Category: Translation

Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada: The Day I Entered Ueshiba Dojo
Hiroshi Tada, 6th Dan, being thrown by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei (1958)
“Ueshiba Sensei of Aiki-jutsu is the greatest Budo master alive”
Hiroshi Tada was born in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan December 13th 1929. He began training at Aikikai Hombu Dojo on March 4th 1950. He was sent to Rome, Italy in October 1964 and established a dojo in 1966. He was Instrumental in the growth and development of Aikido in Italy.
Until he left for Europe in 1964 he also studied breathing exercises and yoga with Tempu Nakamura, who is well known for his influence on Shin-Shin Toitsu Aikido (心身統一合氣道) Founder Koichi Tohei.
He also studied with the Ichikukai (一九会), which was founded to continue the teachings of Tesshu Yamaoka by his student Tetsuju Ogura. The “1-9” Group was named to memorialize the day of the month (the 19th) on which Tesshu died, and is famous for its rigourous Misogi training.
Hiroshi Tada later developed his own system of breathing and meditation exercises called Ki no Renma (気の練磨 / Cultivation of Ki) as a supplement to Aikido Training.
The following article is a translation of the Japanese article that originally appeared in “Aikido Tankyu” (合氣道探求 / Aikido Quest), a magazine published by the Aikikai Hombu Dojo. (more…)
July 22, 2012
Profiles of the Founder: Nobuyoshi Tamura, Part 2
Nobuyoshi Tamura with Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei and Koichi Tohei
meeting Hawaii Governor William F. Quinn in 1961
An interview with Aikido Shihan Nobuyoshi Tamura
This article is Part 2 of the translation of an interview with Nobuyoshi Tamura which originally appeared in “Profiles of the Founder” (開祖の横顔), published in Japanese in 2009. See “Profiles of the Founder of Aikido: Nobuyoshi Tamura, Part 1” for Part 1 of the interview.
When Tamura arrived in Hawaii as Morihei Ueshiba’s Otomo in 1961 he was immediatly nicknamed “the Stone Wall” because of his ability to remain immovable before the efforts of the local Hawaiian Aikido students. (more…)
July 15, 2012
Profiles of the Founder of Aikido: Nobuyoshi Tamura, Part 1
from the brochure for the 1961 Aikido demonstration at McKinley High School in Honolulu Hawaii
Nobuyoshi Tamura speaks about Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei
Born in 1933, Nobuyoshi Tamura entered Aikikai Hombu Dojo as an uchi-deshi in 1953. He is frequently seen taking ukemi in post-war films of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. In 1961 he accompanied the Founder to Hawaii as his Otomo (attendant) for the dedication of the Honolulu Aiki Dojo. In 1964 he arrived in France, where he would be instrumental in the growth of Aikido throughout France and Europe. He passed away in July 2010, shortly after accepting an invitation to attend the 50th anniversary celebration of O-Sensei’s visit to Hawaii, which would be held in February 2011.
“Profiles of the Founder” (開祖の横顔) was published in Japanese in 2009. Some of the content was previously introduced in the article “Morihei Ueshiba – Profiles of the Founder“. Also, some (but not all) of the quotations in the article “Aikido and the Unknown” came from “Profiles of the Founder”.
What follows is part 1 of the translated text of the interview with Nobuyoshi Tamura from “Profiles of the Founder”. (more…)
July 8, 2012
Kisshomaru Ueshiba, Mangos and Johnny Walker Black
Chris Li, translating for Moriteru Ueshiba Doshu
Aikido Celebration 2011 Banquet at the Manoa Grand Ballroom
Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii in Honolulu
Ni-Dai Doshu Comes to Hawaii
2011 marked the 50th anniversary of Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei’s visit to Hawaii in 1961 to dedicate the opening of the Honolulu Aiki Dojo (for an interesting story from this time see “Morihei Ueshiba: Untranslatable Words“). Many of the local Aikido dojo cooperated in the effort to hold a commemorative seminar and event.
Moriteru Ueshiba (San-Dai Doshu and grandson of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba) and his son Mitsuteru Ueshiba (Waka-Sensei) came to Honolulu to help celebrate this event, along with almost 500 Aikido students from around the world. (more…)
June 17, 2012
Drinking wine with O-Sensei
Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba in front of the Shinden in Iwama
Note the mitsudomoe design on the drum to his left.
Translating Morihei Ueshiba
If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend that you read Stan Pranin’s article “O-Sensei’s Spiritual Writings: Where did they really come from?” – it’s an important piece, and will lend some background to the rest of this post. Actually, most of this post consists of some thoughts I had after reading that article again.
To summarize from Stan Pranin’s article, there are two main sources for post-war materials from Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei – “Takemusu Aiki” and “Aiki Shinzui”. The first is the transcription of a series of lectures by O-Sensei for publication in the Byakko Shinko Kai (“White Light Society”) newsletter. The second is also composed of transcriptions of lectures given by O-Sensei – this time the transcriptions were done by the Aikikai for publication in the “Aikido Shimbun” newsletters published by Aikikai hombu dojo. (more…)
June 10, 2012