Aikido Urban Legends, Stories, and Myths

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[Tubig]

In aikido we have a lot of stories. Stories that are told over millions of bottles of sake and beer.

Stories that can rival WWII or Vietnam feats, dramas, and myths. Stories that is forged with courage, bravery, valore, and spectacle. It is usually about a master who can breath fire and ki whilst making coffee. A little woman who single handedly defeated an army of evil henchmen. These are the stories that would make Hans Christian Andersen and any bard look like an apprentice. The story gets better every year, it becomes more spectacular with every person that re-tells the story.

So let it out, tell us your legends, your myths, your favourite aikido story!

I will start, I heard from a karate guy that apparently there is an aikido master in old Japan that can make any person faint by sucking all the ki by the faintest touch.

I read 'Angry White Pajamas' the author Twigger; mentioned that OSensei was teaching the sexual prowess ki extention in aikido. hmmm I still and very interested in finding the dogma on those teachings.

Apparently a good aikidoka can withstand a wave of the same height at the beach. Apparently aikidokas can blend with any wave of the same height.

[samurai_kenshin]

wow, wish I knew some of those secrets! I once heard that O-Sensei could track the path of a bullet and dodge it. I also heard from someone that any competent aikidoka is able to pick up/throw anything as long as they strongly ki-ai...where'd that one come from?

[Tubig]

I also heard that Osensei can not catch the rail and speed trains in Japan, because the electro magnetic force emmited by the current from the tracks makes him dizzy because they interfere with his aura.

[Tubig]

I just spoke to a mate of mine... He told me that apparently Tohei sensei can extinguish a candle flame behind a glass wall four to five metres away from him, by extending his Ki.

[happysod]

aikido has no competition
an aikidoka once won a fight
aikido builds character
aikido has no ego
two people in aikido can agree on a definition of ki
shodothugs can use a knife and fork

[PeterR]

aikido has no competition
an aikidoka once won a fight
aikido builds character
aikido has no ego
two people in aikido can agree on a definition of ki
shodothugs can use a knife and fork

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Yann Golanski]

Ian,

We Shodothugs only use chopsticks!

*grins evilly*

[PeterR]

Ian,

We Shodothugs only use chopsticks!

*grins evilly*
And in the most delicate and sophisticated maner.

[Beholder]

And in the most delicate and sophisticated maner.

Yes... but for what?

[Yann Golanski]

Yes... but for what?

Harmonising with our food, of course.

[PeterR]

Yes... but for what?
Picking up the pieces.

[happysod]

Urban myths continued


you wait ages for one shodothug and then two turn up at once
hakamas hide your footwork
yoshinkan do it by numbers
fruities do it by feel
Osensei's not dead, he's just opened a dojo and grill with Elvis

[Michael Cardwell]

Iriminage is only a 30 year technique.

ikkyo is a simple technique.

:)

[Eric Webber]

There are no attacks in aikido (...so I'm learning to defend against the IDEA of an attack, eh? Man, those ideas leave big, big mark when they hit you!).

[Jory Boling]

Shihonage performed over and over and over causes baldness.

[Dirk Hanss]

I thought it is true, but it is one of these wonderful stories:

One uchi-deshi of o'sensei had his sake in the dockland inns night by night and he never resisted in those heavy fights, but usually went well out.
O'sensei in spite of his peaceful mind did never comment on this well known facts.
Only once when this uchi-deshi came to dojo with a black eye and some minor injuries, o'sensei said: "You should have more exercises".

Any comments or facts/sources?

Dirk

[Tubig]

I heard this from a former uchideshi from the Iwama Dojo in the Ibaraki prefecture. Apparently there is a ghost samurai that roams the dojo, and visits people in their dreams. Apparently sometimes one would hear him running up the mountain, and also if one listens heard enough one can here his kiai.

[mj]

shodothugs can use a knife and fork

What the hell do we need a fork for? :D

[Tubig]

* A good ukemi can be done on concrete quietly

* Aikido is a short man's art

[samurai_kenshin]

If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a speeding fist...obviously not...

[Tubig]

The Bigger the hara, the stronger the Ki.

hmmmm more beers please.

[maynard]

The first time I heard this story, it was about a nameless (or I forgot the name) student from the D.C. Dojo that Saotome Sensei was head instructor for.

A blackbelt aikidoka was attacked by a guy with a knife, and the first one or two times, he took the knife away, but gave it back to the guy because that was his reflexive response from training. Depending on the telling of the story, he either keeps the knife, the second or third time. I've also heard this happened either in Chicago or South Florida somewhere, but my memory of the second person who told me of this story is not clear.

