Tomiki and Ueshiba history

Below is from a Black Belt issue about Tomiki. Does anyone know if this actually happened? Or happened but in a slightly different way? Any other references out there?

Thanks,
Mark

In 1952, he (Tomiki) started teaching 12 aikido techniques from which he had removed the risk of injury; Tomiki had by then developed a new method for teaching aikido safely. When Uyeshiba learned of this, he invited Tomiki to return to his school with the new method. Although some of his friends advised him to start his own system and name it tomikiryu, Tomiki opted to return to the Uyeshiba school. However, those surrounding Uyeshiba intervened and, regrettably, Tomiki's innovative system did not come to grace the Uyeshiba school.

Mark Murray wrote: Below is from a Black Belt issue about Tomiki. Does anyone know if this actually happened? Or happened but in a slightly different way? Any other references out there? Thanks, Mark In 1952, he (Tomiki) started teaching 12 aikido techniques from which he had removed the risk of injury; Tomiki had by then developed a new method for teaching aikido safely. When Uyeshiba learned of this, he invited Tomiki to return to his school with the new method. Although some of his friends advised him to start his own system and name it tomikiryu, Tomiki opted to return to the Uyeshiba school. However, those surrounding Uyeshiba intervened and, regrettably, Tomiki's innovative system did not come to grace the Uyeshiba school.

I think the timeline in that article is incorrect - in 1952 Tomiki had not yet completed his formulation of the new randori method as far as I understand it. This was just after his release from the POW camp in Siberia after WWII. I believe he did show Ueshiba Sensei the Aiki Taiso - a warm up exercise that he developed to maintain his fitness while in the POW camp.

Either way, that is from my own memory. There are better reference sources available that give a much better account. And yes, Tomiki's methods did grace the Ueshiba school during the days of M. Ueshiba and also with Hirokazu Kobayashi at the very least. I believe Ueshiba M. was quite familiar with Tomiki's research.

See some of the aikidojournal articles here:

http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=70

http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=60

Will post others with more details if I can find them. I hate relying on my own memory.

Best
LC

This article talks about Tomiki teaching at Aikikai hombu as well - http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=109

Best
LC

Aiki-conspiracy theory. D: oh noes!!!111

Won't be the first time.

Biography Kenji Tomiki written by Fumiaki Shishida
Waseda University Aikidoclub 19 Feb 1980

In 1952, Kenji Tomiki teached the "judo taiso". In 1954 a manual "Judo taiso" was published
According Shoichi Teramoto (ex Waseda student) , Tomiki teached in that time a set of 12 techniques. When Ueshiba noticed this, he asked Tomiki to come to the dojo to explain or teaching. It was Teramoto who advised Tomiki to call his style "Tomiki style". But Tomiki replicated, it is better to go to Ueshiba and teach my ideas in his dojo, because Tomiki was already a long time student of Ueshiba. Unfortunately, Ueshiba's close students refused Tomiki's ideas.

Acoording to Teruo Fujiwara, Judo taiso sotai dosa are breaking balance exercises using the tegatana, these sotai dosa are the prototype of the current 'tegatana no kuzushi" exercises.This is in the period of 1950-1956. Around 1956 Tomiki already had a set of 15 techniques to do aikido randori. Those 15 were replaced by the current 17 in 1960.

This gives a great indication, Tomiki was already using his randori thinking in the early fifties.

Eddy Wolput

Eddy Wolput wrote: Biography Kenji Tomiki written by Fumiaki Shishida Waseda University Aikidoclub 19 Feb 1980 In 1952, Kenji Tomiki teached the "judo taiso". In 1954 a manual "Judo taiso" was published According Shoichi Teramoto (ex Waseda student) , Tomiki teached in that time a set of 12 techniques. When Ueshiba noticed this, he asked Tomiki to come to the dojo to explain or teaching. It was Teramoto who advised Tomiki to call his style "Tomiki style". But Tomiki replicated, it is better to go to Ueshiba and teach my ideas in his dojo, because Tomiki was already a long time student of Ueshiba. Unfortunately, Ueshiba's close students refused Tomiki's ideas. Acoording to Teruo Fujiwara, Judo taiso sotai dosa are breaking balance exercises using the tegatana, these sotai dosa are the prototype of the current 'tegatana no kuzushi" exercises.This is in the period of 1950-1956. Around 1956 Tomiki already had a set of 15 techniques to do aikido randori. Those 15 were replaced by the current 17 in 1960. This gives a great indication, Tomiki was already using his randori thinking in the early fifties. Eddy Wolput

Good stuff. Always good to have a few different sources.

Best
LC

Thanks everyone for the extra information.

Mark