Aikikai 9th Dan Hiroshi Tada (多田宏) is one of the most influential instructors to come out of the post-war Tokyo Hombu dojo. Born in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan December 13th 1929, he began training at Aikikai Hombu Dojo on March 4th 1950.

Tada Sensei has appeared on the Aikido Sangenkai blog, both in “Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada: The Day I Entered Ueshiba Dojo“, and in the series of articles below:

“Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada: The Budo Body”
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8

“Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – the Yachimata Lecture”
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

This is the English translation of a short piece written by Tada Sensei that recounts some of his memories of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba, it appeared in the Aikikai newspaper “Aikido Shimbun” in March 1998 (Heisei 10).

In October 1964 Tada Sensei was sent to Rome, Italy in order to help establish Aikido in Italy. He had been preceeded there by Professor Salvatore Mergè, who was mentioned by Tada Sensei in the article “Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada: The Budo Body, Part 6“.

The grave of Salvatore Mergè

In 1942 Salvatore Mergè, a Japanese linguist and a member of the Italian diplomatic mission, became a student of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba – perhaps the first occidental to do so. After returning to Italy in 1946 he taught privately and then helped to establish the first Aikido classes in Italy, taught by the sculptor Haru Onoda in 1959.

Haru Onoda in 1968

Here is some of the story of how he met O-Sensei, re-told by Stephen Serpieri, one of his Japanese language students:

“He had heard much of the Master’s deeds and of this new martial art he created, Aikido, but had never had the opportunity to see any of its “embukai” (public demonstrations). Intrigued by the stories that were made ​​of this master and the reputation that had been created around him, he decided to go to his dojo and ask to be admitted as a student of Aikido. The house of Master Ueshiba and the attached dojo were far outside of Tokyo, and to get to the Italian embassy ​​where Professor Mergè worked took over an hour by train. One day, before going to work, he went to the home of the teacher, saying that he was a lover of Japanese tradition and would like to know O-Sensei. He was made ​​to wait in the atrium of the house for a time, but was eventually told to come back because the teacher was busy. He tried again at other times but the answer was always the same.  Finally, after several failed attempts, he was brought into the house to get an answer to his request for a meeting with Master Ueshiba. He was made ​​to sit in a room with an elderly gentleman who was reading a book and did not raise his head when he entered. After a short time the person reading stood up and, without a word, he left the room. … When the day came that he was able to speak to the teacher finally arrived he saw that he was the person that had refused to speak to him as he waited in the atrium. He was accepted as a student, which was quite extraordinary, as the Master had not wanted any new Aikido students during the period of the war, let alone a stranger! “

Marco Muccio, a close friend of one of Professor Mergè’s students, adds:

“The interesting thing is that the first Aikido training with Salvatore Mergè was held in Morihei Ueshiba’s home, with particularly exhausting exercises for the development of the Hara, and ukemi on pillows on the floor!”

Here’s a little more about Tada Sensei’s journey to Italy, from his essay “Founders of Aikikai d’Italia” (イタリア合気会を創った人々), published in the Aikikai’s “Aikido Tankyu” magazine:

One hears the words “the foreign expansion of Aikido”, but what I remember most are the bells and steam whistles that I heard at the pier in Yokohama and the farewell parties with O-Sensei at their center that surrounded my Sempai going abroad – Mochizuki, Tohei and Abe.

A postcard of the Tatsuta Maru – 1931

Of course I can’t reach back that far, and those memories may have overlapped with memories of tapes of my father’s trip abroad on the Tatsuta Maru in the beginning of the Showa era, but in spite of that I had vague thoughts at the time that someday I too would be going abroad.

That became a reality in Showa 39 (1964).

At that time, those going abroad specifically to spread Aikido had to do three things:

1. Go alone.
2. Go with a one-way ticket.
3. Go without money, receive no allowance from their family, do no other part time work.

Keeping faithful to to “Haisui no Jin” (Translator’s note: 背水の陣 – the “fighting with one’s back to the river” strategy made famous by General Han Xin in the Battle of Jingxing), with $250 in my breast pocket I left my home in Jiyugaoka just as the Tokyo Olympics were in their final stages. My tentative goal was Italy, and from there I would travel through South America and then return home. It was an incredibly uncertain plan, but those were my expectations at the time.

