View Single Post
Old 08-19-2012, 03:30 PM   #22
jamie yugawa
 
jamie yugawa's Avatar
Dojo: Sapporo
Location: Sapporo, hokkaido
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 186
Japan
Offline
Re: Combat and war affecting the early training training of Aikido

I apologize I should have clarified my idea a little more. My original question should have been: Did O Sensei's participation in the Russo Japanese war affect his training and attitude about Budo? Koichi Tohei participated in WW2 and saw action also. I am not talking philosophical or the country's defeat in WW2. Did the personal experience of war and combat affect their training?

According to my source, after Koichi Tohei returned from the war O Sensei told him something changed about him and promoted him on the spot( I do realize he did this a lot.) My interviewee having felt O Sensei and took ukemi from Koichi Tohei and Doshu said there was no comparison in terms of power. He thought part of O Sensei and Koichi Tohei's power was from the fact they had seen action in comparison to Doshu who did not.

The most interesting part of the interview was that O Sensei confided that one of his biggest regrets was the taking of human life. During his time in Hawaii O Sensei was quite relaxed and let his guard down about some of his experiences. He stated that during the Russo Japanese war, the Japanese solders (Including himself) would do nighttime attacks in the enemy foxholes with katana ( Due to lack of ammunition) and kill the enemy close up. The interviewed Sensei thinks that some of O Sensei's power come from the experience of cutting human beings. O Sensei never stated how many he cut down but he did participate in that experience. Interesting stuff.

One little candle can light 10,000 candles- Koichi Tohei Sensei
  Reply With Quote