This is an ongoing reconstruction of a popular article I wrote years ago on the Aikikai's use of Omote and Ura examined from a historical and political perspective. Tomiki Sensei is someone I have developed a profound respect for as I took the opportunity to correct far too many misconceptions of my own.
I mistakenly thought early on that Yoshinkan Aikido was the original Aikido. And, in many ways it is. However, Kenji Tomiki was training with Morihei Ueshiba O Sensei before Shioda Sensei and was the first 8th Dan in Aikibudo in 1940. Tomiki Sensei was teaching in Manchuria in 1936. Yoshinkan, Shioda Sensei’s organization, did not open until the 1950’s. The foundations for Shodokan Aikido are slightly older.
The language is completely different than other Aikido systems. Tomiki's physical distance from Ueshiba? While a long time direct student, he was in Mongolia while Ueshiba was in Japan.
Influences from other arts and Kano Jigoro? Tomiki was as much if not more a student of Jigoro Kano as Morihei Ueshiba. He was a product of two masters, and a student of Kano first chronologically. He arrived at O Sensei's dojo already a 5th Dan. His work to develop Aikido Kata mirrors the kata that Kano developed for Judo, as does his system of competition. Like the other Judo students later deployed by Kano Jigoro Sensei, he had a Judo mindset and a Judo approach to things - like consistent training methods and specific, consistent language.
While his Aikido looks very different for the beginning student, ultimately the differences start to fall away. I like the comment from Patrick Parker: “I believe this is how Kano would have taught Ueshiba’s art.” One possible example of Kano's influence is the use of the name Wakigatame - I learned this movement as Higikime and the USAF calls this technique Rokkyo. This is a Judo name, and it is used in other arts but I don't see mention of this name in Daito Ryu nor is it used in other Aikido schools.
Ultimately, there was a schism and Shodokan Aikido became a separate organization. This system of Aikido developed a system of competition, which led to Tomiki Sensei leaving/removed from the Hombu umbrella. Things did not end there. Aikido people who will talk about the importance of martial competence and pre-war Aikido often do not mention Tomiki Sensei, nor would most Aikikai students recognize a demonstration of Shodokan Aikido as Aikido (most would see the similarities in some kata, but the overall performance would have someone wondering if they were watching a performance of another art.) Shomen Ate is not a name most Aikikai students would recognize, but I use it now myself. I find this a much better approach than calling this movement (and a billion other unrelated movements) “Kokyunage.”
Aikiweb had a great thread going of research into the various correlations. I am not here to repeat this excellent research. I am doing something far more rudimentary.
Ikkyo Omote and Ura as I learned them would be referred to as Oshi-Taoshi and Tentai Oshi-Taoshi according to one student, Dr Lee Ah Loi (I see other Tomiki students using the spelling I am more familiar with - Tenkai). This sounded much like Koichi Tohei's approach on first glance: Omote and Ura are referred to usually as Irimi and Tenkan in Tohei's system. I am used to see the variation of a technique denoted at the end of a name ie) Ikkyo Ura or Ikkyo Tenkan. Tentai Oshi Taoshi is the same technique with the opposite grammar.
This isn't true for all Shodokan techniques when compared with Aikikai variations. Take another basic technique like Sankyo. Tomiki referred to Kote Hineri and Tenkai Kote Hineri for two techniques that I would recognize as Sankyo. Variations that could still be called Sankyo Omote or Ura (or Sankyo Irimi and Sankyo Tenkan) are present in either version, and the Irimi, Tenkan or Uchitenkan initial movement seems optional outside of kata practice. The defining feature seems to be which hand is predominantly applying the lock(?). (I learned Sankyo first as a two handed technique, and then learned one-handed variations in the CAF.) The usage of the prefix does not imply a heads-or-tails approach. Kote Hineri and Tenkai Kote Hineri are two ideas that are presented to stand alone. Oshi-Taoshi and Tenkai Oshi-Taoshi are not given the same treatment, only Oshi-Taoshi is part of the basic 17. The same applies to Shihonage and Kotegaeshi.
In transitioning from Daito Ryu sets, Ippon Dori is first technique found in Ikkajo and resembles Ikkyo closely, Kote Zumi is the first technique in Nikajo and resembles Nikyo the most closely, Ura Gote is the first technique in the Yonkajo set and most resembles Yonkyo. The Daito Ryu Hiden Mokuroku Sankajo technique Kobushigaeshi becomes the kata most Aikikai people now associate with Sankyo. I had mistakenly thought Kote Hineri was the oldest name for this movement. The actual first technique of the Sankajo series, Tsuriotoshi, is something I remember calling Dai Sankyo in the CAF, Tomiki calls Udegarami, and I now often hear called "the Nikyo pin" in the USAF.
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