Monthly Archives: March 2013

Interview, Translation

Interview with Aikido Shihan Masando Sasaki, Part 2

Comment

Funeral for Masando Sasaki Sensei, February 20th 2013Tojo Ceremony Hall in Tsurugaoka, Saitama – attended by more than 700 peopleThe plaque to the right of center reads "Aikido Doshu Ueshiba Moriteru"
合氣は宇宙法則の陰陽結びの道で美しく投げ美しく受身を取る稽古から切磋琢磨の和の武道であるAiki is the Way of the universal principle of In-Yo connectionThrowing beautifully in training, falling beautifully in trainingAssiduous cultivation of the Budo of Peace
-Masando Sasaki Sensei
Masando Sasaki (佐々木の将人), 8th Dan, passed away on February 15th 2013 at the age of 84. He was one of the early post-war students of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba, entering Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1954. He was a colorful character, and often controversial. Concerned with the course of Japanese political affairs, he set up a spy school together with some former members the of the Nakano spy school (Morihei Ueshiba was an instructor at the Nakano spy school until 1942). Exposed in the United States through an article in Time Magazine, he was forced to resign from the Japanese Defense Agency.
This is the second part of a three part English translation of an interview with Masando Sasaki that was published in a collection of interviews with students of the Founder published in Japanese as "Profiles of the Founder" (開祖の横顔) in 2009. You may wish to read Part 1 of the interview before reading this section.There was a short introduction to "Profiles of the Founder" in the article "Morihei Ueshiba – Profiles of the Founder".Previous postings have featured English translations of interviews from that collection with Nobuyoshi Tamura sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), and Hiroshi Isoyama sensei (Part 1 | Part 2).

Interview, Translation

Interview with Aikido Shihan Masando Sasaki, Part 1

Comment

Masando Sasaki Shihan at Aikikai Hombu Dojo
Masando Sasaki (佐々木の将人), 8th Dan, passed away on February 15th 2013 at the age of 84.
Born in 1929, he began training with Morihei Ueshiba in 1954. He could be outspoken and controversial, but almost always entertaining.
He was a graduate in economics and law from Chuo University, and published a dozen or more books in Japanese. He gave lectures throughout Japan on his particular method of viewing the human condition (佐々木説法).
This is the first part of a three part English translation of an interview with Masando Sasaki that was published in a collection of interviews with students of the Founder published in Japanese as "Profiles of the Founder" (開祖の横顔) in 2009.There was a short introduction to "Profiles of the Founder" in the article "Morihei Ueshiba – Profiles of the Founder".Previous postings have featured English translations of interviews from that collection with Nobuyoshi Tamura sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), and Hiroshi Isoyama sensei (Part 1 | Part 2).

Translation

Sagawa Yukiyoshi, Masaru Takahashi and Breath Training in Daito-ryu

3 Comments

Yukiyoshi Sagawa throwing Tatsuo Kimura (left) and Masaru Takahashi (right)
「陰陽合気法」は呼吸法によって臍下丹田に気を充実させ、気力集中をはかって精神統一をするというもので、五指を握り、静かに入息するを「陰」、五指を強く開き、出息するを「陽」と呼ぶ、とあり、この呼吸法を続けることによって、頭脳明晰となり、眼力は鋭く、「心」「気」「力」一致し、大勇猛心を養い、特に両手十指それぞれの活用により、神通力を高める。
"In-yo Aiki-ho" fills the Seika Tanden with Ki through Kokyu-ho and strives to concentrate Ki-ryoku through mental concentration. Closing the five-fingers, inhaling quietly is called "In" ("Yin"), opening the five fingers strongly and exhaling is called "Yo" ("Yang"). Through the continuation of this breathing method the mind becomes clear, the vision becomes sharp, the "spirit", "ki" and "power" are unified, a courageous spirit is developed, and especially – the various practical applications of the ten fingers of both hands gives rise to superhuman powers.
– Tokimune Takeda – son of Sokaku Takeda, and Soke of Daito-ryu Aiki Budo
Masaru Takahashi (高橋賢) entered Sagawa Dojo on May 5th of Showa year 47 (1972).
As one of the senior students of the famous Daito-ryu instructor Yukiyoshi Sagawa, who was himself one of the senior students of Sokaku Takeda, he instructs at the Sagawa-den Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Sagamihara branch dojo (佐川伝大東流合氣武道相模原支部) and at the Daito-ryu Sagawa Dojo hombu (大東流佐川道場本部) in Kodaira city.
He has also published a number of books and articles researching the Japanese martial arts and Daito-ryu.
This article is an excerpt on breath training in Daito-ryu from Takahashi’s book "The Truth of Daito-ryu Aiki" (大東流合気の真実), which was published in Japanese by Fukushodo Co. Ltd. in September 2007.
The characters 調息 ("Chousoku" / "Regulating the Breath") are used to refer to the method taught in Sagawa Dojo – the same characters used in Chinese to refer to "Tiao Xi", Chinese Daoist breathing methods.
The legendary Zhang Sanfeng (張三豐), the legendary Chinese Taoist priest often credited with originating Taijiquan, talked about "Tiao Xi" in the 13th century "Daoyan qianjin shuo" (道言淺近說):
"When the heart/mind stills and goes below the navel is called the emptied heart/mind, when the breath gathers and goes below the navel it is called the regulated breath (調息)."

