YouTube: Yoshio Kuroiwa, 2005 Edogawa-ku Aikido Renmei Seminar

Here's a 36 minute video (in Japanese) of Yoshio Kuroiwa (6th dan, Aikikai) teaching at a workshop at the Edogawa-ku Aikido Renmei on May 26, 2005.

Kuroiwa (1932-2010) was an early post-war student of Morihei Ueshiba who started aikido in about 1954 after considerable experience in boxing (in which he was a golden gloves boxer). According to Aikido Journal, "In the late 1950s and 60s Kuroiwa Sensei was considered one of the strongest and most skilled practitioners at the Hombu Dojo."

More about his life can be read here in Ellis Amdur's article here: "In Memory of Kuroiwa Yoshio - 黒岩洋志郎 -- 1932- 2010"

-- Jun

Videos of Kuroiwa in his civvies are really what inspired me several years ago to take off the hakama and gi and rank and belt, and just get in there and train. And cross train with all kinds of people in all kinds of arts.

I'd known he was friends with Nishio. It figures. Two of the most renegade aikidoka who remained in the good graces of the Ueshiba's and Aikikai. I think that had to do more with Aikikai knowing they'd really lose something important, rather than the other way around.

Around 2007 or so, after I'd been despondent after Nishio's passing in 2005, this video inspired me to take off the garb, and get out there among some great martial artists, and just jam. Surprisingly, we all found more common ground than we expected.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izpob10bVPI

I miss Kuroiwa sensei and try to retain some of what he tried to teach me. Thanks for the video! Along the lines of Mr. Richards' comment of Kuriowa sensei practicing/teaching in street clothes, I will forever cherish my memory of Sensei tossing me, and three other curious aikidoka, around various NYC coffee shops after his "seminar" classes at Bond Street Dojo. The look on the shop staff = priceless!