Quote:
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Ellis Amdur wrote:
...(The circular movements at the end of [O-sensei's] kata with the spiral upwards is very often seen in Shinto ritual).
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...and, when you've tied your freshly-washed hakama to the end of it, really helps to get the water out...
Sorry...
Now to raise hell: I recently heard a scurrilous rumor. Quite a few of O-sensei's top students were studying and teaching weapons. However, by a certain time after O-sensei's death almost all of these students had left to the US or Europe to teach there, with the notable exception of Saito sensei. Noticing this, Saito sensei began to teach his forms as 'the' forms as practiced by O-sensei, and claimed (on his tapes and in real life) that these were kata passed directly into his care by O-sensei. When my informant raised some questions about this with his teacher (a direct student), he got a smile and the comment "Saito sensei is not as young as he was. Sometimes as we grow older our memories grow a little unreliable". We all know what that means when you translate it into English...
I'm not claiming its true, just very interesting from a knowlegable source. Any budding Stanley Pranin's around to help confirm/deny it?
Train well,
Tim