View Single Post
Old 09-17-2011, 09:31 AM   #20
Chris Li
 
Chris Li's Avatar
Dojo: Aikido Sangenkai
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,313
United_States
Offline
Re: Tohei's resignation letter to the aikikai

Quote:
Greg Steckel wrote: View Post
When I joined the Ki Society back in 1976 with the Marianas Aiki Kwai in Guam (which was a sub group of the Hawaii Aiki Kwai) the official reason given for the split was that Honbu did not teach ki and would not allow Tohei to teach it as well. Looking at it all today, it appears that that was mostly just the front cover story. If you look at the books by Kisshomaru before the split, you will see that they talk about ki as much as Tohei did.

IMO, the real underlying reason for the split was simply ego, politics, and other unsavory stuff that boils up out of organizations from time to time and that there was fault on both sides.

Greg
Of course. But I have to say - the letter is interesting to see again, but is it really news to anyone?

I think the Mitose thread, where Koichi Tohei awarded James Mitose a 10th dan in 1970 (years before he actually left hombu), in order to fund his departure from the Aikikai, has much more soap opera potential.

Best,

Chris

  Reply With Quote