Category Archives: Translation

Essay, Translation

Aikido Shihan Seiseki Abe – Meeting Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei

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Seiseki Abe

Seiseki Abe (阿部醒石), 1915- 2011 Amenotakemusu Juku Aikido Dojo (天之武産塾合気道道場) Seiseki Abe was born in Osaka, Japan.  A teacher of Japanese calligraphy, he was also a student of Misogi under Dr. Kenzo Futaki, who had trained under Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. He began training in Aikido after encountering the Founder in Osaka in 1952 and then began teaching him calligraphy a few years later, thereby occupying … Continue reading Aikido Shihan Seiseki Abe – Meeting Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei »

Interview, Translation

Interview with Aikido Shihan Yasuo Kobayashi – Part 2

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Yasuo Kobayashi in Hawaii

Yasuo Kobayashi in Hawaii in 2008 the late Robert Kubo – Aikikai 8th Dan, Aikido Hawaii International, on the left “At that point in time, I was caught up in some of the political nonsense amongst various teachers residing in the States, and held forth on this one drunken night at one of the regular parties the dojo had, and Kobayashi sensei said, “X-sensei is … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Yasuo Kobayashi – Part 2 »

Interview, Translation

Interview with Aikido Shihan Yasuo Kobayashi – Part 1

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Yasuo Kobayashi

Yasuo Kobayashi (小林保雄) Sensei – what a happy guy!  Yasuo Kobayashi was born in Tokyo in 1936 and started training in Judo in his fifth year of elementary school. He enrolled at Aikido Hombu Dojo in 1954, the same year that he entered Meiji University, becoming one of the early post-war students of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. Now an eighth dan, he is the head of Aikido … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Yasuo Kobayashi – Part 1 »

Interview, Translation

Interview with Aikido Shihan Kenji Shimizu – Part 2

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Kenji Shimizu Sensei with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba

Kenji Shimizu Sensei with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba “You should think of ukemi as being the secret to aikido”. This is my personal experience. During my uchideshi time the founder made me fall without questioning, on top of this I was scolded mercilessly when my ukemi was bad. I had so many painful experiences, that I continuously worried about whether there would be ever any … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Kenji Shimizu – Part 2 »

Interview, Translation

Interview with Aikido Shihan Kenji Shimizu – Part 1

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Kenji Shimizu - 2007

Kenji Shimizu (清水健二) in 2007 Was O-Sensei irregular about coming to the dojo? Yes, he was. When I was actively practicing there he often came and went. When he showed up everyone immediately sat down. At first, I thought that people were being courteous toward him. However, it wasn’t only that. It was also that the practices we were doing were different from what O-Sensei … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Kenji Shimizu – Part 1 »