Welcome to AikiWeb Aikido Information
AikiWeb: The Source for Aikido Information
AikiWeb's principal purpose is to serve the Internet community as a repository and dissemination point for aikido information.

Sections
home
aikido articles
columns

Discussions
forums
aikiblogs

Databases
dojo search
seminars
image gallery
supplies
links directory

Reviews
book reviews
video reviews
dvd reviews
equip. reviews

News
submit
archive

Miscellaneous
newsletter
rss feeds
polls
about

Follow us on



Home > AikiWeb Aikido Forums
Go Back   AikiWeb Aikido Forums > General

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!

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 01-21-2015, 11:48 AM   #1
akiy
 
akiy's Avatar
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 6,049
Offline
YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata



Here is an #Aikido video of Koichi Tohei performing jo kata.

What are your thoughts on this video?

-- Jun

Please help support AikiWeb -- become an AikiWeb Contributing Member!
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2015, 02:17 PM   #2
Janet Rosen
 
Janet Rosen's Avatar
Location: Left Coast
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,339
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

We practice this both left and right side; while the target strikes are specific the focus is more on "flow" than when we do Saito Sensei's 31 kata.

Janet Rosen
http://www.zanshinart.com
"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2015, 11:59 PM   #3
nikyu62
Dojo: Aikido Club of American Samoa
Location: American Samoa
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 179
American Samoa
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

The first one looked almost exactly like what was taught to me as Jo 1 while the other spinny stuff had elements of Jo 2 but not the same movement. My home dojo in Hawaii was a former Ki Aikido dojo that ended up Yuishinkai.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2015, 10:24 AM   #4
Janet Rosen
 
Janet Rosen's Avatar
Location: Left Coast
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,339
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Quote:
Steven Shimanek wrote: View Post
The first one looked almost exactly like what was taught to me as Jo 1 while the other spinny stuff had elements of Jo 2 but not the same movement. My home dojo in Hawaii was a former Ki Aikido dojo that ended up Yuishinkai.
Then we come from the same lineage! My late teacher, Gayle Fillman Sensei's, direct teacher was Richard Kahoalii Sensei in Humboldt County but with ties to the folks in Hawaii and she traveled there several times to train directly with Tohei Sensei both before and after "the split."

Janet Rosen
http://www.zanshinart.com
"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2015, 10:37 AM   #5
nikyu62
Dojo: Aikido Club of American Samoa
Location: American Samoa
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 179
American Samoa
Offline
Ki Symbol Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Quote:
Janet Rosen wrote: View Post
Then we come from the same lineage! My late teacher, Gayle Fillman Sensei's, direct teacher was Richard Kahoalii Sensei in Humboldt County but with ties to the folks in Hawaii and she traveled there several times to train directly with Tohei Sensei both before and after "the split."
Aloha Sempai!
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2015, 02:44 PM   #6
Cliff Judge
Location: Kawasaki, Kanagawa
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,276
Japan
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

It looks weird in slow-motion, how he starts to jump back before his forward tsukis are at their apex. And also the backward arch of his head.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2015, 04:02 PM   #7
sorokod
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 841
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

A lot of twirling and jumping, what purpose does this exercise serve?

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2015, 04:46 PM   #8
Janet Rosen
 
Janet Rosen's Avatar
Location: Left Coast
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,339
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Quote:
David Soroko wrote: View Post
A lot of twirling and jumping, what purpose does this exercise serve?
Presumably the same spiritual/internal training purpose as OSensei's jo.... :-)
http://youtu.be/L88TbONoAXo

Janet Rosen
http://www.zanshinart.com
"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2015, 04:52 PM   #9
sorokod
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 841
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Was Tohei as religious as the founder? What does "spiritual/internal" means?

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2015, 05:53 PM   #10
Janet Rosen
 
Janet Rosen's Avatar
Location: Left Coast
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,339
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

O'Sensei's jo misogi was a spiritual practice - calling down the kami - and some believe it was also a part of his internal strength training do develop aiki - CF Ellis Amdur "Hidden in Plain Sight" so the idea of tenshi - "heaven and earth" - as in standing on the bridge btwn was both a spiritual and a martial concept.
You asked the purpose of twirling and leaping by Tohei Sensei and my reply was, and is, he was a direct student of O'Sensei and got it directly from O'Sensei for whatever reasons O'Sensei did it.

