|
|
Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.
If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!
|
09-24-2009, 09:49 PM
|
#1
|
Location: Boston/MA
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 197
Offline
|
The Big Ten
Came across an interesting quote by Stanley Pranin:
"In the annals of aikido, there are perhaps ten or so teachers who have commanded universal respect for their high level of skill...."
Anyone care to opine whom those ten may be?
|
|
|
|
09-24-2009, 09:51 PM
|
#2
|
Location: Boston/MA
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 197
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
I'll start with the five heavies that probably everyone can agree on:
Shioda
Mochizuki
Nishio
Saito
Tohei
Who else belongs there?
|
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 02:49 AM
|
#4
|
Dojo: Wherever I happen to be
Location: Zaragoza
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 587
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Quote:
Rabih Shanshiry wrote:
I'll start with the five heavies that probably everyone can agree on:
Shioda
Mochizuki
Nishio
Saito
Tohei
Who else belongs there?
|
I would add Tomiki here. No doubt.
|
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 03:22 AM
|
#5
|
Dojo: Hildesheimer Aikido Verein
Location: Hildesheim
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 932
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Yamaguchi Seigo
|
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 03:26 AM
|
#6
|
Dojo: Wherever I happen to be
Location: Zaragoza
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 587
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Shirata and Chiba. Respect is the word.
|
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 05:01 AM
|
#7
|
Dojo: Lunds Aikidoklubb
Location: Lund, Sweden
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 273
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Of all great past and present instructors of aikido my list of 10 true canons (i.e. those which have had most influence in the shape of aikido and by which all others are judged) is this... in no particular order...
Inoue Noriaki
Osawa Sr.
Saito Sr.
Tohei K.
Shioda
Yamaguchi
Shirata
Tada
Tomiki
Mochizuki
Not including the founder himself or his son and present doshu.
|
Jakob Blomquist
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 05:14 AM
|
#8
|
Dojo: Wherever I happen to be
Location: Zaragoza
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 587
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
My own personal list would go like this:
Mochizuki
Shioda
Tomiki
Saito
Chiba
Nishio
Shirata
Isoyama
Abe
Tohei
In no particular order.
|
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 06:16 AM
|
#9
|
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,214
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
WHAaat?
No Seagal?
|
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 06:48 AM
|
#10
|
Location: Boston/MA
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 197
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Quote:
Alejandro Villanueva wrote:
I would add Tomiki here. No doubt.
|
Tomiki is a giant of a man within Aikido - no doubt. And one of the majors as far influence and innovation.
But this list is for the Big Ten in recognized technical ability. I haven't heard/read much regarding his actual skill level.
By way of parallel, if this were a list of top ten most influential aikidoka, then no doubt Doshu Kisshomaru would be on the list for his contributions to the dissemination of aikido and to the development of its underlying philosophy. However, I'm not sure he belongs there if we are talking about the top ten most skilled practicioners.
Can anyone shed some light on Tomiki as a martial artist?
|
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 07:52 AM
|
#11
|
Location: Boston/MA
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 197
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Quote:
Jakob Blomquist wrote:
Of all great past and present instructors of aikido my list of 10 true canons (i.e. those which have had most influence in the shape of aikido and by which all others are judged) is this... in no particular order...
Inoue Noriaki
Osawa Sr.
Saito Sr.
Tohei K.
Shioda
Yamaguchi
Shirata
Tada
Tomiki
Mochizuki
Not including the founder himself or his son and present doshu.
|
Thanks for the list - some names I wouldn't have even thought of.
Interesting inclusion of Inoue - does he count as Aikido? I also noted that you dropped Nishio from the list.
If you remove the consideration of influence and just focus on skill set, would your list change?
|
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 11:35 AM
|
#12
|
Dojo: www.pbjjc.com
Location: Long Island, NY
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 700
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
What about a big ten list for this generation ?
|
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 12:23 PM
|
#13
|
Dojo: Aozora Dojo
Location: Birmingham, AL
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,511
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Quote:
Ricky Wood wrote:
WHAaat?
No Seagal?
|
He WOULD have been mentioned in the second post if my internet had been working. I TRIED to get him on there!
David
|
"That which has no substance can enter where there is no room."
Lao Tzu
"Eternity forever!"
www.esotericorange.com
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 12:31 PM
|
#14
|
Dojo: Aozora Dojo
Location: Birmingham, AL
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,511
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Quote:
Rabih Shanshiry wrote:
Tomiki is a giant of a man within Aikido - no doubt. And one of the majors as far influence and innovation.
But this list is for the Big Ten in recognized technical ability. I haven't heard/read much regarding his actual skill level.
Can anyone shed some light on Tomiki as a martial artist?
|
Hella great. And his methods are one of the most important lines of aikido in the modern world. So I think he definitely belongs among the Big Ten.
Best to you.
David
|
"That which has no substance can enter where there is no room."
Lao Tzu
"Eternity forever!"
www.esotericorange.com
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 06:52 PM
|
#15
|
Location: Boston/MA
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 197
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Quote:
Alejandro Villanueva wrote:
Even when most aikidoka plainly laugh at Shodokan big time in Spain. The best thing you would hear here is "that" that is NOT Aikido.
Sad but true. How is it anywhere else in the world?
|
There is only 1 shodokan dojo in all of New England and none in my state. Outside of Ohio, for whatever reason, shodokan dojos are hard to find.