Motokage Kawamukai in 2011

The first person to make the existance of the thing known as Aikido in Italy was Tadashi Abe (阿部正), who was active in France. Next were the sculptor Haru Onoda (小野田はる) and Mr. Kawamukai (川向), who had traveled to Rome as a tourist.

When I arrived in Rome I was introduced to a club at the Administration of the State Monopoly Autonomy (“Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato”, the state monopoly on tobacco) which was run by Mr. Chierchini, and started training at that dojo. Six months later we had a demonstration at the National Police Academy, and then held a two month training session hosted by the Ministry of the Interior. This is how my Aikido life in Europe began.

The Italian Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Rome

Professor Mergè, who was a member of the Italian embassy during the war and entered Ueshiba Dojo, was in good health in Rome, and people who had heard him speak of Morihei Ueshiba Sensei at the school of Oriental languages at which he taught were quick to enroll. Through the introduction of one of these people, Mr. Serpieri, in later years we would be able to use one of the of the buildings designated as a national property as a dojo. It was surrounded in four directions by the ancient Roman aqueduct and castle wall, monuments, the military museum and the department of waterworks, and after nightfall it was a place where not a sound could be heard. This is now the Italian Aikikai Hombu dojo. I lived in one room at the bottom of the stairs there. The students called it “Sensei’s Grotto”.

Hiroshi Tada taking ukemi from Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba
at the Ueshiba Dojo – 6th dan at the time

Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – Speaking of The Founder

Sharp, warm, a spiritual master.

I became a student at Ueshiba Dojo on March 4th 1950 (Showa 25). I wrote about that day in “Aikido Tankyu issue 4“. When I first laid eyes on Morihei Ueshiba Sensei what made the strongest impression was that, towards a student like me, he took off his hat and introduced himself “I am Ueshiba” – that image and that voice, even now they remain deep in my memories.

At that time the morning and evening training at Ueshiba Dojo would have at most six or seven people, and the majority of those would be students from Waseda and Hitotsubashi universities, or members of the Nishikai and the Tempukai. Sensei would throw each one of them courteously and then everybody would practice. We students (門人 / “monjin”) would practice that technique with each other, and a little while after we started Sensei would say

“If you will permit me…”

Without thinking I would l look around, thinking that some important personage had come. However, the only people in the dojo were the baker Mr. Hata Kikuchi, who had started one day before I had, and us students. Sensei always used polite language like this during training.

That was likely because there were many royalty, army and navy generals, and people who represented Japan among Sensei’s students. However, that wasn’t the only reason – words are power. That politeness and the care that reached into every corner gave rise to a sense of refinement, and that was directly connected to the techniques of his Budo.

The young Hiroshi Tada during a demonstration at Aikikai Hombu Dojo

Sensei’s training was enveloped in a mysterious atmosphere. Even while moving to sharply suppress his opponents in an instant, he would somehow create a feeling of great warmth in the dojo. He would clearly adapt even to immature students like I was at the time, that kind of inspirational power was really incredible.

During one period I became aware of something mysterious. When I drew close to Sensei, my mind and body would feel as if they had somehow become transparent. When I was touched by Sensei that would become even clearer, it was as though the boundary between our bodies and minds had dissapeared. It was a powerful force that came from Sensei’s training in surpassing confrontation and we must have become caught up in it. That force was received in Ayabe in a direct heart to heart transmission (以心伝心) from Onisaburo Deguchi, who Sensei greatly respected, and I think that must have been further developed through Sensei’s own all-out efforts at training. When Sensei spoke of his own teachers, Sokaku Takeda Sensei and Onisaburo Deguchi Seishi, he spoke of them with real respect. Particularly when he spoke about Deguchi Seishi, he would call him “Seishi Sama”, using a double honorific title.

Morihei Ueshiba and Onisaburo Deguchi – around 1933

I was scolded severely by Sensei many times, but there were also times that I received undeserved praise. He often reprimanded me – “don’t manufacture”. By “manufacture” he meant when an Uke would take it upon themselves to take the appearance of being off balance even though they actually were not, releasing their grip or moving.

