei taken at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in the late 80's. His uke's are Fujita Sensei and Yukimitsu Kobayashi Sensei.

I will try to convert it and upload it into youtube.

[kokyu]

Good stuff... Watching some of his movements reminds me of his son Osawa Hayato Sensei... so his spirit lives on!

[Nick P.]

Mr. Hill - great find, thanks for sharing.

Dr. Goldsbury - thanks for pointing out Fujita Sensei.

Mr. Elrich - I could not be more in agreement.

Mr. Miel - that would be most appreciated, and I have subscribed to this thread to monitor further updates.

[Ellis Amdur]

Note - Osawa sensei taught by taking ukemi.
I recognized some people in the video from the old days. Notable was the Japanese-American guy with the long hair and beard. Don't remember his name, but we called him "The mugger's mugger," because he liked to go out at night, looking frail and helpless, and then, when someone tried to rob him, disarming the attacker and taking his knife or other weapon. He reportedly had a collection of weapons he'd taken off people.

[Charles Hill]

I am happy you guys have enjoyed the clip. I sure have!

The comments about Kisaburo and Hayato having similar movement are interesting. I actually think they moved quite differently. I was very surprised when I moved to Tokyo and saw Osawa Hayato's movement and how different it is from his father's.

I have a video of when both Osawas visited Akira Tohei's dojo for some anniversary. Hayato has about the most beautiful ukemi I have ever seen.

Here is a clip of Osawa Hayato Shihan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyvpmG2i5v4

One thing I do see in common is their footwork. If I am remembering correctly, Akira Tohei described it as "suriashi" derived from the Noh drama.

[kokyu]

The comments about Kisaburo and Hayato having similar movement are interesting. I actually think they moved quite differently. I was very surprised when I moved to Tokyo and saw Osawa Hayato's movement and how different it is from his father's.

One thing I do see in common is their footwork. If I am remembering correctly, Akira Tohei described it as "suriashi" derived from the Noh drama.

I was referring to the knee flexing - you can see it around 1:48 when Osawa Senior does the ikkyo pin

But you raised an interesting point... does Hitohiro Sensei move like Saito Sensei? Or the Third Doshu like the Second Doshu? Or Shioda Kancho like Shioda Soke?

[Charles Hill]

does Hitohiro Sensei move like Saito Sensei? Or the Third Doshu like the Second Doshu? Or Shioda Kancho like Shioda Soke?

Good question. I am guessing that for you, the question is rhetorical and the obvious answer is "no", but for me, the answer is yes. All three gentlemen move very much like their fathers, especially gentlemens 1 and 3. When you see Hitohiro Saito move, there is no doubt as to who his teacher was. IMHO however, the same can not be easily done with Hayato Osawa. He has clearly had massive input from another source.

Also, this is not just a matter of age. Aikido Journal sells a dvd of an early All Japan demo and in it Kisaburo Osawa moves exactly as he always did, even many years later. That dvd is very interesting to me as it is clear that all of the shihan featured had their movement "style" pretty much set and that 20, 30 years later there was not much difference.

[kokyu]

Good question. I am guessing that for you, the question is rhetorical and the obvious answer is "no", but for me, the answer is yes. All three gentlemen move very much like their fathers, especially gentlemens 1 and 3. When you see Hitohiro Saito move, there is no doubt as to who his teacher was. IMHO however, the same can not be easily done with Hayato Osawa. He has clearly had massive input from another source.

Errr... it was *not* meant as a rhetorical question, just a general point of discussion about the transmission of the art between father and son.

I have not had the privilege of training under two generations, so it's harder for me to make a comparison.

I recently attended a multi-day seminar by Shimamoto Sensei who stated that he had been a follower of Osawa Kissaburo Sensei. In a way, I was expecting to see some aspects of Osawa Hayato Sensei, but that was not the case... so you could be right :)

[sorokod]

Soon-Kian Phang wrote:
does Hitohiro Sensei move like Saito Sensei? Or the Third Doshu like the Second Doshu? Or Shioda Kancho like Shioda Soke?

... or the Second Doshu like the First Doshu?

[jimbaker]

Note - Osawa sensei taught by taking ukemi.
I recognized some people in the video from the old days. Notable was the Japanese-American guy with the long hair and beard. Don't remember his name, but we called him "The mugger's mugger," because he liked to go out at night, looking frail and helpless, and then, when someone tried to rob him, disarming the attacker and taking his knife or other weapon. He reportedly had a collection of weapons he'd taken off people.

His name was Harry, but I don't recall his last name.

Jim Baker

[Chris Li]

His name was Harry, but I don't recall his last name.

Jim Baker

Nakamura, IIRC. He had a whole closet full of stuff.

Best,

Chris

[Rob Watson]

Note - Osawa sensei taught by taking ukemi.
I recognized some people in the video from the old days. Notable was the Japanese-American guy with the long hair and beard. Don't remember his name, but we called him "The mugger's mugger," because he liked to go out at night, looking frail and helpless, and then, when someone tried to rob him, disarming the attacker and taking his knife or other weapon. He reportedly had a collection of weapons he'd taken off people.

His name was Harry, but I don't recall his last name.

Jim Baker

Nakamura, IIRC. He had a whole closet full of stuff.

Best,

Chris

Just curious. What would one call this form of training? Would it be considered 'kosher' ? Definately falls under oyowaza (applied techniques). Very interesting if Osawa taught this while taking ukemi ....

Does anyone else teach methods for 'looking frail and helpless' becasue that would be pretty tough for me (I look quite fierce but I'm really just a big puppy).