Great Pics of Hiroshi Kato, 8th Dan

My sensei, Hiroshi Kato from Tokyo, Japan is in California these days and one of the dojos has posted some pictures of the training recently. Among the photos in this collection, there are a couple of some amazing throws. Here is the link:
http://rockyvalleyaikido.com/pictures
Best wishes,

Hey Jorge,

Some pretty nice throws there from a great looking Sensei,thanks for letting us see them.

T.D

Thanks Tiyler,
It looks like they are having a great time. I was tempted to buy a plane ticket and get over there asap. Kato sensei has some interesting throws like the ones where he throws you straight up but they are based on a real committed attack on the part of uke. I am always working on the "fear factor" when I am his uke but its exciting and I've never been injured. He has had confidence in recent seminars to throw me hard on iriminage. All I remember is the feeling of his hand on my neck "helping" me go forward and then having a flash of seeing my feet in the dojo lights!
Best wishes,

http://www.pixagogo.com/Photos/Album...RdW6ZBBIrJhA__

I hope this link works, but... WHAT WAS THAT???

May 23rd, Kato Sensei # 2, 6th row... far right picture. All I can say is Holy Moly...

You know, for a man at 70 years of age, he sure makes a lot of people younger than him look reeeeaaaalllly bad.

Thanks for the link, Sensei!

Great pictures Jorge.

John

John,
I think I know what that was because 4 years ago, we caught that on film here in one of the Houston dojos. I had the film until I lost it in the big flood. It could be morotetori kokyunage. In this, the uke comes in holding as hard as he can and Kato sensei pulls his hip back without moving his feet. Then suddenly, he shoots his energy out his arm and if uke is still holding on, it will lift him straight up and on our film, it shot the uke over. In this case, the uke just went up. Maybe someone that was there can confirm or correct me.
Best wishes,

i wish i was there.....

Same here. Kato sensei is a normal person with no airs about him. He goes to lunch with everyone and likes to talk with all and will answer any questions about O Sensei, Aikido, or whatever you want to know. He likes to take a nap after lunch but he will sleep on the tatame. If you are working out, he will give you pointers and show you stuff privately. Once, my son and I took him shopping and I said to him, "Sensei, we are your otomos." He responded, "I don't have any otomos, I only have friends".
Best to you,

For those who are interested, there are new photos of the Dan testing at the Rocky Valley Aikikai. The link is http://rockyvalleyaikido.com/
Best wishes,

Great looking pictures Jorge. How is the Dojo at the YMCA coming along? I took a look at the website the other day. You have a nice site as well.

Thanks Jerry,
The program is going great. We started off with 38 students for the first 8 week session. We had 52 the second session. We have just begun our third 8 week session and we have 40 students signed up so far. They tend to come and go but we have developed a core group of about 25 or 30 that will stay with us while we grow. That of course is a total of both kids and adults. The YMCA is happy I'm sure because they all pay the same price. I like that as well because I want the program to be strong so that the YMCA will be rewarded for making the good decision to let Aikido be done in their facility vs something else that may have more mainstream popularity.
We have a really fine group of people practicing and I am glad to be associated with them. We are coming together as a group with a self identity of our own and they are really committing to learn this art. I always learn from them as I teach the class.
Keep checking on the website. I plan to have some photos up within a month of our practices on our site.
Hope things are going well for you guys in the Woodlands. If you are ever in town, give me a call and we'll go have some Japanese food-I'll treat.
Best wishes,

Hey Jorge,

I hadn't seen your website. Looks good! Nice to see another school working with kids in town. Sounds like things are going well.

Yoromichi Kitchen is located about halfway between our schools off loop 8.


hint.

best,
Craig

Thanks Craig,
Its funny you should post. A student asked me today if I knew of an Aikido school in Sugar Land because her aunt was looking for one. I mentioned your school and told her I'd get her the address.
As for the kids, they are great and sometimes, more fun to teach than the adults because they are so serious and committed. I just wish I had negotiated and hour and a half for the preteens like I did the adults because they really want to learn weapons and with an hour, the time is really tight. We are having a great time and everyone at the "Y" has been very supportive. I couldn't ask for more.
As for that Japanese Kitchen, say when and you're on!
Best always,

Hey Jorge!

Yeah, I know how tough it is to try to fit proper time for weapons.

