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  • What is Aiki? Introduction to a method of analyzing Aiki. (Part 2)

    January 1998, Dojo-biraki at Sagawa Dojo
    Yukiyoshi Sagawa’s last commemorative photo at age 95
    Masaru Takahashi left, next to Yukiyoshi Sagawa – Kimura Tatsuo front, second from right

    An approach to Aiki through simple mechanical principles.

    Masaru Takahashi (高橋賢) began training with Yukiyoshi Sagawa on May 5th of Showa year 47 (1972), and continues to instruct 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 also runs an acupuncture clinic in Sagamihara City, and teaches Taiji as taught to him directly by Ryuchi Matsuda (松田 隆智), a well known Japanese researcher of Chinese martial arts and author of a popular Japanese manga called “Kenji”.

    The manga “Kenji” （拳児), by Ryuchi Matsuda

    Yukiyoshi Sagawa became a student of Daito-ryu Chuko-no-so (“Interim Reviver” / 中興の祖) Sokaku Takeda somewhere around 1913 – some three years before Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba would meet Takeda at the Hisada Inn in Hokkaido. Sagawa’s father Nenokichi (佐川子之吉 1867–1950) was a long time supporter of Takeda, and was actually present at the Hisada Inn when Ueshiba was introduced to Takeda by Kotaro Yoshida.

    Takahashi sensei is a frequent contributor of articles researching the Japanese martial arts and Daito-ryu to the monthly Japanese Budo magazine Hiden (月刊秘伝), published by BAB Japan (“BAB” stands for “Budo and Bujutsu”).

    He is also the author of a book on Chinese Qigong, 中国秘伝の秘伝術気功法, which has been translated into English and published as “Qigong for Health“.

    This article is the second part of an excerpt from Takahashi sensei’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.

    Other sections from this book appear in the articles “Sagawa Yukiyoshi, Masaru Takahashi and Breath Training in Daito-ryu” and “Strange, Odd and False Theories of Aiki“.

    You may wish to read part one of this article before continuing. (more…)

  • What is Aiki? Introduction to a method of analyzing Aiki. (Part 1)

    Yukiyoshi Sagawa demonstrates Aiki-nage on Masaru Takahashi

    Masaru Takahashi Sensei explores a method of analyzing Aiki.

    Masaru Takahashi (高橋賢) is one of the senior students of the famous Daito-ryu instructor Yukiyoshi Sagawa, who was a direct student of Sokaku Takeda and one of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba’s seniors in the art of Daito-ryu. He entered Sagawa Dojo on May 5th of Showa year 47 (1972).

    He currently 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.

    Takahashi sensei has contributed a number of articles researching the Japanese martial arts and Daito-ryu to the monthly Japanese Budo magazine Hiden (月刊秘伝), published by BAB Japan (“BAB” stands for “Budo and Bujutsu”).

    This article is the first part of an excerpt from Takahashi sensei’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.

    Other sections from this book appear in the articles “Sagawa Yukiyoshi, Masaru Takahashi and Breath Training in Daito-ryu” and “Strange, Odd and False Theories of Aiki”

    (more…)

  • Interview with Aikido Shihan Shigenobu Okumura, Part 2

    Shigenobu Okumura sensei in 1985 giving advice before promotion examinations

    Take the initiative from the beginning. This is Aikido.

    Shigenobu Okumura was one of the senior instructors at the post-war Aikikai Hombu dojo, and one of only a few Aikikai instructors to have started pre-war.

    He was born in Otaru, Hokkaido in 1922, began Aikido in 1940 at Kenkoku Daigaku in Japanese occupied Manchuria with Kenji Tomiki, and passed away on August 12th 2008.

    After the war he spent three years and eight months as a prisoner of war in Siberia before being repatriated to Japan.

    Okumura sensei, perhaps partly because of his longstanding ties to Kenji Tomiki, acted as an intermediary between Tomiki sensei and the Ueshiba family during discussions concerning Tomiki sensei’s introduction of competition to Aikido, and often advised him to change the name of his art.

    This is the second part of a two part English translation of an interview with Shigenobu Okumura sensei. You may wish to read part one of the interview before moving on to this section.

