I'm a nurse, a martial artist and a baker. I called this Nobody's Home as I am too low ranked for any serious martial artist to bother paying attention to me, nor am I a chef. I just like getting on my soapbox anyway.
Rendezvous with Adventure is maybe one of the first clips I ever saw of O Sensei. The filming was done before I was born, but within my Dad's lifetime. I have had friends who were at the Tokyo tower more recently, and apparently the view has really changed. There are some changes to Aikido to my eye.
When they actually start to practice (1433) the only exercise I recognize is Funakogi Undo. I don't know what these exercises are for, but this class is taught to these cameramen by both Koichi Tohei and Kisshomaru Ueshiba - and I have trained in both of their lineages.
The cameramen talk about taking ten days, practicing seven hours a day before being allowed to train in techniques. It looks like they had to learn to fall along the way. Not many beginners would agree to a seventy hour introduction before being allowed to be introduced to a technique. I would love to know what that seventy hours entailed.
A student challenging the teacher (Koichi Tohei, at 1928) to a match seldom happens anymore.
I had also expected to be a little more...impressed. The head instructor of the Hombu Dojo, an eventual tenth Dan against someone who trained for less than two weeks. Not saying I would do better or that I would be any prettier.
I never saw a Sensei get challenged like this, but I saw Kawahara Sensei agree to "answer questions" from his own students outside of class time when he was a good mood. I remember asking him about a Nikyo reversal in my living room once, which had him roar and put me on my knees in Nikyo and yell, "REVERSE!" (I did not. I could not.)
The pin by Koichi Tohei - not something I see happening much in Aikido dojo now. I know Ki Society people who who say it wasn't Aikido. It is not classical Aikido as it was taught to me, but more resembles Daito Ryu - speaking as not a Daito Ryu person. The very cool pin by O Sensei himself leading into the closing credits is something I never saw anywhere else either.
At the time, I had only practiced very rudimentary Tsuki and Shomenuchi with a Jo. Seeing O Sensei with a Jo (2113): "Well, that's different." After seeing YouTube of Koichi Tohei's Jo kata, Rinjiro's Misogi no Jo, Saito's Aikijo, Shodokan Jo kata, as well as Birankai and Nishio Jo work, the demo is still unique. I can recognize individual movements, but the overall flavor is very different.
I wrote a piece a little while back about how information starts with small pieces of understanding and then grows. Rational transmission of knowledge starts with a foundation, and then builds on it.
I remember Kawahara Sensei being asked by a student looking to open his first dojo, "What should I focus on teaching?" Sensei replied immediately, "Gokyu" (5th Kyu). He had a set of basics that he thought gave a good, solid, foundation for a beginning student to move forward:
Shomenuchi
Ikkyo to Yonkyo, Omote and Ura, suwari waza and tachiwaza (seated and standing)
Shihonage Omote and Ura
Iriminage
Kotegaeshi
Ryotedori
Tenchinage (standing)
Kokyudoza (seated)
Morote Dori
Iriminage
Katatedori
Kokyu Ho
Koshinage
Yokomenuchi
Shihonage Omote and Ura
Ushiro Ryotekubidori
Ikkyo
How much time did I spend on this test? 25 years later, I have the test requirements memorized. How valid was the test? I admit of course I learned Katatedori Shihonage and Katatedori Ikkyo long before I learned the Gokyu requirements. Of course I had to learn how to fall, how to stand, how to sit and so many other things first. There was very much an unofficial 6th kyu. I started in September and didn't take my first test until April. I remember reading the test requirements for other associations with pride, and some jealousy. Koshinage in the first couple of months was painful, and I had blood stains on my gi pants from bleeding knees. It never occurred to me while training for my test that other groups didn't do all the same stuff.
With all the different students of O Sensei with their own understanding of Aikido, many teaching methods have sprung up and entire associations seem based on the teaching methods and the specifically embraced terminology. For the raw beginner, the biggest differences between schools don't seem to be the Dan level studies, but rather the first few weeks and months of instruction. I find collecting the Kyu lists of test requirements fascinating.
When I moved south of the border into the U.S., Kawahara Sensei asked me to study with the USAF. I was in Yamada Sensei's domain, now living by a USAF dojo and had a long time girlfriend (now my wife) who studied with Yamada Sensei, and Kawahara Sensei knew this.