...rab
|
|
|
|
09-25-2009, 08:02 PM
|
#16
|
Dojo: Aikikai de l'Université Laval
Location: Sainte-Catherine-de-la-J.-C., Québec
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 292
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Quote:
Howard Popkin wrote:
What about a big ten list for this generation ?
|
OK, I'll bite. Trouble is I've only experienced a small fraction of the aikido instructors around. So here I go based on my limited exposure (and therefore showing the bias of my geography and organisational affiliation). I'm defining "this generation" as anybody still actively teaching. Here is a list of instructors I would recommend seeing whenever the chance arises.
Tamura: Best aikido I've seen in person. Could watch him for hours without getting bored. Not sure any of the top tens on the other lists earlier in this thread have anything on him.
Chiba: Powerful technique, just pray you get him on a good day.
Konigsberg: Probably the aikido that has impressed me the most from actually getting a good opportunity to take ukemi. Strong, martial but without the brute force. I grab him and he takes my center right on contact.
Berthiaume: My first instructor and a worthy heir to Kanai sensei. Explosive aikido, get some good horizontal air time.
Waite: Another teacher to keep you moving. Impressed me a few years ago by bouncing me back in kokyu nage no matter how much "weight" I through at him.
Dianne: Chiba's style with a smile. Being thrown by her is like hitting a brick wall.(The last four are to me great examples of how it is possible to reach the level of one's teachers)
Doran: Only seen him once, but I got to feel his technique and I hope to do so again.
Takeguchi: Also only seen him once, but it was a very interesting look at aspects I hadn't worked on much and in a way that I actually think I learned something.
Yamada: A true travelling missionary of aikido. Just be ready to work on your basics and not much else.
Well I didn't make it to ten. I need to get out more I guess.
|
Jonathan Olson
|
|
|
09-26-2009, 12:26 AM
|
#17
|
Dojo: Bucks County Aikido
Location: Pennsylvania
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 425
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Not in any serious order, but:
Chiba
Saito
Yamada
Kanai
Tamura
Toyoda
Nishio
Tohei
Shioda
Yamaguchi
|
|
|
|
09-26-2009, 01:19 AM
|
#18
|
Dojo: Seibukan Aikido UK
Location: body in UK, heart still in Japan
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 1,031
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Quite hard to pick out Ten or so specifically. I don't see any reason why any of the Ueshiba family should be missing from the list. Can't limit to 10 so am going for the "or so", in no particular order other than when they pop into my head.....
Kaiso
Ueshiba Kisshomaru
Ueshiba Moriteru
Yamaguchi
Arikawa
Osawa Sr.
Saito Sr.
Endo
Tohei K.
Shioda
Shirata
Tada
Nishio
Mochizuki
Yamada
Chiba
Tamura
Tissier
Toyoda
Abbe
Saotome
I'm sure there are more.
Last edited by batemanb : 09-26-2009 at 01:22 AM.
|
A difficult problem is easily solved by asking yourself the question, "Just how would the Lone Ranger handle this?"
|
|
|
09-26-2009, 05:02 AM
|
#19
|
Location: Germany
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 219
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Why not simply ask Stanley Pranin ?
Because as far as most of us are concerned, trying to answer this question can only lead to useless speculation. Who belongs in the club ? Does membership reward skill or the publicity made around them ?
|
|
|
|
09-27-2009, 10:40 PM
|
#20
|
Dojo: Bu Yuu Kan dojo
Location: Davao City
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 127
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
O Sensei doesn't count?
|
|
|
|
09-28-2009, 08:52 AM
|
#21
|
Dojo: Warren Budokan, Ohio USA
Location: Youngstown, Ohio
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 502
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Greetings,
I am curious as to the reason my post inre to Tomiki Shihan was removed ?
Mickey
|
|
|
|
09-28-2009, 02:16 PM
|
#22
|
Location: Chicago, IL
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 432
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Quote:
Bryan Bateman wrote:
Quite hard to pick out Ten or so specifically. I don't see any reason why any of the Ueshiba family should be missing from the list. Can't limit to 10 so am going for the "or so", in no particular order other than when they pop into my head.....
Kaiso
Ueshiba Kisshomaru
Ueshiba Moriteru
Yamaguchi
Arikawa
Osawa Sr.
Saito Sr.
Endo
Tohei K.
Shioda
Shirata
Tada
Nishio
Mochizuki
Yamada
Chiba
Tamura
Tissier
Toyoda
Abbe
Saotome
I'm sure there are more.
|
I would add Tohei A.
|
Robert Cronin
|
|
|
09-29-2009, 12:54 AM
|
#23
|
Location: Boston/MA
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 197
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Quote:
Rafael Ayala wrote:
O Sensei doesn't count?
|
O Sensei does indeed count. Talk about "hidden in plain sight." With Tomiki, I'm now up to a core of seven:
O Sensei
Shioda
Mochizuki
Tohei
Tomiki
Saito
Nishio
Still in the hunt (personally) for the last three slots. Lots of strong candidates mentioned here already to consider.
As for the couple suggestions to consult with Pranin - I will absolutely seek out his opinion and also Dr. Goldsbury's. I first wanted to see if we what we came up with on our own. It's a fun question to ponder and truly about the journey more than the destination.
|
|
|
|
09-29-2009, 12:56 AM
|
#24
|
Location: Boston/MA
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 197
Offline
|
Re: The Big Ten
Quote:
Michael Gelum wrote:
Greetings,
I am curious as to the reason my post inre to Tomiki Shihan was removed ?
Mickey
|
Mickey,
I think it got moved over to a new thread Jun created around Shodokan Aikido when he saw the thread start to wander from the OT.
FWIW: I've added him to my Big Ten list based, in part, on your and Ellis' feedback.
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:46 AM.
|
vBulletin Copyright © 2000-2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited
Copyright 1997-2024 AikiWeb and its Authors, All Rights Reserved.
For questions and comments about this website:
Send E-mail
|
|