Author: Christopher Li

Hiroshi Tada taking ukemi for Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei
Rooftop of the Self-defense Forces Dojo in Ichigaya

Hiroshi Tada (多田 宏) sensei is currently the Aikikai’s only living 9th dan – at 83 years old he has been called a “Geriatric Genius” by Aikido Journal Editor Stan Pranin. Certainly he remains active and dynamic to this day, some sixty-five years after he entered Ueshiba Dojo in 1948.

If this lecture series has interested you then you may also be interested in this eight part interview with Tada sensei conducted by Tatsuro Uchida, who is a well known Japanese author and a long-time student of Hiroshi Tada:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

This is the fifth and final section of the English translation of a lecture given by Hiroshi Tada sensei at the 15th anniversary of the Yachimata Aikido Association on September 26th 2004. You may wish to read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 before reading this section. Tada sensei’s comments in this final section may be of particular interest to those researching internal power and solo training.

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Hiroshi Tada Shihan

Hiroshi Tada (多田 宏) sensei’s family were originally samurai of the Tsushima-han. Initiated into Budo by his great-grandfather, a master of Japanese archery, he went on to study Karate with Shotokan Karate founder Gichin Funakoshi, and then became a student at Ueshiba Dojo in 1948.

Here are some impressions of Tada sensei from Ellis Amdur:

Tada sensei was an icy, formidable presence when I trained in the 1970’s. He has a face like a blade, with piercing black eyes. To my eyes, he was the purest budoka of any of the Aikikai shihan. From what others have told me, he has close friends, particularly in Italy, and a fine marriage before his wife’s untimely death. He is a cultured and well-educated man, by no means an ascetic. All of that aside — or perhaps, better said, in parallel — he is utterly focused on his own path. Although he is a meticulous instructor, breaking down techniques in fine detail, somehow one has no sense that he teaches as a vocation: rather, he makes himself available for others to learn from as he pursues his own way.

You can read the rest of Ellis Amdur’s impressions of Tada sensei in It Had to be Felt #6: Tada Hiroshi: “Like an Eagle”.

You may also be interested in this eight part interview with Tada sensei conducted by Tatsuro Uchida, who is a well known Japanese author and a long-time student of Hiroshi Tada:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

This is the fourth part of the English translation of a lecture given by Hiroshi Tada sensei at the 15th anniversary of the Yachimata Aikido Association on September 26th 2004. You may wish to read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 before reading this section. (more…)

Masamichi Noro, Kisshomaru Ueshiba,
Morihei Ueshiba, Koichi Tohei and Hiroshi Tada

Hiroshi Tada (多田 宏) sensei is one of the major figures of post-war Aikido, and is currently the only living Aikikai 9th Dan. He became a student at Ueshiba Dojo in 1948.

Here is are some of  Yasuo Kobayashi sensei’s recollections of Tada sensei (from “Aikido My Way“):

Hiroshi Tada Sensei was the sensei who was teaching the first time I went to observe a practice at Hombu Dojo. He was a somber ball of lightning who was twisting arms and smashing people down. When I was leaving, he just said “If you’re interested, come to practice.” There had been no explanation of the techniques. After I had begun to practice, I realized that Sensei had no half measures in his tempering style. With the bokuto, if we resorted to strength, it was as if we had had a thousand cuts to the abdomen. After regular practice, we uchideshi would have to do 1000 suwariwaza ikkyos. In the dojo he would pick up and hold in one hand an enormous tempering stick and brandish it, stopping just where he wanted to.

A really long time ago, when I was walking on a narrow street near the Arch de Triomphe in Paris I heard someone calling “Kobayashi. Kobayashi.” When I turned my head I saw Tada Sensei waving his hand. It was a good accidental meeting.

Later, when Tada Sensei returned to Japan from Italy, he took it easy at his dojo Gessuji in Kichijoji. My dojo isn’t far from Kichijoji. Suddenly there was a phone call from Sensei. “Kobayashi, I’m going to Italy the day after tomorrow. Send some teachers here.” He only said what he needed and that was all. He didn’t ask my opinion. With great excitement teachers were sent one after another. Kazuo Igarashi Sensei went there a great deal. He had been my assistant having trained up in my dojo and I lost him during this time. Tada Sensei even today is still energetically teaching.

You may also be interested in this eight part interview with Tada sensei conducted by Tatsuro Uchida, who is a well known Japanese author and a long-time student of Hiroshi Tada:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

This is the third part of the English translation of a lecture given by Hiroshi Tada sensei at the 15th anniversary of the Yachimata Aikido Association on September 26th 2004. You may wish to read Part 1 and Part 2 before reading this section. (more…)

Hiroshi Tada sensei on the cover of Hiden Budo & Bujutsu magazine

Hiroshi Tada (多田 宏) sensei is one of the major figures in post-war Aikido. He entered Ueshiba Dojo in 1948 and was sent by the Aikikai to establish Aikido in Italy in 1964. Like many of the post-war Aikido students, including Ki Society Founder Koichi Tohei, his practice has been heavily influenced by his studies with Shin-Shin Toitsu founder Tempu Nakamura.

More information about Hiroshi Tada sensei can be found in this eight part interview conducted by Tatsuro Uchida, a well known Japanese author and a long-time student of Hiroshi Tada:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

This is the second part of the English translation of a lecture given by Hiroshi Tada sensei at the 15th anniversary of the Yachimata Aikido Association on September 26th 2004. You may wish to read Part 1 before reading this section. (more…)