[xuzen]

Urban myths continued


you wait ages for one shodothug and then two turn up at once
hakamas hide your footwork
yoshinkan do it by numbers
fruities do it by feel
Osensei's not dead, he's just opened a dojo and grill with Elvis


Myth: Yoshinkan do it by the numbers

Fact: Yoshi-Orge can't count beyond ichi and ni. Anything above and we will get a headache which decreases our functionality.

Boon, sadly a numerically challenged YOSHI-ORGE (TM)

[Tubig]

Oh yeh My favourites also are:

- Aikido is a soft martial art

- Aikido is defence only, we do not attack

[Don_Modesto]

A blackbelt aikidoka was attacked by a guy with a knife, and the first one or two times, he took the knife away, but gave it back to the guy because that was his reflexive response from training.

Hey, John!

Actually, Ikeda tells a story like this. I've asked policemen I've trained with if they ever heard of such a thing and they've been very matter-of-fact about it as if it's common knowledge in their circles: you do what you've trained to do.

Up til these conversations I took TANTO DORI lightly. Now I put the weapon on the floor a couple of paces from UKE as a means of returning it.

[DustinAcuff]

LOL! Note to self: from now on jokingly disembowel uke before returning his tanto during practice. >)

Myth: being sensei's uke is an honor.

Myth: this won't hurt a bit.

[eyrie]

Up til these conversations I took TANTO DORI lightly. Now I put the weapon on the floor a couple of paces from UKE as a means of returning it.

How about just sticking uke with it instead? ;)

A story was told to me, of one Seino Sensei who came out of the pub, drunk as a skunk, walked out onto the road, into the path of an oncoming car and on impact, casually did a ukemi off the vehicle and continued staggering across the street.... :eek: :crazy:

[EricH]

Two stories that I have been told:

1. An aikido student was driving a motorcycle when he was struck head-on by a car. His body was thrown over the car and he performed a ukemi on the pavement and thus escaped injury.

2. An aikido master had honed his senses and preception to such a level that he could not ride on the Tokyo subway during rush hour. The noise and press of the crowds overloaded his senses to the point that he could not function.

[Don_Modesto]

How about just sticking uke with it instead? ;)

I got the smiley, but I see people doing this on tests, i.e., committing felony battery (if not murder--you are not allowed to turn a weapon on an assailant after disarming him/her of it. Cf. "You do what you train to do"), so it's actually not a joke. Sorry to be a stick in the mud.

[SteveTrinkle]

Hello Ignatius. Yikes! If Seino Sensei hears about this story on AikiWeb you might have some interesting ukemi stories of your own the next time you go to Kamakura!

Cheers,
Steve

P.S. It didn't happen quite that way...

[guest89893]

I got the smiley, but I see people doing this on tests, i.e., committing felony battery (if not murder--you are not allowed to turn a weapon on an assailant after disarming him/her of it. Cf. "You do what you train to do"), so it's actually not a joke. Sorry to be a stick in the mud.

Hey Don,
Ignatius and those living in less progressive ;) states may not . But with the new law in Florida, if it's all done in one smooth move =guy attacks with knife you take knife away and stab him.You should still be in the parameters of the new law (gotta love Florida). You just shouldn't take the knife out of UKE and re-stab him two or three hundred times for bothering you and getting his blood on your clothes. :D
Don is right though, you could be spending a lot of court time and money trying to stay out of prison.

[Lan Powers]

I got the smiley, but I see people doing this on tests, i.e., committing felony battery (if not murder--you are not allowed to turn a weapon on an assailant after disarming him/her of it. Cf. "You do what you train to do"), so it's actually not a joke. Sorry to be a stick in the mud.


Mmm, more of a stick in the gut, I think :)
Lan

[eyrie]

Hello Ignatius. Yikes! If Seino Sensei hears about this story on AikiWeb you might have some interesting ukemi stories of your own the next time you go to Kamakura!

Cheers,
Steve

P.S. It didn't happen quite that way...

Oh, pray do set the record straight then :D
This was what was told to me. I'm only playing Chinese whispers...isn't that how myths and urban legends start? ;)

PS: Can I plead a bung knee and the fact that I am getting on in years??? :p

[eyrie]

Hey Don,
Ignatius and those living in less progressive ;) states may not . But with the new law in Florida, if it's all done in one smooth move =guy attacks with knife you take knife away and stab him.You should still be in the parameters of the new law (gotta love Florida). You just shouldn't take the knife out of UKE and re-stab him two or three hundred times for bothering you and getting his blood on your clothes. :D
Don is right though, you could be spending a lot of court time and money trying to stay out of prison.

