Incredible photo of O sensei

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[CarlRylander]

I've asked this question before, but I'll ask it again in case anyone remembers.

About fifteen years ago I saw two photos of Usheiba. In the first, he is stood with five black belts rushing towards him. In the second, they are all flying away from him and he is suspended in mid-air with his eyes wide open!

It's an incredible photo. It really impressed me. Can it be put on the site and does anyone know the name of the technique used??

[ccain85]

id like to see that myself

[spengu]

Sounds like something from Dragon Ball Z.

[John Boswell]

I've never seen any such photo of O'Sensei... and I've been looking!

Do your best to remember where, when and what you saw when you were looking at that photo. I'd have to suggest also that you be open-minded. Odds are whatever it was you saw, it was someone other than him. Perhaps someone close to him? Sokaku Takeda or someone? I've just never seen such a thing.

Good luck!

[CarlRylander]

It was in a book about Aikido.

All I remember was that he was hung in mid air, he had a white beard and his eyes were wide open!

I don't think I'm imagining it, because I read a book once by John Stevens, I think, where O Sensei was rushed by some of his best trainees. All they felt was a rush of air and a push and they were all knocked over. O Sensei had disappeared.

When they looked around, they saw he was stood on a staircase.
They asked him if he could do the technique again. He said; 'You're joking - every time I do something like that, it takes about fifteen years off my life!'

That was in a book called 'Abundant Peace', by, I think, John Stevens.

[John Boswell]

Hmm... okay. I know John Stevens wrote that book. Haven't read it, so dunno about the picture.

However, I read that same story in Aikido Shugyo by Gozo Shioda. As I recall it, a student of his was walking with O'Sensei into the dojo/house/somewhere and were asking him questions about ninjutsu and "secret" martial arts stuff. O'Sensei laughed and said that to disappear was a simple parlor trick and blew it off until the student kept pushing the subject. So... O'Sensei obliged and and suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs... like you recalled.

Now to find someone with a copy of that book! ;)

[Delvin]

Here is a link for a page with some great photos of Morihei Ueshiba.
http://www.aikidofaq.com/bilder/osensei/index.html
I like # 36 & 37 best (middle of 6th row) - one second surounded by studnets ready to strike- next outside the circle with them still striking toward where he was.

[Jorx]

This storys get wilder every time I hear them.

[crbateman]

That story, and others very similar, have been recounted in at least four books that I'm aware of. I do not recall having seen the picture that you are seeking, however. Sorry.

[CarlRylander]

I don't think it's all that far fetched. People can do incredible things.
I mean, it takes about eight years to get a black belt. People like Usheiba keep on going for another twenty or thirty after that and they get better every day!

Another thing I seem to remember a TKWD bloke telling me, was that O Sensei got the better of six marines once, at age seventy.I can believe that too.

[Jorx]

No I mean the storys actually GET more wilder each time I hear them. Taking more and more years of Osenseis life the disappearing... more and more marines etc.

[John Boswell]

Jorgen,

Read the book! I certainly didn't make it up... I read it! And I never said anything about believing it. O'Sensei himself said it was a trick, according to the book, so there's got to be a reasonable explaination for how he did what he did. As for the age thing, if he said it, was he being funny? making a joke about it all? Who knows!