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Old 05-01-2011, 07:42 AM   #142
Carl Thompson
 
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Location: Kasama
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Re: Are we really doing O'Senseis Aikido?

Quote:
Demetrio Cereijo wrote: View Post
Lots claim to be not only the last but also the closer to him.

Anyway, what is around is: Homma Sensei was born in 1950, started training under Maruyama Shuji Sensei in Akita when he was around 12 years old. Maruyama moved to USA in 1966. Homma Sensei could have trained in Iwama under O Sensei between 1966 and 1969.

Here is a pic of Homma Sensei in Iwama (year 1968).

Entry in Aikido Journal Encyclopedia: http://www.aikidojournal.com/encyclopedia?entryID=272

Hirosawa Sensei was born in Iwama in 1937 and started training in aikido in 1958. Claims are he received "the real" from O Sensei himself.
http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showpo...40&postcount=1
Thanks. In my opinion, looking objectively for this kind of information is the way to go.

With so many claims, we have to play amateur sleuths to get to the bottom of what the founder's aikido was really like. So one sensei might insist that the founder was strong right until the end of his days, while another claims he was weak and people were taking dives for him. Others say he progressed to ki-no-nagare flowing form aikido as seen in his demonstrations (implying the abandonment of solid-form training) while some students insist he always taught solid basics as a way of reaching that point and that embu were designed to be impossible to steal from. Some say he was based in Tokyo in his later years while some have it that he was still resident in Iwama and merely visited the capital and other locations. I'm sure there are cases where honest enough deshi give conflicting accounts and that it's just a matter of degree while other times ego comes into play...

Just the other day I met a rokudan who said he trained with the founder in a particular location. He said he didn't consider himself a student of the founder, because that was the only keiko he had with Osensei during the last couple of years of his life. I find that kind of self-effacing testimony particularly compelling, not to mention the accounts of local people who knew the founder and have no vested interest.

Quote:
Attilio Anthony John Wagstaffe wrote: View Post
Yoda?
I first met Hirosawa Shihan after the seminar Demitrio linked to in 2006. In those days he taught basic kotai waza although he was controversial in demonstrating flowing technique a lot. When I attacked him, he never froze me with his kiai or threw me without touching me, but when I got hold of him, I couldn't stop him moving me, despite his encouragement for me to try my best. I get the impression that this at least is typical of anyone who spent any time close to the founder, even now in their old age.

Quote:
Demetrio Cereijo wrote: View Post
I was present at this demonstration and to be honest, I've no idea what he was doing. His background is very different from the other "Jedi" doing no-touch throws so I try (it takes some effort) to keep an open mind.

Kind regards

Carl
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