British Aikido Pioneers meet the Doshu Moriterue Ueshiba

A degree of hope for the future of U.K. Aikido.Cheers, Joe.

 

Spoken like a true player.

The Bear.

 

Sakumeikan, Koyo, I'll pass on your best wishes....and erm drink requests ha ha..Stories from the good old days escape out from time to time and you are both mentioned...not sure that's a good or bad thing lol

 

Dear bear ,
Perhaps it takes a true player to recognize a true player?As the saying goes it takes one to know one, eh?I am sure you are not an amateur when it all is said a done. Cheers, Joe.

 

A picture from the meeting.

 

:whistle:

The Bear.

 

I have informed Sensei Ellis of the ESTA news-letter that I placed in part on MAP... I have been asked to add the following reply. Macker.







Further to the ESTA news-letter posted by my student Macker on MAP.



As I have said, the Doshu and the organizing groups were great and very hospitable. The discount incident was simply the petty actions of `one man` ( not politics ) and it is in no way meant as a slur on the event itself or its members. The three of us had a great weekend.



For some strange reason the thread has drifted from politics into a North and South divide ?



Pioneer “ One who prepares the way for others “ ……Once Aikido gained in popularity there were many that played their own important part in its further promotion.



The Hut dojo is in the South, and so were the first five Aikido dan grades, later to become eight. These pioneer dan grades would travel and teach Aikido around ````Britain ```` . Ken Williams Sensei was the National Coach for the British Aikido Council `BAC`….. yes ! that included Scotland and Wales. Sensei’s Williams and Foster and myself made many visits to Scotland at the invitation of Tom Weir Sensei, he was Abbe Sensei’s official Scottish BAC representative, Weir Sensei was the first Scottish dan grade for Aikido. In fact Koyo, Tom Weir remembered you as he reminded me not long ago that I would use his student Slim Coyle, as uke when teaching at his dojo. That was a long time ago. I have often mentioned Tom Weir Sensei and his position within the BAC. I have also added photos of Tom and Tomio Otani together at the Grange Farm Summer Camp, these can be found on the British Aikido History website galleries at http://www.british-aikido.com

My respects to both Koyo and Sakumeikan who both go back a long way, there is a photo on the above link of Sakuumeikan training with Kenshiro Abbe Sensei.



I personally left the Hut Dojo in 1967 to be assistant to Chiba Sensei until 1972/3.

I would add that all area’s of Aikido will have a place in the expanded history that Chiba Sensei has asked us to co-operate with him in documenting. Ralph Reynolds was the first dan grade outside of the Hut Dojo, the second dan grade was Tom Weir Sensei, who I believe has a dan grade certificate signed by Osensei himself.

Tom Weir Sensei, a man who taught so many and is now forgotten by so many.



Pioneer “ One who prepares the way for others “





Henry Ellis

 

I cannot see at all how this thread can be seen as South versus north. My post was to show that Scotland had numerous aikidoka who also spent a lifetime promoting aikido.

Many left when Chiba shihan arrived to establish aikido. Those who REMAINED with him for the ten years he was here gave service to aikido.

I have absolutely no interest in politics OR personalities.members of the Makotokai have consistently attended courses given by any number of associations including Chiba shihan Sensei foster and Iwama aikido.

Our belief is in association rather than associations.

Again I see no England versus Scotland in anything I have posted,I remember with great fondness being uke to Sensei's Foster and Mc Farlane and Sensei Williams.
Also there is a photo somewhere of me teaching Tomio Otani the guitar at Grange farm.

Below a photo from the Hut early sixties training with Noro shihan.A photo of Tomio Otani at Grange farm.

Pioneer "one who prepares the way for others. FUKUSHIDOIN "pioneer" see certificate.

 

Ha, should we stock up on varnish remover now or are we getting a warts and all account?

The Bear.

 

I wonder if this history of British Aikido will tell of all the splits that have happened since Aikido came to the UK.

 

The splits and divisions of UK and international Aikido (I write from France where it seems to be just as endemic) are well known.

Personally I believe it is about time that the families of UK Aikido started to work together more. There may be differences of interpretation and teaching, but that should not stop accepting these differences nor prevent anyone seeking out different training both within Aikido and from crosstraining.

In days of old, these restrictions turned me off Aikido. In the internet generation - where you can find out a lot of basic information easily - such nonsensical tripe is simply unaccceptable.

However, putting the bickering aside, the major problem that I see, is who is going to replace the Pioneer generation within Japan, the UK and the international community. Henry Ellis, Derek Eastman, Haydn Foster, koyo and others are not going to be training indefinately.

