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 01-20-2014, 07:25 PM   #1
rulemaker
Dojo: Aikido Philippines
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 130
Philippines
Offline
Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

At the age of 20, after a short period with the Tajima Yoko trading company in Wuhan, he enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Army. He attended the Nakano School in Tokyo, the key training camp for Intelligence agents, where he was trained in propaganda, sabotage, martial arts (including aikido) and guerrilla warfare.

Click on the link below for the full article:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...surrender.html
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2014, 06:14 AM   #2
allowedcloud
Location: Ohio
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 82
United_States
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Interestingly, Morihei Ueshiba himself taught at the Nakano Spy school. The article implies Onoda was a student there in 1942. Does anyone know if Ueshiba was still teaching there at that time? I understand he moved to Iwama towards the end of 1942.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2014, 08:19 AM   #3
Chris Li
 
Chris Li's Avatar
Dojo: Aikido Sangenkai
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,313
United_States
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Quote:
Joshua Landin wrote: View Post
Interestingly, Morihei Ueshiba himself taught at the Nakano Spy school. The article implies Onoda was a student there in 1942. Does anyone know if Ueshiba was still teaching there at that time? I understand he moved to Iwama towards the end of 1942.
If he was really doing Aikido then it was proabably with Morihei Ueshiba - sometime in 1942 Ueshiba was replaced by a Shotokan Karate instructor.

Best,

Chris

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2014, 09:19 PM   #4
rulemaker
Dojo: Aikido Philippines
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 130
Philippines
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Gozo Shioda Interview on Aikido Journal
http://www.aikidojournal.com/article.php?articleID=425

Nakano And Toyama Schools

Do you know how Ueshiba Sensei came to teach at the Nakano and Toyama military schools?

Ueshiba Sensei went to the Nakano school through an introduction of the director of the Military Police School, Mr. Makoto Miura. Since the Nakano School was located in Nakano in Meguro Ward and the Toyama School was located nearby in Okubo, they weren't that far away from the Ueshiba dojo. Ueshiba Sensei also taught at the Army University in Yotsuya and at the Naval Academy. Mr. Sankichi Takahashi was the director of the Naval Academy and it was through this connection that Ueshiba Sensei taught there. At that time, Prince Takamatsu, a younger brother of Emperor Hirohito, was a student at the Naval Academy. Ueshiba Sensei regularly taught budo as a compulsory subject at the Toyama and Nakano Schools.

I believe there were quite a few strong students among those Ueshiba Sensei taught at these military schools.
The students of the Nakano School were 18 and 19 year-olds undergoing training to become spies. When they graduated from the Nakano School they would become officers, wear civilian clothes and infiltrate foreign countries.

There were many strong fellows at the Toyama School too.

Did they practice other martial arts at these schools?

Aikido was the only martial art they practiced. They also studied things like foreign languages.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2014, 09:20 AM   #5
Michael Hackett
Dojo: Kenshinkan Dojo (Aikido of North County) Vista, CA
Location: Oceanside, California
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,253
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

He also taught at the Okawa Juku, a school for foreign services officers. Okawa was the only civilian who was indicted as a war criminal in the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. He was never tried as he was found to be incompetent to stand trial. He received treatment for his mental illness and was never brought to justice.

Michael
"Leave the gun. Bring the cannoli."
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2014, 09:27 AM   #6
Chris Li
 
Chris Li's Avatar
Dojo: Aikido Sangenkai
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,313
United_States
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Quote:
Michael Hackett wrote: View Post
He also taught at the Okawa Juku, a school for foreign services officers. Okawa was the only civilian who was indicted as a war criminal in the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. He was never tried as he was found to be incompetent to stand trial. He received treatment for his mental illness and was never brought to justice.
There's a picture in this article, right behind Hideki Tojo - another Ueshiba student.

Best,

Chris

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2014, 09:55 AM   #7
Ellis Amdur
 
Ellis Amdur's Avatar
Location: Seattle
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 934
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Tohei Koichi, after six months training, ended up teaching at the Okawajuku.

