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Old 02-10-2009, 03:16 PM   #10
dalen7
 
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Re: Should aikido evolve?

Quote:
Mike Braxton wrote: View Post
Tohei sensei had learned everything from O'Sensei but wanted to include the Ki stuff but this was not allowed by the other higher ups for they only wanted to do the stuff that came strictly from O'Sensei.
Toheis involvement has been quite intriguing to me to read about the past couple of days. Again, this is all new to me - as far as the research into Aikidos background - but somethings struck me as interesting concerning what is 'assumed' about Toheis ki aikido and what it is.

Here is what I could gather from the interviews I have read by him at Aikido Journal, etc.

- He noticed that the students he taught, when he came back to Hawaii, could not even agree on what he taught.

- It seemed that he implied that they made it mystical, as well as did O' Sensei. This would imply that Ki was a vital part of OSenseis teachings. (Ironically, he takes a rather pragmatic view point on the subject, just as I do.)

The only difference, from what I can tell, is that O' Sensei talked in religious parable type talk, much like what many people in ki Aikido do today. (This is from Toheis interview that Im saying this.)

- Another interesting note, forget the name right off hand, is that the guy who told Tohei he could only teach ki out of the dojo was the same one that came back and told him he could after Tohei had over 100 people signed up at the Olympic stadium, I believe it was? (Where he taught only ki)
Which, at the time, Tohei said it was to late.

Again, I read the whole bit of where someone originally asked him to be the 2nd Doshu but he declined. Very detailed info...again, one side/perspective of the story...but a lot can be seen with this.

Overall, I get the impression, its like everything else - politics. (Ego)
Crazy, crazy, crazy.

About Tomiki, I read about what Tohei had to say about O' Senseis view on competition, which seemed to be the main draw of what broke the camels back there.

I havent got into the nitty gritty of the rest of the stuff...I have the dates of when the main Shihan started and left, got their dan ranks, etc. - to try to make sense of the period. But as far as why Shioda was separate, I havent really gotten into yet...though it appears in that time he kept close ties with O' Sensei.

In a way, it makes sense. O' Sensei was developing his own bit, and like you mentioned, they took away aspects of his teaching and went their way...yet did not severe ties with him.

Overall, as I have looked into the various styles, I can only reiterate, that personally I see a lot of value in the styles from the various Shihan mentioned. (to make a well rounded art...a well rounded person)

True, if one wants to claim to be pure to one man, O'Sensei, then I can see the lines. But I agree with Tohei when he said that to experience 'god' you must stop following.

Anyway, this is all good stuff...quite interesting, and has been fun to ponder.

Thanks for the comments.

Peace

dAlen

Last edited by dalen7 : 02-10-2009 at 03:23 PM.

dAlen [day•lynn]
dum spiro spero - {While I have breathe - I have hope}

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