Hence, a heavy burden lies with those who administer Aikido and have to foster the younger generations' spirit and capabilities. To this end I thank sakumeikan and others for their collective efforts in healing the wounds of the past in UK Aikido.

Koyo sometimes talks of the Aiki-bunnies. I will talk of the Aiki-zombies. In the 1980s, the 'politics' of the day dictated that progression (receiving full instruction - nothing more) meant doing what you were told, behaving in a certain socially acceptable and political manner - all of which was impossible for me personally i.e. becoming a zombie-like Aikidoka - doing exactly rote-fashion what I was told and no more - all bunkum. Ultimately Aikido is a personal expression - based on the principles and examples of seniors - who lead by example - but one's own personal spirit and expression comes through
- or not in some people's case - those who choose to become Aiki-zombies.

I have no desire to change Aikido, but I wish to embolden my spirit through it.

For Aikido to succede i.e. be relevant and not get lost in mediocity,it must evolve in the future, to a return to the original spirit of the pioneers.

When koyo finally goes into the wooden box, I can see him striking through the wood - one last time maybe - but who will succede that generation?

 

I tend to agree embra. But even expressions such as aiki-bunnies or aiki-zombies drives a wedge between people. It shows there's something else going on other than the simple desire to train to the best of ones ability.

 

Exposure to other training methods and crosstraining would go some way to eliminate such expressions.

In fact the Makotokai are off crosstraining with karateka tomorrow. (not an advert)

 

@Wolfie - I agree that such expressions could be viewed by some as potentially divisive. However, some of the forces in the structure of UK Aikido dont seem to understand that Aikido is a martial art and not a political party jostling in the Houses of Commons discussing budget cuts. In my case I found the politics too constraining and limited my personal expression.

I am genuinely happy that there appears to be some movement to get Aikido into a more unified structure.

@koyo

Have a blast with the Karatekas.
Nothing like training with serious strikers to test yourself out - I would not want to get on the end of a yaka-tsuki combo - get off-line.

In the past couple of weeks in France I have managed to get in a few classes in Iwama Aikido and Aikibudo (Mochizuki's Yoseikan care of Andre Floquet) in France. The Iwama Aikido class would end, the Aikibudo class would start and in-between the senesies would chat with myself and each other - proof that divisions dont need to exist - they are created by politicians.

In the Aikibudo class there was a good exercise against 4 simultaneous boken strikes (dont know the name of this) - on the face of it 'advanced'. However, effective, fast and sharp offline evasion - with atemis, elbow strikes - basic principle worked a treat - reinforcement of the importance of basic principles. One of these guys was a seriously well-built Karateka - who I did not want slicing his boken down on me.

Unfortunately both Iwama Aikido and Aikibudo shut down for the summer in France - everything does. So I am going to be struggling to find training round here or accross the border in Belgium (where public transport is terrible.)

 

I have a judo shotokan background Chris Muay Thai hazel Tae Kwondo David Silat gerry head butt extreme Zora triathlon so there should be much to learn and exchange. Pitty you could not be there. Maybe next time.

 

Have a blast dude. Hope you enjoy it

 

Such comments are divisive. Other than to prove a point, why would anybody train with someone who makes derogatory remarks about you or the way you train? I can't see much positive training getting done in that atmosphere.

 

In the epoch that I was writing about, many negative words were said in public and in private - but not by me. I always trained with whoever without concern for the divisions. The problem was that positive training diminished and almost always boiled down to lectures of "Senseie says such and such ..." - which in the end I becme disillussioned with.

However, I have managed to find a sense of renewed interest in Aikido.

 

Derogatory remarks

Human nature being what it is sometimes most of us are to a greater or smaller extent inclined to be critical of others.Sometimes we use less than respectful words [Aiki bunnies etc].
As you say it is difficult to meet and train in a positive manner with people you either criticise or they are critical of you.Not much chance of meeting of he minds I would suggest?Rather than try to change them maybe we should attempt to change ourselves?Is not Aikido a method of self improvement .We need to first polish our own true nature and hopefully in time we may heal divisions that exist within the aikido fraternity.
Aikido is a broad church , let us be willing to concede that there are more than one way to ascend a mountain.

Cheers, Joe.

 

G.B splits in Aikido

If anyone who decides to draw up an outline of U.K Aikido, it would not be an accurate reflection of the lineage of U.K aikido as a whole if no mention was made of the many divisions within Aikido in the last 40 /50 years.
I have already indicated to Mr Peter Goldsbury that I think Britsh Aikido has