best aikido you have seen

What is the best aikido you have seen?

The best I have seen is from Gozo Shioda and Joe Thambu. My teacher always says Kenji Tomiki. How about Seagal in Nico?

Mitsugi Saotome. I haven't experienced Christian Tissier's technique in real life, but his Aikido looks, well, awesome. Of course, I'm probably way biased because I've always loved their flavors of Aikido. I've also heard lots of great things about Koichi Tohei and Akira Tohei.

Textbook Aikido - Koichi Tohei , dont´t know from what year , probably the 60´s ,
I use it as inspiration - not technically - but simply inspiration.
Seems to be a very golden time for Tohei , Ki - flow - speed - atemi , it´s all there.
Christian Tissier is always an inspiration , bear in mind he has very good ukes.

Darin Hyde wrote: What is the best aikido you have seen?

...the best that I've actually SEEN personally is that of Hiroshi Ikeda. I've been to many of his seminars and I'm always amazed by what he does out there on the mat!

...he gets my vote!

Yamada Sensei,.. basic and powerfull Aikido.

Seigo Yamaguchi is my favorite.

....?

Um, that would be O-Sensei. The rest pales in comparison.

Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba
Masatake Fujita Shihan
Sensei Dang Thong Phong

Shaun Ravens wrote: ....? Um, that would be O-Sensei. The rest pales in comparison.

What have you "seen" of O'Sensei's Aikido? I've only seen some choppy short video clips off the Internet that I am sure, did not do him, or his Aikido justice. Is there good footage available, somewhere?

Howard Dyke wrote: Is there good footage available, somewhere?

Hi Howard,

At the end of the month, Honbu dojo is going to hold their yearly O`Sensei movie night. I believe it is on a Sat. There is a message posted on the first floor right now with details.

have fun,
Charles

Hmmm? Maybe I should make my Sensei go with me...

That's interesting. Can anyone go? or do you have to be a member?

--Michael

Do you mean seen personally, i.e. being there in the dojo watching/ experiencing, or do you mean seen on video/ DVD, or combination of both?

For me being there personally in class, in no particular order, Nakao Sensei, Endo Sensei, Ueshiba Moriteru Doshu, Tada Sensei, Matsuda Sensei, Nojima Sensei, Koyama Sensei, Uchikoshi Sensei, Osawa Sensei, Tanaka Sensei. I've been uke to all except Tada Sensei, Toyoda Sensei and Matsuda Sensei. I'm not trying to write a who's who list, or look at who I've trained with, but they have all been excellent at what they do and thoroughly enjoyable to train with and learn from. There are many others too, especially here in the UK, Bob Spence, Alan Sanders, Aubrey Smith, Tom Moss, Keith Downs.

On video, of course Ueshiba Morihei and Ueshiba Kisshomaru, Saotome Sensei, Yamada Sensei, Chiba Sensei, Yamaguchi Sensei, Tissier Sensei, Isoyama Sensei, Shioda Gozo Sensei, Fujita Sensei and Nishio Sensei to name a few, and more that I've forgotten.

There are so many good exponents of the art above that I couldn't even begin to compare them, list them in some kind of order of bestness, or choose one. But, if I had to say which one inspires me most, ruling out O Sensei, it would be Yamaguchi Sensei and his students, Endo Sensei and Nakao Sensei .

Regards

Bryan (the namedropper)

Tamura Sensei for ispiration and a glimpse at the unattainable.

At hombu Osawa sensei.


For fun Iwagaki sensei.

I second Tamura Sensei.

Different league to anybody Ive seen in the flesh.

Years ago I was in a band, and one night we were playing in a bar, the kind of place where they have a wire fence between the band and the audience. Not, I might add, our typical venue. In the course of the night, we saw the bouncers earning their keep. But near the end of the evening I saw one patron start shoving another. After the second shove he dove in for a tackle, and the shovee executed the loveliest little micro-kaitenage I've ever seen. Bouncers moved in, both parties were escorted out.
I've seen lots of beautiful Aikido on the mat, but that was the best practical application I've witnessed.
Yours,
Brion Toss

The best student of Tamura Sensei: Peyrache Sensei, 7th Dan

followed lots of lessons of that sensei, and ones did a nikyo on me when I only did 2 months of Aikido.

Painful but beautiful...

Seen in the flesh?
I'd have to say Takeno Sensei.
Wouldn't like to be one of his uke (well, I would but I'd get killed in a hurry), but amazing to watch.

Hi Micheal,

I don`t know the technical answer to your question, but no one is going to ask you if you are a member. I would say go and have fun. The movies, though, are the same ones that Aikinews puts out.

Charles

Jonathan Punt wrote: I second Tamura Sensei. Different league to anybody Ive seen in the flesh.

I'd third that, he is living aiki. The effect on a room when he walks in is quite amazing!

On video I would have to say O'Sensei, Koichi Tohei, Kisaburo Osawa and Seigo Yamaguchi.

in no real order...

Saito Sensei
Anno Sensei
Patricia Hendricks Sensei (I train under her and taking ukemi for her is...amazing for lack of a more powerful word)
I've obviously never seen O-Sensei in the flesh (i'm only 13) but i think his would probably make all else wither away...

forever

The best i have personally seen demonstrate is Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba!!

Christian Tissier would be next followed by Yoshiaki Yokota Shihan.

The video of O Sensei holding a Jo with 4 people pushing at one side to get it off his grip and failing to do so. It is really, really inspiring! Shikanai Sensei here from Brazil says he saw this demonstration when he was very young and that only O Sensei could do this. He was really one of a kind. The founder of this art, nobody even comes close!

Unfortunately I can only vote from video footage.

"Budo" o'sensei is by far the best i have seen

Patricia Hendricks Sensei does one of the most moving demo's i've seen.

One of the instructors from Brisbane yoshinkan (sorry forgot his name) for biggest distance covered in a throw (barring o'sensei)

Doran sensei most suttle movements (what exactly is he doing???)

Textbooks? I have to agree Tohei and Kishomaru Ueshiba sensei's are tied.

In the flesh? Well there is a certain Doshu coming to Australia this year...

Aran

There's this guy in our class who is an alien in his own body. He has no concept of where he is in space. His joints are almost always locked and rigid. After a couple of years he still has trouble with many of the basics. Every once in a while though it will all fall into place and he'll do a great technique....that's the aikido I love to see.

Bronson