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Old 09-13-2013, 10:05 AM   #48
Chris Li
 
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Dojo: Aikido Sangenkai
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,313
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Re: Beginners should not be allowed to act as uke.

Quote:
Cliff Judge wrote: View Post
You don't think that police officers wouldn't be interested in studying the legendary powers of the bushi? Now available from this short mean guy who is staying up at the ryokan on the hill there, at a ten-day seminar for the low low price of only three yen per student? You, too can restrain your suspects with the powers of Minamoto Yoshitsune himself, handed down through the fearless Takeda clan of Aizu domain! Learn the secret power that will allow to lift any man - even GERMANS! - who grab your wrist! To immobiliza multiple attackers with the press of one finger! To immediately sense an attack from behind and instantly neutralize it!

The police were modernizing all over the country around these times, right? You don't think studying with the old jujutsu guy was kind of folksy for professional law enforcement?
Actually, no, most police departments, then and now, had their own dojo and were already training in some kind of Japanese Budo, many with much more established and recognized lineages.

Of course, there was some branding going on, that's fairly standard in Japanese Budo and Ueshiba participated in that as well, but I don't see it as a major factor for Takeda's target market.

Why would they be lifting Germans, anyway?

Best,

Chris

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