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-   -   Intriguing Teachers (http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4028)

sanosuke 07-04-2003 08:20 PM

Teachers that really intriguing me is my instructors both in Malaysia and Indonesia. They already give me a new perception about martial arts and had helped me a lot in finding my expectation towards learning aikido. Through this forum I expressed my deepest gratitude to all their teachings.

I also like Joe Thambu sensei and Tomita sensei teachings very much, I really learned a lot from them.

I also want to know about Seiseki Abe sensei, anyone can give me some info?

Don_Modesto 07-05-2003 01:05 PM

Re: Really Interesting
 
Quote:

George S. Ledyard wrote:
The man who immediately comes to mind in this respect is Tom Read sensei in Arcada, CA....His bojutsu work is extraordinary but you have to hear his explanation to realize what he is doing.

Failing his own words appearing here, would you feel comfortable relating some of his thoughts for us, George?

After hearing you say this in person, I've gone back and watched his demo from the Expo more than once and and what he's doing still completely escapes me.

Thanks.

Robert Cowham 07-05-2003 03:53 PM

For a very different take on budo, try Inaba sensei at the Shiseikan - part of the Meji Jingu shrine in Tokyo. Used to be very difficult to train there but it's very open these days.

He studied with Yamaguchi sensei among others, and also Kashima Shinryu (a koryu) with Kunii Sensei before he died in the 60s.

We have a couple of Inaba sensei's senior students coming to London in August.

Robert

George S. Ledyard 07-05-2003 09:33 PM

Re: Re: Really Interesting
 
Quote:

Don J. Modesto (Don_Modesto) wrote:
Failing his own words appearing here, would you feel comfortable relating some of his thoughts for us, George?

After hearing you say this in person, I've gone back and watched his demo from the Expo more than once and what he's doing still completely escapes me.

Thanks.

I couldn't possibly do it justice. You've got to hear Tom Read Sensei explain it. At first you think, "This guy is really off in space", then you try to do what he is doing and you can't get anywhere near. So you start to listen again and you realize that he is so far out in front of you that he is answering questions which you hadn't even thought to ask. This isn't about fighting; it's about the energetics with the staff. The Expo was unfortunate because people couldn't tell what he was doing and he made no effort to give explanation. You really have to talk to him…

One of my own students went down and did his aikibojitsu seminar in the mountains and it changed his Aikido completely. I could feel the difference right away when he came back.

I also saw one of my other friends who had done the training do some absolutely scintillating bo work on his San Dan test. Sparks practically flew off his weapon.

So I figure the training is really worth doing, I just haven't had time myself yet.

Check out his website for a bit of explanation of what he is doing...

Aikibojitsu

Sometime we'll have him again for a seminar and maybe you can come out.

Mark Balogh 07-08-2003 09:43 AM

Tamura Sensei, if you've been on his mat you'll know what I mean. He is living Aikido and can do techniques to anyone, but I have rarely seen anyone successfully execute a technique on him. He is just a different level! :)

Sharon Seymour 07-08-2003 08:39 PM

Okay. No one has mentioned Mary Heiny Sensei yet. I had a major epiphany taking ukemi for her once. It was a "simple" kokyunage and as she dropped for the throw I felt that she could easily put me right into the center of the earth. The throw itself was light and irresistible. I really enjoy working with someone my size who is so powerful.

Another time I received a kokyunage projection throw that had one of those timeless transitions - I grabbed her here, then I was on the mat way over there.

She asks for volunteers to take ukemi for her at seminars, so might work with any skill level (over the course of the seminar, more and more people are willing to volunteer).

Another teacher once compared attacking Heiny Sensei to grabbing a little hand grenade!

MikeE 07-08-2003 10:59 PM

I'm sure there are a lot of people lurking that would agree with me that Bill Sosa Sensei was amazing.

He had Ki that was tangible. His technique was soft, subtle, and powerful. His aikido transcended style. It was big when it needed to be big, it was small when it needed to be small. It was amazing.

And he was absolutely scary with a jo :)

Man, I miss him.

Paul Klembeck 07-08-2003 11:40 PM

I will vote for both Tom Read and Mary Heini.

Tom Read has a highly unique approach to energetics which is solidly based on mathematics, physics and engineering. Applying Fourier Analysis to Jo strikes is not something you encounter elsewhere, but the analysis is quite sound.

Mary Heini's approach to energetics is more of what we normally see, but she has an ability I have not seen in anyone else to actually get individuals to do amazing things, rather than just showing what she can do and handwaving about how.

Interestingly, my two quite different choices both spend their most formative years in Shingu at the same time.

Paul

P.S. Speaking of Shingu, Clint George is also very interesting, both for purity of technique and his highly martial approach.

JMCavazos 07-09-2003 11:22 AM

I agree with Mike and go with Bill Sosa Sensei. His aikido skills were simply amazing!

But what made him a special teacher, to me, was his ability to build a person into someone who was a better man or woman because of the interaction with Sosa Sensei. When I first met him, I had one of those feelings of awe that I never got over. He has to be one of the greatest men there ever was -- and his aikido was great. He had to be one of the best kept secrets in the aikido world.

I truly believe that it is rare for a student to be better than his teacher (I am talking about high ranking teachers). But I would venture to say that Bill Sosa Sensei had to evolve past his previous teachers (my opinion)

I have currently chosen to follow Lynn Fabia Sensei since Bill Sosa Sensei's death last year. One of the major reasons was that Sosa Sensei himself said that she was the closest to his aikido that there was. Under her training I have felt the same teachings that Sosa Sensei taught. She is even more truely amazing because she is about 5' tall and weighs about 97 lbs, but she has excellent control of large fellows like myself 6'5" & 260 lbs.

Most intriguing would have to be Bill Sosa Sensei and Lynn Fabia Sensei.


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