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Old 12-14-2013, 05:41 PM   #42
Ellis Amdur
 
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Location: Seattle
Join Date: May 2003
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Re: Horikawa teaching Shioda?

Patrick - No haunting there. I discussed things with Dan at the time, and subsequently, with other members of the Kodokai who had more direct contact (Dan's was 2nd/3rd hand and he does not speak Japanese). It was the contradictions between various accounts that led me to seeking out a witness - someone who was actually there. And as Iposted above, I subsequently got two subsequent communications from high ranking close students of the Roppokai, who more-or-less, substantiated my essay - adding only that Shioda requested - one time - to feel - one waza, and his response was "ah, I see."

We went from a one time open seminar followed by two weeks of closed door secrecy at midnight, to a cordial visit, a courtesy demo and a single touch.

I don't think anything more will be found in "necro-ing" my own or other's past writings, as all circle around 2nd and 3rd hand suppositions - in English - of the myth of the time. That includes my own.

As I've written in about Kobayashi sensei, what is really fascinating is this: If one were to meet, for example, the most prominent exemplars of Horikawa's students, I think one would quickly say - "aha, one of the Kodokai." (Lest the sensitive object, this is not a criticism). What is fascinating about Ueshiba is one could meet Tomiki, Shirata, Shioda, Tada, Tohei, Kobayashi, Saito, etc. - and not be able tell, in many respects, that they studied with the same teacher. Reading Kobayashi Hirokazu's biography, we see that for several years, he and Saito sensei were training brothers.

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Ellis Amdur

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