Author: Christopher Li

About Christopher Li

Chris is an instructor at the Aikido Sangenkai, a non-profit Aikido group in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. He has been training in the traditional and modern Japanese martial arts since 1981, with more than twelve years of training while living in Japan.

Essay

Takuma Hisa – Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden 1940

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Kannagara no Budo cover

“Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden” – 1940 (惟神の武道・大東流合気武道秘伝 – 昭和15年) “In the spring of 1933, the bureau chief of the Asahi News sales office, Mr. Mitsujiro Ishii, who is presently the Minister of Justice, introduced us to Morihei Ueshiba Sensei, vouching for him as an expert on a par with the founder of judo [a reference to Jigoro Kano]. He recommended to the … Continue reading Takuma Hisa – Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden 1940 »

Interview, Translation

Interview with Aikido Shihan Morito Suganuma – Part 2

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Morito Suganuma and Morihei Ueshiba

Morito Suganuma and Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba “I show everybody the secrets everyday” What I try to keep in mind is to follow O-Sensei’s teachings and philosophy, at least my understanding and interpretation of his teachings. I want to convey what O-Sensei himself taught to Aikido students. The most important thing, as O-Sensei used to say, is don’t get injured, don’t do wrong things, and … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Morito Suganuma – Part 2 »

Interview, Translation

Interview with Aikido Shihan Morito Suganuma – Part 1

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Morito Suganuma Jugglers Hilo

Morito Suganuma Sensei faces dueling jugglers in Hilo Hawaii – 2013 Morito Suganuma (菅沼守人) was born in Fukushima, Japan in 1942. A regional pole vaulting champion in high school, he moved on to studying Aikido with Nobuyoshi Tamura in 1963 and then entered Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1967 as one of the last uchi-deshi to train there under Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. He is the head … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Morito Suganuma – Part 1 »

Essay, Translation

Mamoru Okada – Training with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba

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Mamoru Okada Sensei

Mamoru Okada Sensei (岡田主), 1921-2014 This is another of a type of essay that I really enjoy reading – memories of meeting and training with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba from the perspective of ordinary students. In this essay Mamoru Okada recounts his memories of meeting Morihei Ueshiba in Osaka in 1949, after seeing him at a public demonstration held for members of the Nishi Health System. Interestingly, it … Continue reading Mamoru Okada – Training with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba »

Essay

Budo – Moritaka Ueshiba’s 1938 Technical Manual

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Gozo Shioda and Morihei Ueshiba

Ushiro technique – Gozo Shioda and Morihei Ueshiba in “Budo”, 1938 First there was “Budo Renshu” (武道練習) in 1933 (published in English under the name “Budo Training in Aikido“), which was given to select students at Moritaka Ueshiba’s pre-war Kobukan Dojo as a teaching license. This work includes pictures of techniques hand drawn by Takako Kunigoshi and explanatory text assembled and edited primarily by Kenji Tomiki. … Continue reading Budo – Moritaka Ueshiba’s 1938 Technical Manual »