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Old 06-11-2010, 07:43 AM   #52
Rabih Shanshiry
 
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Re: Ki Aikido - quote from Gleason Sensei

Quote:
Mark Murray wrote: View Post
Where in modern aikido is another Shioda?
Mark - do you literally think there is no one in aikido today that can replicate Shioda's feats? Or are you speaking broad brush?

I whole heartedly agree if you are speaking generally about the lack of "aiki" among the vast majority of "shihan" out there.

However, as with all generalizations, there are exceptions to the rule. It is my current working hypothesis that Shioda began teaching internal skills to his higher level students a few years before he died to cement his legacy and preseve the organization he built.

How optimum his training methods were is debateable. However, I believe that at least two Yoshinkan shihan can perform most or all of the same aiki demonstrations as Shioda did.

I'd also like to ask where you got your information about Shioda getting his aiki skills from Kodo. We all know the stories about the two of them spending time together behind closed doors, but I've been hard pressed to find actual documentation of when they met, how many times, and for how long.

Could Shioda have gained his "aiki" from Kodo? I think it's possible but highly unlikely. More likely he learned certain things from Kodo - perhaps refining his skill or adding to his repertoire.

Don't forget - Tenryu supported Shioda when he first started up the Yoshinkan because his aikido was closest to Ueshiba's. Given Tenryu's understanding of "aiki" and the impression it made on him, I really don't think he was talking about jujutsu technique.

The stories I have heard about Shioda training with Kodo all refer to meetings with Shioda after he was Kancho of the Yoshinkan. Therefore, the timing doesn't seem to line up with that theory.

I don't have a preference as to where Shioda got his aiki skills. (We all know that Ueshiba was teaching DR in the early days when Shioda was a student anyway.) I'm just going where I see the historical evidence leading...

Last edited by Rabih Shanshiry : 06-11-2010 at 07:46 AM.
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