A few years back, the USAF revised their test requirements to include Tenchinage Omote and Ura, Jujinage Omote and Ura, Kotegaeshi Omote and Ura, and Kaitenage Omote and Ura. I had never heard these names. I started to look into it, and several blog entries later I've finally reached where I started: Yukio Kawhara Sensei.
Coming up through the ranks, all of my tests except for one had been in front of Kawahara Sensei. He was always generous (if somewhat terrifying) with his feedback. He could be at times very clear about what he wanted. Other times, we'd be sweating and gasping, our brains would be turning to mush and he would calmly, quietly say, "another way." He would be silent through several variations, then maybe say, "No idea, huh?" Or, "Another way" again. Or, purse his lips and shake his head "No" with his eyes boring through the student.
Ikkyo through Yonkyo, Omote and Ura was part of every test, as was Shihonage Omote and Ura. The variations and attacks would change, and he would be often specific about what he was after. Suwari Waza Shomenuchi Nikyo and Sankyo, Omote and Ura appeared on three tests in a row (Gokyu, Yonkyu, Sankyu), but how the technique was done would change. He would note that techniques like Suwari Waza Gokyo did not have an Omote or Ura. Sometimes, he would say a version of a basic technique like Sankyo was "neither." Or, he would show something that looked like nothing I had ever seen, and still call it Sankyo. I was never aware of anything else having an Omote or Ura, though I knew multiple variations for most movements.
Morote Dori Ikkyo to Yonkyo was not just Omote and Ura, but also the Ura was done circling Gedan with the Omote circling Jodan. Hanmi Handachi Kaitenage Uchi and Soto had specific variations that also demonstrated what I now hear differentiated as Omote and Ura. Kotegaeshi was at least two ways, and these variations are sometimes what I now have been told are Omote and Ura. Did he call for Omote and Ura for these other techniques? Maybe he did, and I was just not listening or I've forgotten. What I remember is often he would say, "do this" while showing us a technique. We would practice and drill "this" for months. Then, he would come back, and say, "do this (showing something very different.)". No explanation, just a change.
His Katate Dori Tai no Henka practice was at first frustrating, and then mind blowing. While Tenkan is a strictly defined thing in some dojo, a couple of times a year he would change the practice. Did Uke push, follow, hold stiff, come around? Did Nage end up behind or slightly in front of Uke? How far was the turn? Did Nage step in front or behind? Hands together at the same height and distance from my center, or apart? Hips straight or turned? Hands Up or Down? Uchi or Soto? Both Uke and Nage starting from Hanmi, or both starting by stepping out toward each other? Weight forward or backward? Shifting before the turn or after the turn? Lead, blend? It was a very - varied - practice. I haven't come anywhere close to the depth he did.
I've come to think he was right. Asking what is the one way to always do a movement correctly for all situations is like asking what color, or what spice, or what number is going to get me through every situation in my life. He was always clear there were many right ways, just that there were many, many more wrong ways.
If he did break down to specific variations, this is a good example from my memory. More than other techniques, I remember him teaching these two for Jo Dori. Entire classes were devoted to just these two:
#1
Tsuki type movement by Nage
My thumbs face to Uke
Start Ai Hamni
Issue through the end furthest away from me
Move Inside,
move facing forward
Circle Gedan (underneath)
Cross Uke's arms
Nage and Uke Face to face
Linear - throw with structure
#2
Hasso Gaeshi/Uchi movement
My thumbs face away from Uke
Start Gyaku Hamni
Issue through the closest end to me
Move Outside
Move Turning away from Uke
Circle Jodan (overtop)
Open Uke up
Nage and Uke Back to back
Full Tenkan and pendulum - throw with momentum.
Eventually, he'd say, "Yudansha, do what you will." I never heard him refer to these two Jo Dori techniques as a pair, nor did I ever hear the names he gave these techniques. He just seemed to treat these two as a pair, and they are the opposite in several variables. Change any single one of the variables above, and you'll still have a good technique (ie Circle Jodan instead of Gedan on #1). These two form a very good base to discover new techniques. I have no idea what any of those names are either.
