Search results for: “sagawa”

Yukiyoshi Sagawa’s Aiki, a true portrait of Transparent Power – Interview with Tatsuo Kimura Part 1
Tatsuo Kimura demonstrates Aiki-age
Stretching his right hand upward, Morihei Sensei said, “Those who practice Aiki should understand the heart of faraway America.”
I immediately thought to myself, “Please come and throw me,” expecting that Morihei Sensei would read my thoughts. Of course, this was merely something I thought in my own mind. However, at that instant, Morihei Sensei, who was looking out the window, turned to me. To my surprise, he started to walk in my direction. He was small, about 150 cm tall, but at that time I felt he was very big. It seemed to me that there was a big wall in back of Morihei Sensei and it was approaching me powerfully. Since I had never taken a fall for Morihei Sensei up until that time, I became very tense. I thought to myself, “Oh no! What shall I do?” as he approached very close to me. He raised his right hand up as if to execute an iriminage throw and shouted, “Eii!” I fell backward. Then, turning to me, Morihei Sensei said, “That was good!” Then, I bowed down with both hands touching the tatami mumbling, “Ha-ha.”
I was really surprised by this. I felt that he read my thoughts at that instant. He had a powerful aura about him and an amazing kiai.
Morihei Sensei often appeared in the Hombu Dojo during Seigo Yamaguchi Sensei’s practice. One day, Morihei Sensei started to explain the kotegaeshi technique while holding Yamaguchi Sensei’s right hand with his left hand. Then Morihei Sensei applied a pressure on Yamaguchi Sensei’s right hand with his right hand. Yamaguchi Sensei hesitated an instant and then took the fall by himself. Suddenly, Morihei Sensei, who was smiling until then, shouted at us, “Do not practice so that if someone moves a certain way, the other person falls in a certain way!” Morihei Sensei’s voice had a metallic sound that could be heard far away.
His eyes ﬂashed and I suddenly felt thunder coming down from the fine blue sky. I was really surprised. In this sense, Morihei Sensei was not a normal person. His spirit and kiai were really extraordinary I had never seen such a person up until that time.
The atmosphere was completely different when Morihei Sensei was performing techniques compared to the other instructors. When I look at the videos of Morihei Sensei I cannot feel his “ki” and more than half of the information is lost. It seems that the camera cannot capture the atmosphere or the feeling of the dojo. Actually, there was a certain tension in the air when Morihei Sensei was present.
…..
Frankly speaking, when Morihei Ueshiba died, I felt Aikido was finished. It disappeared from the world because the Aikido of Morihei Ueshiba and that of his students are completely different.
Tatsuo Kimura
from “Discovering Aiki My 20 Years with Yukiyoshi Sagawa Sensei“
Tatsuo Kimura (木村達雄), born in Tokyo Japan in 1947, is a well known mathematician and professor at Tsukuba University. He was also a long-time student of the famous Daito-ryu instructor Yukiyoshi Sagawa (佐川幸義). He published two books about Sagawa Sohan (宗範) that have been translated into English (the latter one only partially) – “Transparent Power (透明な力)” and “Discovering Aiki My 20 Years with Yukiyoshi Sagawa Sensei (合気修得への道―佐川幸義先生に就いた二十年)”. He also holds a third-dan in kendo and a fifth-dan in Aikido, which he studied under Seigo Yamaguchi (山口清吾).
This is the first part of a two part interview that appeared in Japanese in the book “Daito-ryu Aiki Bujutsu Sagawa Yukiyoshi, Divine Techniques of Aiki – Signposts to ‘Aiki’, a miraculous technical method that surpasses strength” (大東流合気武術佐川幸義神業の合気力を超える奇跡の技法“合気”への道標), which was published in March 2015 by BAB Japan publishing company (BABジャパン出版局), which also publishes the popular martial arts magazine Gekkan Hiden (月刊秘伝 / “Secret Teachings Monthly”).
(more…)
August 1, 2015
Sagawa Yukiyoshi, Masaru Takahashi en Adem Training in Daito-ryu [Dutch Version]
Yukiyoshi Sagawa werpt Tatsuo Kimura (links) en Masaru Takahashi (rechts)

*This is a Dutch translation of the article “Sagawa Yukiyoshi, Masaru Takahashi and Breath Training in Daito-ryu“, courtesy of Ernesto Lemke of Seikokan Aikido / Aikido Leeuwarden – you can also find him on the Aikido Leeuwarden page on Facebook.

「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“ vult de Seika Tanden met Ki door Kokyu-ho en is erop gericht om de Ki-ryoku te focussen via mentale concentratie. Het sluiten van de vijf vingers en zacht te inhaleren wordt ‘In’ (‘Yin’) genoemd, de vingers krachtig openen en uitademen wordt ‘Yo’ (‘Yang’) genoemd. Door deze ademhalingsmethode te continueren wordt de geest helder, het zicht scherp, de ‘spirit’, ‘ki’ en ‘kracht’ worden verenigd, moed wordt ontwikkeld en in het bijzonder verschaffen de verscheidene praktische toepassingen van de tien vingers van beide handen toegang tot bovenmenselijke krachten.
– Tokimune Takeda – zoon van Sokaku Takeda, en Soke van Daito-ryu Aiki Budo