Dutch, Essay

Aiki, Iki, Kokyu, Heng-Ha en Aun [Dutch Version]

Comment

Kongo-rikishi beelden aan de poort van de Horyuji Tempel
*This is a Dutch translation of the article "Aiki, Iki, Kokyu, Heng-Ha and Aun – Some thoughts on breathing in Aikido training.", courtesy of Ernesto Lemke of Seikokan Aikido.
De Kongo-rikishi beelden die de poort naar het binnenste heiligdom van de Horyuji Tempel bewaken zijn de oudste in Japan. Van deze ‘Bewaker Koningen’ wordt gezegd dat zij meereisden met Shakyamuni Boeddha om als zijn lijfwachten te fungeren.
De rechter (Misshaku Kongo) heeft zijn mond open, symbolisch voor de eerste letter van het Sanskriet alfabet (’A’). De linker (Naraen Kongo) heeft zijn mond gesloten wat de laatste letter van het Sanskriet alfabet voorstelt (‘un’).
‘A-un’ wordt normaal gesproken gebruikt om de ademhaling van het bestaan voor te stellen – het Universum zoals die bestaat tussen de gecombineerde In-Yo tegenstellingen.
In het Westen wordt dit soms uitgesproken als het Indiase ‘Om’ of ‘Aum.’
In China wordt dit geassocieerd met Heng-Ha ademhalingsoefeningen binnen de….krijgskunsten. Er zijn beelden genaamd Heng Ha Er Jiang (哼哈二将, de twee Generaals Heng en Ha).
Om terug te keren naar Aikido – hier is iets interessants van de Aikido Grondlegger Morihei Ueshiba: 
武産の武の阿吽の呼吸の理念力
De krijgskunst van Takemusu is de kracht van het principe van A-un ademhaling (kokyu)

Dutch, Essay

Aikido en de Zwevende Brug van de Hemel [Dutch Version]

Comment

De Goden Izanagi en Izanami op de Zwevende Brug van de Hemeluit de serie "An Illustrated History of Japan" by Utagawa Hiroshige, circa 1847-1852Honolulu Academy of Arts
*This is a Dutch translation of the article "Aikido and the Floating Bridge of Heaven – Izanagi and Izanami on the Bridge Connecting Heaven and Earth", courtesy of Ernesto Lemke of Seikokan Aikido.
De ‘Zwevende Brug van de Hemel’ (‘Ame no Uki Hashi’) is een belangrijk deel van de Japanse creatie mythe.
Volgens de Kojiki (‘Document van Oude Zaken’) riepen de eerste goden twee heilige wezens op tot bestaan – de mannelijke essentie Izanagi (‘De Man die Uitnodigt’/伊邪那岐) en de vrouwelijke essentie Izanami (‘De Vrouw die Uitnodigt’/伊邪那美命). Deze twee wezens kregen de opdracht om de eerste landmassa’s op aarde te creëren. Terwijl ze de met juwelen bezette speer meenamen, stonden de twee heilige wezens op de Zwevende Brug van de Hemel en roerden in de zee met de juwelen speer en creëerden zo een maalstroom. Druppels zoutwater vielen van de speer en vormden het eerste eiland waarop de heilige wezens neerdaalden op aarde vanaf de Brug.
Er is nog veel meer (de Kojiki is een groots verhaal, een van ‘s werelds eerste soap opera’s) maar laten we voor nu eerst eens zien wat dit te maken heeft met….Aikido.