Obviously he ran into the knife, trying to grapple me to the ground .... d'uh!? :rolleyes: :D

[kocakb]

I heard that a thief broke into a sensei's house once. Sensei heard the noise and saw the guy, having a knife. They had a fight and sensei took the knife, cut one ear of the thief and made him to call the police; "help, I broke someone house, come and take me"…just a story, dunno if it is true or not...

[ramenboy]

[QUOTE]Shihonage performed over and over and over causes baldness.

ha ha, jory! that's "blindness"...oh wait...that's not "shiho nage..."

jvc :cool: :cool:

[SteveTrinkle]

Hello Ignatius,
I'll send you a private e-mail soon with the real story... As far as the old age defense - well I tried that, but the dai senpai are all my age and older. By the way, I'll probably pick up the DVDs today or tomorrow and get them out to you soon.

Later,
Steve

[DustinAcuff]

This one was a real side splitter when I heard it. Not quite Aikido but here goes

A few years back I was at a blade show in Chattanooga, TN. While there I visited someone's booth and heard him claiming his prowess as a historian of the samurai. The guy sounded pretty credible until: "You see, these katana's we have to day are just toothpicks compared to what the samurai really carried into battle with them. You see they used to carry a 6 foot 150 lbs battle sword with them slung over their backs...." Its a rough quote, but this guy started going on about the massive battle swords the samurai carried that could cleave a armored warrior in two from head to groin and how these weapons were quite famous within Japan because they were so effective......

I wish I were making this up...

[PeterR]

Well yeah except there are some massive swords out there. Last Koryu Enbu demonstration at Himeji I had coffee with one of the Soke's of such a school. Height of a man but not sure they weighed 150 lbs.

[DustinAcuff]

It wasn't the legnth that was amusing, I've seen enough variation that the legnth could be possible (like the Claymore for example) but I have a hard time believing that ANY sword could come near even 100 lbs and still be called a sword....you just had to be there to hear this guy.

[PeterR]

It wasn't the legnth that was amusing, I've seen enough variation that the legnth could be possible (like the Claymore for example) but I have a hard time believing that ANY sword could come near even 100 lbs and still be called a sword....you just had to be there to hear this guy.
I know the type and most of the time they actually believe themselves.

[Lan Powers]

Straying a bit from the Aikido....

Branden Lee had a great story about the only "real" fight he had ever had as an adult.
Arrives at his house on his motorcycle, and notices the window is open. Parks under it, and climbs in instead of going to the door, meeting a guy with his VCR under his arm heading for the window when he heard the bike arrive.
Throws the VCR down and hauls ass....round the old house with connecting rooms.
Through the kitchen, into the bedroom, into the next room...etc. etc. old style houses often have connecting rooms instead of hallways.
On the third or fourth circuit through the kitchen, with Brandon right behind him, he grabs up a kitchen knife and wheels around on him......
Now, Brandon points out that each time they careen through the living room, they pass under a lifesize, full color,photo of Bruce training with Branden who is about 6 at the time.
(I have seen the pic before in a book, and it is way- cute, Bruce with his hands in position low-kicking towards this little kid who is checking the kick...the best I can remember)
He had a wry look on his face as he wondered about the guy not realizing the kid in the picture was him.
Brandon had a small scar he showed to the host, and declined to comment on the extent of the injuries the burgler went to the hospital with.
Just a cool bit on the same vein.
Lan

[Dirk Hanss]

Well, recently someone told me that Bush-ido is the theory backing the war on terror. It was developped by the greatest philospher, the world has ever seen, also known as simply George W.

Dirk:D:D:D

[Avery Jenkins]

Well, recently someone told me that Bush-ido is the theory backing the war on terror. It was developped by the greatest philospher, the world has ever seen, also known as simply George W.

Dirk:D:D:D

Actually, the U.S. war on terror is based on something much closer to bullshido than bushido.

Notably, it's had about as much success as has the US war on drugs.

[Rupert Atkinson]

No myth: A girl in our univ. Aikido club in the UK was attacked in her flat by three men. She put them all in hospital and the police came to 'see her'. She did not get arrested.

[Sonja2012]

Wow, she really *did* kiss ass then ;-)

[dyffcult]

Once upon a time, three students of various martial arts were discussing the various merits of their respective arts. Of course, each claimed that their own was better than the others. Finally, the doka selected a contest to determine the best of the arts.

The student of karate stated that he would go first. He stood in the center of a busy roadway and waited for the approaching vehicle. With a mighty chop, he stopped the first oncoming passenger vehicle dead with a mighty chop.

The judoka was up next. He positioned himself in the road way. As the truck approached, he set himself, and then threw the truck with a mighty shrug.