Tell her that her that her Aunt should drop by on Tuesday or Thursday night for a free trial class at 7:30 PM. She will be quite welcome. We don't
bite. maps and directions on www.houstonkiaikido.org

well, damn, lets shoot for sometime in June-July.

between us maybe we could get the idea of a local Friendship seminar off the ground again sometime in the future with Aikikai/AAA/Ki Society/Yoshinkan participation at least possible.

the rest of this should probably be off this thread....
best regards,
Craig

Yoromichi Kitchen is located about halfway between our schools off loop 8.

HEY.

between us maybe we could get the idea of a local Friendship seminar off the ground again sometime in the future with Aikikai/AAA/Ki Society/Yoshinkan participation at least possible.

That is a great idea Craig. I have seen your site as well, Some time ago. Sugarland may as well be on the other side of the world. I was in that neighborhood for Thanksgiving once a few years back.

Cheers.

"between us maybe we could get the idea of a local Friendship seminar off the ground again sometime in the future with Aikikai/AAA/Ki Society/Yoshinkan participation at least possible."

Lets talk about it over that Japanese meal later this month.

Gerard Miller wrote: HEY. That is a great idea Craig. I have seen your site as well, Some time ago. Sugarland may as well be on the other side of the world. I was in that neighborhood for Thanksgiving once a few years back. Cheers.

But actually I live in the Heights and have neices in the Woodlands.

Say hi to Michael for me. If possible, I will try to make it up there again
next time Andy Sato Sensei visits.

We have an iaido seminar coming up July 17 if anyone up there is interested. (note to self - mail flyres out soon)

cheers back
Craig

Jorge Garcia wrote: "between us maybe we could get the idea of a local Friendship seminar off the ground again sometime in the future with Aikikai/AAA/Ki Society/Yoshinkan participation at least possible." Lets talk about it over that Japanese meal later this month.

Ok, I work nights so it would have to be a weekend for me.

Craig Hocker wrote: But actually I live in the Heights and have neices in the Woodlands. Say hi to Michael for me. If possible, I will try to make it up there again next time Andy Sato Sensei visits. We have an iaido seminar coming up July 17 if anyone up there is interested. (note to self - mail flyres out soon) cheers back Craig

So you are closer. We have students from inside the loop. I will say hello to Black Sensei for you. We are in our second location in as many years now. Andy Sato will be here in October. Stephen Toyoda (the son) was just here for Memorial day weekend. He is looking well and has his Shodan now.
Lets get all get together. Suggest a time in June for it.

Best wishes

My daughter is getting married June the 12th in Virginia. I also have mini seminar to attend on one of the two last weekends but I haven't been notified yet as to which one it will be. I'll touch bases with you as soon as I find out. If scheduling doesn't work, we can shoot it into July.
Best,

Brilliant pictures, it sounds like Kato Sensei is one of Aikido's hidden gems!

Mark Balogh wrote: Brilliant pictures, it sounds like Kato Sensei is one of Aikido's hidden gems!

Most aikidoists think their Shihans are the greatest and are devoted to a fault. I plead guilty as well! Kato sensei is "everyman's aikidoist". Instead of being a famous uchideshi of the Founder, he was a "soto deshi" outside student who had a regular job all his life and just went to the daily practice at night like most of us do. He took the art seriously, trained on his own and went frequently into the mountains for self training, meditation, and misogi. He trained for 34 years before he ever had his own school but has continued to train as a student at Hombu dojo until this day.
Now, he is retired and teaches aikido full time at his school in Tokyo and here in the U.S. Here is the link to his Dojo in Japan if you are interested in seeing it.
http://www.shudokanaikido.com/modules/mylinks/
Thanks for the nice comment.
Best always,

Jorge Garcia wrote: He trained for 34 years before he ever had his own school but has continued to train as a student at Hombu dojo until this day.

I remember seeing him coming into a class taught by one of the younger shihan at hombu dojo and training with someone in the corner of the mat. I've also had good times training at his seminars in the States, too...

-- Jun

I was surprised that you have been to his seminars. Must have been in California? This is a small world indeed! Kato sensei is what I would call a true blue ethnic Japanese person. Having the privilege to travel with him and to listen to his perspectives on a lot of issues, especially in the light of his background of 50 years at Hombu dojo, has been very interesting and enlightening for me. I hope others as well get to attend his seminars and get to know him better
Best wishes.

I got to attend almost all of Kato Sensei's classes during the week or so he was at Suginami San Francisco in mid May. Tons of fun and lots of laughing but pretty confusing though after only a year of aikido and with no Japanese language abilities , but I learned something new and valuable each class even though it may not have been related to the technique focus of the day.

I was really intimidated by him at first, but he's very considerate of your training level when he comes by to give pointers.

I recognize a lot of faces in those Rocky Valley pics, hope you are all well!

CD