Aikido Urban Legends, Stories, and Myths

In aikido we have a lot of stories. Stories that are told over millions of bottles of sake and beer.

Stories that can rival WWII or Vietnam feats, dramas, and myths. Stories that is forged with courage, bravery, valore, and spectacle. It is usually about a master who can breath fire and ki whilst making coffee. A little woman who single handedly defeated an army of evil henchmen. These are the stories that would make Hans Christian Andersen and any bard look like an apprentice. The story gets better every year, it becomes more spectacular with every person that re-tells the story.

So let it out, tell us your legends, your myths, your favourite aikido story!

I will start, I heard from a karate guy that apparently there is an aikido master in old Japan that can make any person faint by sucking all the ki by the faintest touch.

I read 'Angry White Pajamas' the author Twigger; mentioned that OSensei was teaching the sexual prowess ki extention in aikido. hmmm I still and very interested in finding the dogma on those teachings.

Apparently a good aikidoka can withstand a wave of the same height at the beach. Apparently aikidokas can blend with any wave of the same height.

wow, wish I knew some of those secrets! I once heard that O-Sensei could track the path of a bullet and dodge it. I also heard from someone that any competent aikidoka is able to pick up/throw anything as long as they strongly ki-ai...where'd that one come from?

I also heard that Osensei can not catch the rail and speed trains in Japan, because the electro magnetic force emmited by the current from the tracks makes him dizzy because they interfere with his aura.

I just spoke to a mate of mine... He told me that apparently Tohei sensei can extinguish a candle flame behind a glass wall four to five metres away from him, by extending his Ki.

• aikido has no competition
• an aikidoka once won a fight
• aikido builds character
• aikido has no ego
• two people in aikido can agree on a definition of ki
• shodothugs can use a knife and fork

Ian Hurst wrote: aikido has no competition an aikidoka once won a fight aikido builds character aikido has no ego two people in aikido can agree on a definition of ki shodothugs can use a knife and fork

Ian,

We Shodothugs only use chopsticks!

*grins evilly*

Yann Golanski wrote: Ian, We Shodothugs only use chopsticks! *grins evilly*

And in the most delicate and sophisticated maner.

Peter Rehse wrote: And in the most delicate and sophisticated maner.

Yes... but for what?

Dave Whiteland wrote: Yes... but for what?

Harmonising with our food, of course.

Dave Whiteland wrote: Yes... but for what?

Picking up the pieces.

Urban myths continued

• you wait ages for one shodothug and then two turn up at once
• hakamas hide your footwork
• yoshinkan do it by numbers
• fruities do it by feel
• Osensei's not dead, he's just opened a dojo and grill with Elvis

Iriminage is only a 30 year technique.

ikkyo is a simple technique.

There are no attacks in aikido (...so I'm learning to defend against the IDEA of an attack, eh? Man, those ideas leave big, big mark when they hit you!).

Shihonage performed over and over and over causes baldness.

I thought it is true, but it is one of these wonderful stories:

One uchi-deshi of o'sensei had his sake in the dockland inns night by night and he never resisted in those heavy fights, but usually went well out.
O'sensei in spite of his peaceful mind did never comment on this well known facts.
Only once when this uchi-deshi came to dojo with a black eye and some minor injuries, o'sensei said: "You should have more exercises".

Any comments or facts/sources?

Dirk

I heard this from a former uchideshi from the Iwama Dojo in the Ibaraki prefecture. Apparently there is a ghost samurai that roams the dojo, and visits people in their dreams. Apparently sometimes one would hear him running up the mountain, and also if one listens heard enough one can here his kiai.

Ian Hurst wrote: shodothugs can use a knife and fork

What the hell do we need a fork for?

* A good ukemi can be done on concrete quietly

* Aikido is a short man's art

If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a speeding fist...obviously not...

The Bigger the hara, the stronger the Ki.

hmmmm more beers please.

The first time I heard this story, it was about a nameless (or I forgot the name) student from the D.C. Dojo that Saotome Sensei was head instructor for.

A blackbelt aikidoka was attacked by a guy with a knife, and the first one or two times, he took the knife away, but gave it back to the guy because that was his reflexive response from training. Depending on the telling of the story, he either keeps the knife, the second or third time. I've also heard this happened either in Chicago or South Florida somewhere, but my memory of the second person who told me of this story is not clear.

Ian Hurst wrote: Urban myths continued you wait ages for one shodothug and then two turn up at once hakamas hide your footwork yoshinkan do it by numbers fruities do it by feel Osensei's not dead, he's just opened a dojo and grill with Elvis

Myth: Yoshinkan do it by the numbers

Fact: Yoshi-Orge can't count beyond ichi and ni. Anything above and we will get a headache which decreases our functionality.

Boon, sadly a numerically challenged YOSHI-ORGE (TM)

Oh yeh My favourites also are:

- Aikido is a soft martial art

- Aikido is defence only, we do not attack

John Murray wrote: A blackbelt aikidoka was attacked by a guy with a knife, and the first one or two times, he took the knife away, but gave it back to the guy because that was his reflexive response from training.

Hey, John!

Actually, Ikeda tells a story like this. I've asked policemen I've trained with if they ever heard of such a thing and they've been very matter-of-fact about it as if it's common knowledge in their circles: you do what you've trained to do.

Up til these conversations I took TANTO DORI lightly. Now I put the weapon on the floor a couple of paces from UKE as a means of returning it.