In-yo Aiki-ho, Kokyu-ho en Chousoku (Het reguleren van de ademhaling)
Masaru Takahashi (高橋賢) trad toe tot de Sagawa Dojo op 5 mei van het Showa jaar 47 (1972).
Als een van de gevorderde leerlingen van de beroemde Daito-ryu leraar Yukiyoshi Sagawa, die zelf een gevorderde leerling was van Sokaku Takeda, geeft Takahashi les aan de Sagawa-den Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Sagamihara branch dojo (佐川伝大東流合氣武道相模原支部) en aan de Daito-ryu Sagawa Dojo hombu (大東流佐川道場本部) in Kodaira stad.
Hij publiceerde ook een aantal boeken en artikelen over de Japanse krijgskunsten en Daito-ryu.
Dit artikel is een uitreksel over adem training in Daito-ryu uit Takahashi’s boek ‘De Waarheid over Daito-ryu Aiki’ (大東流合気の真実), die gepubliceerd werd in het Japans door Fukushodo Co. Ltd. in September 2007.
De karakters 調息 (“Chousoku” / “Het reguleren van de ademhaling”) worden gebruikt om te verwijzen naar de methode die werd onderwezen in de Sagawa Dojo – dezelfde karakters die gebruikt worden in het Chinees om te refereren naar “Tiao Xi”, Chinese Daoist ademhalingsmethodes.
De legendarische Zhang Sanfeng (張三豐), de legendarische Chinese Taoïstische priester die vaak wordt aangewezen als de stichter van Taijiquan, sprak over “Tiao Xi” in de 13e eeuw “Daoyan qianjin shuo” (道言淺近說):
“Wanneer het hart en de geest kalm worden en onder de navel gaat heet dat het leegmaken van hart/geest, wanneer de adem zich verzamelt en onder de navel gaat het dat gereguleerde ademhaling (調息).”

(more…)
January 26, 2014
Sagawa Yukiyoshi, Masaru Takahashi and Breath Training in Daito-ryu
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
In-yo Aiki-ho, Kokyu-ho and Chousoku (Regulating the Breath)
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).” (more…)
March 12, 2013
Yukiyoshi Sagawa on Bujutsu and Ki-Ryoku, Part 2
Keisetsu Yoshimaru demonstrating Aiki-age
“Aikido no Ogi”, by Keisetsu Yoshimaru
Keisetsu Yoshimaru (吉丸慶雪) trained under Yukiyoshi Sagawa from 1961 to 1976.
Yukiyoshi Sagawa began training in Daito-ryu with his father, a student and Kyoju Dairi (licenced “Assistant Instructor” – the same license that Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba received) of Sokaku Takeda. Sokaku Takeda actually lived with the Sagawa family for some time, and Sagawa started training with him around 1914, about a year before Morihei Ueshiba met Takeda at the Hisada Inn in Hokkaido and became his student. He was once considered to be the successor to Sokaku Takeda.
Interestingly, there was once an agreement for Sagawa to become an instructor at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo around 1956, but he took exception to some remarks about Sokaku Takeda made by Morihei Ueshiba in an interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun around that time and changed his mind.
After Yoshimaru left Sagawa Dojo he also trained under Kinbei Sato (佐藤金兵衛), who had trained in Daito-ryu under Kakuyoshi Yamamoto (山本角義), another direct student of Sokaku Takeda.
Although Keisetsu Yoshimaru remains a somewhat controversial figure in Daito-ryu, he has published a number of interesting books with quotes from Yukiyoshi Sagawa, most of which have never been translated into English before.
This is the second part of a two part translation of the “Bujutsu and Ki-Ryoku” chapter of “Aikido no Ogi” (合氣道の奥義 / “The Secrets of Aikido”), which consists mainly of quotes from Yukiyoshi Sagawa, many of which recount Sagawa’s memories of Sokaku Takeda. You may wish to start with part 1 before you read this section.
You may also wish to read another two part translation from “Aikido no Ogi” which contains quotes from Yukiyoshi Sagawa relevant to building the “Aiki no Rentai” (合気之錬体 / “The Conditioned Body of Aiki”): Part 1 | Part 2 (more…)
January 6, 2013
Yukiyoshi Sagawa on Bujutsu and Ki-Ryoku, Part 1
Daito-ryu scrolls given to Kinbei Sato by Kakuyoshi Yamamoto
“Aikido no Ogi”, by Keisetsu Yoshimaru
Keisetsu Yoshimaru (吉丸慶雪) trained under Yukiyoshi Sagawa from 1961 to 1976.
Yukiyoshi Sagawa started training with Sokaku Takeda around 1914, about a year before Morihei Ueshiba met Takeda at the Hisada Inn in Hokkaido. He was once considered to be the successor to Takeda Sokaku.
After Yoshimaru left Sagawa Dojo he also trained under Kinbei Sato (佐藤金兵衛), who had trained in Daito-ryu under Kakuyoshi Yamamoto (山本角義), another direct student of Sokaku Takeda.
Although Keisetsu Yoshimaru remains a somewhat controversial figure in Daito-ryu, he has published a number of interesting books with quotes from Yukiyoshi Sagawa, most of which have never been translated into English before.
This is the first part of a two part translation of the “Bujutsu and Ki-Ryoku” chapter of “Aikido no Ogi” (合氣道の奥義 / “The Secrets of Aikido”), which consists mainly of quotes from Yukiyoshi Sagawa, many of which recount Sagawa’s memories of Sokaku Takeda.
You may also wish to read another two part translation from “Aikido no Ogi” which contains quotes from Yukiyoshi Sagawa relevant to building the “Aiki no Rentai” (合気之錬体 / “The Conditioned Body of Aiki”): Part1 | Part 2) (more…)
December 30, 2012

More posts