Janet Rosen
http://www.zanshinart.com
"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2015, 08:10 PM   #11
nikyu62
Dojo: Aikido Club of American Samoa
Location: American Samoa
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 179
American Samoa
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Tohei Sensei was also a student of Shin Shin Toitsu which was a spiritual discipline, and a lot of the movements he developed were designed to help unify the mind and body. Ki is an example of a spiritual/internal concept, although it can be easily misunderstood. Still working on understanding myself, but I seem to be able to use it at a basic level.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2015, 10:08 PM   #12
Stephen Sereday
Dojo: Shin Budo Kai
Location: Connecticut
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 5
United_States
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

The fist part is Jo22-1 (0 - 43 sec). The second part (43sec to end) has Jo22-2 and Jo 22-4 mixed in. I am unfamilair with the second part.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 02:13 AM   #13
sorokod
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 841
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Quote:
Janet Rosen wrote: View Post
O'Sensei's jo misogi was a spiritual practice - calling down the kami - and some believe it was also a part of his internal strength training do develop aiki - CF Ellis Amdur "Hidden in Plain Sight" so the idea of tenshi - "heaven and earth" - as in standing on the bridge btwn was both a spiritual and a martial concept.
You asked the purpose of twirling and leaping by Tohei Sensei and my reply was, and is, he was a direct student of O'Sensei and got it directly from O'Sensei for whatever reasons O'Sensei did it.
By the same logic, and given posts #2 and #4, you are "calling down the kami".

Is that the case?

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 02:55 AM   #14
Carsten Möllering
 
Carsten Möllering's Avatar
Dojo: Hildesheimer Aikido Verein
Location: Hildesheim
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 932
Germany
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

As far as I understand it by now, Ueshiba's misogi no jo - i.e. spiritual movement - was different from his aiki jo - i.e. martial movement.
Plus, I understood, that the spiritual practice of Tohei sensei - i.e. Shin shin toitsu dô - was different from that of Ueshiba - i.e. Ômoto kyo.

So allthough I am not competent to judge the movement of Tohei sensei's jo shown in this vid, I'm pretty sure that it is different from Ueshibas misogi no jo. The more so because Tohei sensei emphasized that he did not follow Ueshiba's spiritual way.

Last edited by Carsten Möllering : 01-23-2015 at 02:58 AM.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 04:59 AM   #15
sorokod
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 841
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

My understanding is that the founder was a religious person and a part of an organized religious group (Ômoto kyo) for most of his life. My understanding is that at some point Tohei was part of Shin shin toitsu dô (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinshi...8Ditsu-d%C5%8D) which is described as Japanese Yoga. Calling them and their practices "spiritual" is probably correct and not very useful.

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 05:59 AM   #16
Carsten Möllering
 
Carsten Möllering's Avatar
Dojo: Hildesheimer Aikido Verein
Location: Hildesheim
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 932
Germany
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

I know Shin shin toitsu to some degree because I used to practice from time to time with an actual member of Tempukai who is living in our region. Also my first teacher was a student of this member of the Tempukai and adapted some or their practice.
And yes: It is spiritual. Misogi is an important part of it. Also chanting. And some other Elements at least I understand as "spiritual".
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 06:29 AM   #17
sorokod
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 841
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Quote:
Carsten Möllering wrote: View Post
I know Shin shin toitsu to some degree because I used to practice from time to time with an actual member of Tempukai who is living in our region. Also my first teacher was a student of this member of the Tempukai and adapted some or their practice.
And yes: It is spiritual. Misogi is an important part of it. Also chanting. And some other Elements at least I understand as "spiritual".
I am guessing that Tohei didn't claim to be possessed by a deity the way the founder did, which puts him on a different "spiritual" shelf in my mental library at least.

Can your knowledge of Shin shin toitsu contribute to the understanding of twirling and jumping?