    This interview was published in a collection of interviews with students of the Founder published in Japanese as 開祖の横顔 (“Profiles of the Founder”) in 2009. It originally appeared in the January 2008 issue of Gekkan Hiden (月刊秘伝 / “Secret Teachings Monthly”), a well known martial arts magazine in Japan.

    There was a short introduction to this work in the article “Morihei Ueshiba – Profiles of the Founder“. I previously posted an English translation of interviews from that collection with Nobuyoshi Tamura sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), and Hiroshi Isoyama sensei (Part 1 | Part 2).  (more…)

  • Interview with Aikido Shihan Shigenobu Okumura, Part 1

    Shigenobu Okumura sensei, from Aikido Tankyu #37
    “Remembering the Late Okumura Shigenobu Shihan” (亡き奥村繁信師範の思い出)

    Encountering Aikido in Manchuria

    “Budo is not just moving your body. At the end is whether to live or die, your view of life and death.”
    -Shigenobu Okumura

    Shigenobu Okumura was one of the few pre-war students of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba to remain at Aikikai Hombu after the war. Born in Hokkaido in Taisho year 11 (1922), he was a senior instructor at Aikikai Hombu dojo until his passing on August 12th, Heisei year 19 (2008).

    He began Aikido in Manchukuo – the Japanese occupied Manchurian state “Manshu-koku” under Kenji Tomiki. While a student at Manshu Kenkoku Daigaku he was drafted into military service, and was later repatriated to Japan after three years as a prisoner of war in Siberia.

    I remember watching him through an entire All Japan Aikido Demonstration one year as he sat and took notes on each and every group and individual participating. I’ve often wondered what those notes contained, and what happened to them.

    This is the first part of a two part English translation of an interview with Shigenobu Okumura sensei that was published in a collection of interviews with students of the Founder published in Japanese as 開祖の横顔 (“Profiles of the Founder”) in 2009. It originally appeared in the January 2008 issue of Gekkan Hiden (月刊秘伝 / “Secret Teachings Monthly”), a well known martial arts magazine in Japan.

    There was a short introduction to this work in the article “Morihei Ueshiba – Profiles of the Founder“.

    I previously posted an English translation of interviews from that collection with Nobuyoshi Tamura sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), and Hiroshi Isoyama sensei (Part 1 | Part 2).  (more…)

  • Strange, Odd and False Theories of "Aiki"

    Yukiyoshi Sagawa Sohan demonstration Aiki-nage on Masaru Takahashi Sensei

    Masaru Takahashi Sensei on explaining Aiki

    Masaru Takahashi (高橋賢), one of the senior surviving students of the famous Daito-ryu instructor Yukiyoshi Sagawa, entered Sagawa Dojo on May 5th of Showa year 47 (1972).

    Sokaku Takeda’s Eimeroku, showing Morihei Ueshiba’s Kyoju Dairi certification on the right

    Yukiyoshi Sagawa (佐川幸義) was one of the senior students of Sokaku Takeda, Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei’s instructor in Daito-ryu, and was actually designated as the successor to Takeda at one point in time. He began studying Daito-ryu under Takeda Sokaku after first learning the art from his father, Nenokichi Sagawa (佐川子之吉 1867–1950), who was a student and ardent supporter of Takeda, as well as a holder of a Kyoju Dairi (assistant instructor’s licence) in Daito-ryu – the same license that Morihei Ueshiba himself received from Sokaku Takeda. Yukiyoshi Sagawa received his own Kyoju Dairi certification in 1932.

    Takahashi Sensei 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), at the Daito-ryu Sagawa Dojo hombu (大東流佐川道場本部) in Kodaira city, and has published a number of books and articles researching the Japanese martial arts and Daito-ryu.

    This article is an excerpt from his book “The Truth of Daito-ryu Aiki” (大東流合気の真実), which was published in Japanese by Fukushodo Co. Ltd.(http://fukushodo.com/) in September 2007.

    Another excerpt from this book appears in “Sagawa Yukiyoshi, Masaru Takahashi and Breath Training in Daito-ryu“.  (more…)

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