Eventually, Ueshiba was let go from the Nakano school. His method was deemed to take to long to teach. He was replaced by three karateka, Okuyama Tadao, Egami Shigeru (both of whom trained with Inoue Noriaki at different times), and a third. Okuyama, at least, was reported in some accounts to have tested karate blows on bound prisoners.

Ellis Amdur

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2014, 07:44 AM   #8
Sacha Cloetens
Dojo: Ban Sen Juku Leuven - Masakatsu Dojo
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 15
Belgium
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Hi,
I seem to recall an interview ( by Stan?) with a former student of the Nakano spy school.
He basically stated that since there wasn't enough time, the only thing O sensei thaught was a kick to the private parts ( deemed lethal ). Can't find the article anywher though.

Cheers.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2014, 10:32 AM   #9
Ellis Amdur
 
Ellis Amdur's Avatar
Location: Seattle
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 934
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Quote:
Hi,
I seem to recall an interview ( by Stan?) with a former student of the Nakano spy school.
He basically stated that since there wasn't enough time, the only thing O sensei taught was a kick to the private parts ( deemed lethal ). Can't find the article anywhere though
No. Actually, that was my quote of a conversation that Kuroiwa Yoshio had with the former director of the Nakano Spy school. In essence, Kuroiwa was part of an embu that Ueshiba was doing, in the late 50's or early 60's, and he was off to the side and an old man kept mumbling, "Hmmm. So this is aikido? This is aikido? Hmmm." Upon asking the old man who he was, he replied that he was the former head of the school. When asked what Ueshiba taught, he replied that he would just grab people, smash them to the ground and then teach how to kill them quickly.

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2014, 04:59 PM   #10
Michael Hackett
Dojo: Kenshinkan Dojo (Aikido of North County) Vista, CA
Location: Oceanside, California
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,253
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Chris,

It appears that photo was taken immediately after Okawa slapped Tojo on the head a couple of times. You can see the MP Colonel holding him in place. That event apparently started the whole conversation of whether Okawa was mentally ill or not - a subject debated to this day. In any event, although indicted, Okawa was never tried, even though he was eventually found to be competent.

Relationships like this make me wonder who O Sensei really was, if he changed over the years, or if he concealed his true beliefs during the post-war years. Was he a warmonger in the days of the Japanese movement to expand? Was he only trying to propagate his art? If he was a bad guy in the 1920s and 1930s, did he reverse course later in life? Did he actively conceal his real feelings over the years to avoid trouble and rebuke? Was he a product of his time and culture? Was he a saint who only did what he had to do to avoid imprisonment or death? I suppose time and real scholarship will eventually tell us.

Michael
"Leave the gun. Bring the cannoli."
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2014, 05:23 PM   #11
Ellis Amdur
 
Ellis Amdur's Avatar
Location: Seattle
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 934
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Michael - Peter Goldsbury unearthed a letter (which I have, with his permission and citation, borrowed) from Ueshiba to Okawa apologizing for not meeting with him (due to health, IIRC). He called him "sensei," and the letters display affection and respect.

In my reworking of Dueling with Osensei (coming out in summer of this year), I go into more detail about Ueshiba and the right wing. He was not only a supporter of right wing (including terrorist) individuals (as was Deguchi) before the war, he continued to do so afterwards, something I do discuss in the revised chapter.

Gosh- the right wing support of aikido continued and continues. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryoichi_Sasakawa was the primary financial supporter of the Aikikai, of a number of the karate organizations and of the Toyama-ryu.

(BTW - I'm not writing here in any sort of outrage - things are far too complex to be addressed in a forum post. The outrage that so many Japanese, including Okawa felt regarding the European depredations in Asia were well-founded, as was their contempt for our hypocrisy. For two examples, the French and Dutch, while participating in the Tokyo war crimes tribunal, were actively trying to regain control of Vietnam and Indonesia, respectively, and doing so with an appalling level of violence, just like the Japanese they condemned. Okawa, sane or insane, was certainly correct in his view that this was "victor's justice.")