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 07:48 AM   #18
Carsten Möllering
 
Carsten Möllering's Avatar
Dojo: Hildesheimer Aikido Verein
Location: Hildesheim
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 932
Germany
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Quote:
David Soroko wrote: View Post
I am guessing that Tohei didn't claim to be possessed by a deity the way the founder did, which puts him on a different "spiritual" shelf in my mental library at least.
Well, yes. That's exactly whtat I tried to say, when I wrote: "So allthough I am not competent to judge the movement of Tohei sensei's jo shown in this vid, I'm pretty sure that it is different from Ueshibas misogi no jo. The more so because Tohei sensei emphasized that he did not follow Ueshiba's spiritual way." Isn't it?

Quote:
Can your knowledge of Shin shin toitsu contribute to the understanding of twirling and jumping?
Nope. Not in the slightest.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 08:05 AM   #19
Cliff Judge
Location: Kawasaki, Kanagawa
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,276
Japan
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Quote:
David Soroko wrote: View Post
I am guessing that Tohei didn't claim to be possessed by a deity the way the founder did, which puts him on a different "spiritual" shelf in my mental library at least.
That's really all any Japanese martial art was ever for....to be possessed by a deity and embody her qualities. Until the modern period anyway.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 09:01 AM   #20
sorokod
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 841
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Quote:
Carsten Möllering wrote: View Post
Well, yes. That's exactly whtat I tried to say, when I wrote: "So allthough I am not competent to judge the movement of Tohei sensei's jo shown in this vid, I'm pretty sure that it is different from Ueshibas misogi no jo. The more so because Tohei sensei emphasized that he did not follow Ueshiba's spiritual way." Isn't it?
A word that comes to mind that describes the founder - a shaman. A proper chanting, stick twirling, spirit-possessed and vision experiencing shaman.

So I agree and think that the founder was a shaman, and Tohei wasn't.

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 01:37 PM   #21
dps
 
dps's Avatar
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,415
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Quote:
Jun Akiyama wrote: View Post

Here is an #Aikido video of Koichi Tohei performing jo kata.

What are your thoughts on this video?

-- Jun
A film from the 1960's way before he split with Aikikia. O'sensei was probably still alive. I saw this and other films that my Sensei had in 1984. My Sensei was a student of Shuji Maruyama when he taught in Cleveland, Ohio.

dps
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 03:24 PM   #22
Gary David
 
Gary David's Avatar
Location: Long Beach, CA
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 332
United_States
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Folks
Looking at this video and having some occasions to train with him here in California in the '70s....what I remember..... Tohei Sensei talked being practical....the quick movement seen in the video relates to movement without counting...which means movement without conscience thought. If you count you have to be in the thinking mind and that slows you down. Moving this fast requires that your footwork be precise or you can't make it happen.....you have fast precise movement without thought. As for the hopping...relates to jumping down, never up. A way to teach the idea and concepts of weight drop.

Talked with another friend of mine who spent time with Tohei Sensei in Hawaii as well as in the San Diego area during the same time frame and he agrees with the above......though this was not all of what Tohei Sensei was about.......

Gary
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2015, 12:45 PM   #23
sorokod
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 841
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Another way to do Jo kata (this is 31 jo kata) quickly, at about 14:50 time mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCeOedrW-AM#t=14m50s

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2015, 10:12 AM   #24
David Norton
Dojo: Pax River Aikikai / California, MD
Location: Lexington Park, MD
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 28
United_States
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

This looks like the 21-move kata. My instructor (Hagihara Sensei) teaches this.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2015, 11:20 AM   #25
sorokod
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 841
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: YouTube: Koichi Tohei Jo Kata

Quote:
David Norton wrote: View Post
This looks like the 21-move kata. My instructor (Hagihara Sensei) teaches this.
According to Saito sensei, Tohei left Iwama before the founder finalised the form that became the 31 Jo kata. His kata is an early version.

  Reply With Quote

Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Aikido Journal's "Aikido with Ki" Koichi Tohei Keith Larman General 1 12-23-2010 03:44 PM
YouTube: Bear Jo Kata SteveTrinkle Testing 14 06-17-2010 09:42 AM
YouTube: Noro sensei's jo kata NTT Weapons 16 06-15-2010 01:25 AM
The GREAT kata debate Jorx General 35 04-01-2009 07:02 PM
Bokken & Jo Kata Videos jpjaqua Weapons 4 01-15-2005 05:43 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:22 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
plainlaid-picaresque outchasing-protistan explicantia-altarage seaford-stellionate