The aikido student was concerned. The karate student had stopped a car. The judo student had thrown the truck. A bus full of passengers came barreling down the road.

The aikidoka concentrated, stepped off center and the bus passed by.........all the passengers safe.

[xuzen]

Once upon a time, three students of various martial arts were discussing the various merits of their respective arts. Of course, each claimed that their own was better than the others. Finally, the doka selected a contest to determine the best of the arts.

The student of karate stated that he would go first. He stood in the center of a busy roadway and waited for the approaching vehicle. With a mighty chop, he stopped the first oncoming passenger vehicle dead with a mighty chop.

The judoka was up next. He positioned himself in the road way. As the truck approached, he set himself, and then threw the truck with a mighty shrug.

The aikido student was concerned. The karate student had stopped a car. The judo student had thrown the truck. A bus full of passengers came barreling down the road.

The aikidoka concentrated, stepped off center and the bus passed by.........all the passengers safe.

The aikidoka line up patiently at the bus stop just like all other passengers, boarded the bus, gave the conductor a mighty aiki-smile, started some small talk with him, made friends with the driver, conductor and all on board... and they like him so much they decided not to charge a penny and invited him to come on board the bus anytime in future free of charge.

[darin]

Two stories that I have been told:

1. An aikido student was driving a motorcycle when he was struck head-on by a car. His body was thrown over the car and he performed a ukemi on the pavement and thus escaped injury.

2. An aikido master had honed his senses and preception to such a level that he could not ride on the Tokyo subway during rush hour. The noise and press of the crowds overloaded his senses to the point that he could not function.

No. 2 is a pretty natural thing. Ever taken the last train on the Yamanote Line in summer?

[John Boswell]

The Bigger the hara, the stronger the Ki.

hmmmm more beers please.

Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!

Oy! Oy! Oy! :D

[markwalsh]

Back in Britain the (Pythonesque) stories go something like this:

A. In my day...Chiba/Abbe Sensei would make us do 1,000 press ups on broken glass then tear our arms off and hit us with the wet ends.

B. That was nothing, my sensei would make us do 10, 000 press ups on our wrists, then crack our skulls with bokken and use our brains for sushi.

A. You were lucky! Sensei would kill us before we got in the dojo (which was a shoe box in a cess pit) with rusty katana, resurrect us with 100, 000 press ups, then kill us again by shihonageing our intestines...

B. Intestines. Luxury...we dreamed of being shihonaged by intestines, our sensei used our testicles...etc

A. And kids today don't believe us!

B. Aye.

Disclaimer: Many of the stories told my senior British Sensei are absolutely true, and just because I'm 4000 miles away doesn't mean I'm taking the mickey :)

[John Boswell]

Can't remember where I read these, but:

*) O'Sensei was once asked about "ninja" and their ability to move invisibly. O'Sensei smiled and explained that they were not invisible, but just moving very quickly and that he knew how to do it. When asked to demonstrate, he accepted... and seemed to instantly appear across the room at the door. He opened the door, smiled and said," I can be done, but it seems that each time you do this... it takes one year of your life away, so I do not use it often." Then he walked through the door and left.

*) Another O'Sensei story I have heard was from the book "Aikido Shugyo" written by Gozo Shioda Shihan. He described being an uchideshi in the home of O'Sensei. The students slept in the main room where O'Sensei had a kamiza to the "spirits" or "gods" of Aiki were enshrined. One night while sound asleep, a loud "KIAI!" was let out and all the students popped up to their feet with one turning on the lights. There at the kamiza was O'Sensei holding a bokken... and on the floor was a dead rat that appeared to have been eating the offering O'Sensei had left at the alter.

"How could you sleep and not know of this violation of the offering? I had to be awoken by the spirits and was told "Your offering is being taken by a rat." and that was happening under your very noses!"

O'Sensei was furious... the students were in shock. Needless to say, I'm sure they got busy cleaning up the mess.

*) Final Myth: Grandfather's who practice aikido are said to have the most lethal and deadly "Atemi-waza" of all aikidoka. ;) Lan knows... :D

[Tubig]

Apparently rolling a jo up and down down the forearm can toughen it and will make it immune to yonkyo.

[maikerus]

Apparently rolling a jo up and down down the forearm can toughen it and will make it immune to yonkyo.

Ooo...I'll have to tell my students this :D

[Simbo]

1. An aikido student was driving a motorcycle when he was struck head-on by a car. His body was thrown over the car and he performed a ukemi on the pavement and thus escaped injury.

I actually did something like this once. Just no car and it was probably less than 10mph. But I came out 99% uninjured, but I did rip my glove :( So it can be done