I remember a conversation with a far-right political "activist" during my time in Japan. When I mentioned Ueshiba (who, in the eyes of this man, was nothing special - just a martial arts teacher, btw), the man said with an affectionate voice, "Ah, Ueshiba-san. Aitsu was uyoku no uyoku!" The translation? "Oh Mr. Ueshiba. That guy was the right wing of the right wing."

Finally, because posts such as this have garnered outrage before: Sasagawa is one of the greatest philanthropists of the modern era, doing far more for the impoverished in many areas of the world than many liberal or left individuals. Similarly, that Ueshiba clearly supported the right and the war does not necessarily negate that he hoped for a peaceful world and that one aspect of the martial art he created was directed to that end.

Ellis Amdur

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2014, 07:58 PM   #12
Michael Hackett
Dojo: Kenshinkan Dojo (Aikido of North County) Vista, CA
Location: Oceanside, California
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,253
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Amdur Sensei,

I agree that the geopolitics of the time, pre and post-war, are not simply black and white. You cite an interesting example in mentioning Indochina. The Vietnamese had been fighting invaders for almost 900 years before the French colonized the country. Then comes WW2 and the Japanese displace the French. Ho Chi Minh fought the Japanese violently and expected to establish a Vietnamese nation, free from colonialists. Our own President Truman for many reasons, supported the French taking back Indochina, and ultimately we spent billions of dollars and over 58,000 American lives there.

Our relationship with Japan was every bit as confusing and convoluted in the pre-war years. Had Japan won the war, the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal would have seen MacArthur and Chesty Puller in the dock. Such is Victor's Justice.

I'm looking forward to the new edition and hope it provides more insight into who this man was.

Michael
"Leave the gun. Bring the cannoli."
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2014, 02:11 AM   #13
Sacha Cloetens
Dojo: Ban Sen Juku Leuven - Masakatsu Dojo
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 15
Belgium
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Quote:
Ellis Amdur wrote: View Post
No. Actually, that was my quote of a conversation that Kuroiwa Yoshio had with the former director of the Nakano Spy school. In essence, Kuroiwa was part of an embu that Ueshiba was doing, in the late 50's or early 60's, and he was off to the side and an old man kept mumbling, "Hmmm. So this is aikido? This is aikido? Hmmm." Upon asking the old man who he was, he replied that he was the former head of the school. When asked what Ueshiba taught, he replied that he would just grab people, smash them to the ground and then teach how to kill them quickly.
Hello Ellis,

Thanks for mentioning this anecdote, but it's the first time i hear it.
I'm positive the intervieuwee was a student of the school, not the headmaster, and it definitly mentioned kicks to the groign. ( still can't find the damn thing ... )
cheers,
SC
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2014, 08:37 AM   #14
Ellis Amdur
 
Ellis Amdur's Avatar
Location: Seattle
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 934
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Sacha - I think I know what you are talking about. It was, in fact, an interview with a karateka who taught at either the Nakano school, or somewhere else. I recall him describing kicking people in the groin one after another.

Ellis Amdur

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2014, 11:46 AM   #15
David Yap
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 561
Malaysia
Offline
Re: Last Japanese WW II Soldier to Surrender in 1974 was trained in Aikido

Quote:
Sacha Cloetens wrote: View Post
Hello Ellis,

Thanks for mentioning this anecdote, but it's the first time i hear it.
I'm positive the intervieuwee was a student of the school, not the headmaster, and it definitly mentioned kicks to the groign. ( still can't find the damn thing ... )
cheers,
SC
Sacha,

You might have been confused with this:

http://www.karate-kagaku.com/free/43...ttlefront.html

David
  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
If you could buy just ONE book about Aikido techniques, what would it be? Karol Kowalczyk Techniques 45 01-31-2014 11:35 PM
A Consideration of Aikido Practice within the Context of Internal Training Ellis Amdur Columns 71 03-21-2013 08:15 PM
Yoshinkai - Beyond the "Hard Style" Label Susan Dalton Columns 8 11-16-2011 06:53 AM
How I Met Aikido rulemaker General 2 06-29-2010 10:02 PM
Aikido in Amsterdam, Terry Lax style... tiyler_durden General 11 11-03-2008 08:31 AM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:19 PM.



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