Aikikai Kagami Biraki Promotions?
 

i heard that etsuji horii sensei was promoted to 7th dan at this year's kagami biraki...

does anyone know of any additional promotions?

Re: Aikikai Kagami Biraki Promotions?
 

Hello Jerome,

Yes, Horii Shihan was promoted to 7th dan at this year's kagami biraki. The entire list was published in the Aikido Shimbun and, judging from the photograph on the front page, Horii Shihan received his diploma in person, for he is on the front row watching Doshu's demonstration. The list covers more than 70 lines of Japanese text and there are far too many names to list individually.

Best wishes,

PAG

Re: Aikikai Kagami Biraki Promotions?
 

Hi Peter,
Is there a reason there is not a more public presentation of these names via the internet? It would seem to be logical given the international level of participation these days.
- George

Re: Aikikai Kagami Biraki Promotions?
 

George,

I think there are two issues here: a practical issue and an issue of principle.

With respect to the practical issue, you can see the problem very easily if you pay a visit to the Hombu Dojo and (are allowed to) go upstairs to the offices. Doshu's room is at the far end of the corridor, but there are small offices that look out on to the road in front of the building. The impression I have is that people are really stretched. Of the people who run the International Department, one is in hospital suffering the effects of a stroke, another is in his 70s and has virtually retired, a third visits the Hombu only once or twice each week, and the fourth is also an instructor with a regular training and teaching schedule. So I would think that the job of translating all the names into English and posting them on the English-language website is way, way down the list.

However, I think there is another issue, that of principle. Given the fact that in the Aikikai information is always given (or withheld) on a need-to-know basis, and that there is an inbuilt tendency to conservatism and inertia, the need to know has to be argued for and there is no one in the Hombu to do this. In addition, since the names of new yudansha regularly appear in the Aikido Shimbun, which is like an official aikido gazette, it is probably thought of too little importance to put it on the website in addition--the English-language website especially.

However, that said, I have to state that the amount of information given on both websites (it is different in English and Japanese) has dramatically improved over the years. So it might be possible to make a case that dan promotions should be posted on the website as well as in the Aikido Shimbun. However, I think it will take some doing.

Best wishes,

PAG

Re: Aikikai Kagami Biraki Promotions?
 

Thanks Peter. As much as folks talk about trying to tie the Aikido community together, I think there's a long way to go. Hombu is the one place one would expect announcements to be made cutting across national and organization lines. At some point, the ASU will list the folks from our own organization who have been promoted but there is almost no mechanism to find out about friends and acquaintances from other organizations who have received promotion, despite the fact that we are all "Aikikai". While it seems logical for folks interested in goings on in Japan to check the Headquarters website, there seems to be little thought that it might promote more of a sense of unity amongst Aikikai members to have Headquarters act as a clearing house for info like this that might me of interest to the larger community. I understand the logistics, of course. But budgets get allocated to the places deemed important. It really would not take that much effort to get a list published on the website. Frankly, having a place where Aikikai ranks were listed (not just the new promotions) might actually save them the time it takes them to reply to inquiries regarding various folks "bone fides" and Aikikai Association. Just a thought...

Re: Aikikai Kagami Biraki Promotions?
 

thanx for the update and insights on this, peter and george.

i agree it would be great to have this information. like george said, it would bring the aikido community closer, not just between our friends from organization to organization, but also as one group under the aikikai.

at any rate, congrats to horii shihan and all who were promoted

Re: Aikikai Kagami Biraki Promotions?
 

In addition to the increased transparency across organizations and internationally, it would also help to alleviate the "fakes" claiming aikikai rank or even higher rank than awarded. There's to much of that stuff going on for my taste.

Re: Aikikai Kagami Biraki Promotions?
 

Are there really that many "fakes" out there?

Re: Aikikai Kagami Biraki Promotions?
 

You might be surprised. There are a lot of self-awarded ranks when people break off from major organizations. Others out there do things like study hapkido, learn some locks and throws, award themselves aikido rank. In my short career, I have run into two major ones. Nothing was ever verifiable. One was a "6th" dan who claimed a 4th dan aikikai instructor his mentor. He'd even steal stuff from me at shodan, at that stage I had nothing worth stealing.

Re: Aikikai Kagami Biraki Promotions?
 

In my own city, there are an "8th dan" and a "7th dan" whose rank would come as a surprise to the Aikikai.