Hiroshi Tada taking ukemi for Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba

Why were we told “don’t manufacture”? When one becomes used to the technique they perform it absent mindely, or they chase the technique intellectually instead going ahead straight forwardly with the feeling of a blank white sheet of paper. In other words “don’t manufacture” is the same as when we were scolded “you have an opening”.

One day I was training alone in the dojo when Sensei entered and spoke beside me.

“Tada-kun, you should become a professional. a body like yours is the best for Aiki.” – if I had heard those words from Sensei now how moved I would be. However, at the time I thought it was normal to enter a large company after leaving the university as my father and grandfather had and live a life of leisure, so I listened absent mindedly as if he were speaking of some far off place. When I thought about it later I realized that those words of encouragement had come from the warm feelings in Sensei’s heart for his students.

The last time that I laid eyes on Sensei was the day before I left for Europe in order to spread Aikido there, October 23rd of Showa year 39 (1964).

Sensei encouraged me “Oh really, that’s quite soon. Go and do your best.”

Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada in 2014

When Sensei passed away in Showa year 44 (1969) I was in Europe. When we received the news at the dojo in Rome I was surrounded by a moment of wordless silence. In Italy there is a sympathy and kindness towards other people’s hearts. The picture of Sensei in the dojo was soon surrounded by flowers of mourning. The members of my group sat in front of it in silence for many hours.

Published by: Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI

The post Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – Speaking of The Founder appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Hiroshi Tada taking ukemi for Morihei Ueshiba

Hiroshi Tada (多田 宏) sensei is currently the Aikikai’s only living 9th dan – at 83 years old he has been called a “Geriatric Genius” by Aikido Journal Editor Stan Pranin. Certainly he remains active and dynamic to this day, some sixty-five years after he entered Ueshiba Dojo in 1948.

If this lecture series has interested you then you may also be interested in this eight part interview with Tada sensei conducted by Tatsuro Uchida, who is a well known Japanese author and a long-time student of Hiroshi Tada:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

This is the fifth and final section of the English translation of a lecture given by Hiroshi Tada sensei at the 15th anniversary of the Yachimata Aikido Association on September 26th 2004. You may wish to read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 before reading this section. Tada sensei’s comments in this final section may be of particular interest to those researching internal power and solo training.

”Mushin Mugamae” (無心無構 / “No Mind, No Stance”) calligraphy by Kenji Tomiki

Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – the Yachimata Lecture, Part 5

(translated by Christopher Li)

Mushin no Kamae (“Stance of No-Mind” /無心の構え) is required. One must apply technique with Mushin. Unless your training is aimed towards Mushin from the very beginning you will never reach it. Please refer to the Tada Juku training methods for specifics.

In the previous section I covered the major points from yesterday’s (International Seminar) lecture.

Perhaps it was a little difficult, but this type of thinking was common sense up until around the Meiji Period. It was common sense in the world of the Samurai.

For example, in the “Hagakure” (葉隠 / “Hidden by the Leaves”) it says “The way of the Samurai is found in death”(武士道とは死ぬことと見つけたり). We were the children of war, so we believed that we were resigned to death, but this is not what is being discussed. In order to truly survive, in order to succeed at your task, you must not choose a path for the sake of your own personal benefit. One chooses their path in the fraction of an instant with 100% disregard for their own death. When one does that they will not become mired down and they will succeed in their affairs. It is a teaching that will enable one to reach their goal (life).

If one is just dying it’s not a very difficult thing. In fulfilling the power of life the teaching hidden among the leaves is the importance of not being taken in by the object.

For that reason, a variety of training methods, such as training in Kokyu-ho, and many other details are needed, but the essential point of Budo is what I have stated here. If you know this method then you should be able to construct your own method of practice.

Horsemanship and Archery, by Utagawa Kunisada (歌川 国貞), 1786 – 1865
“Osana Rikugei no Uchi” (雅六芸ノ内)

As you know, the basis of Budo is Archery and Horsemanship.

In the past this was called “Rikugei” (Translator’s Note: 六藝 the six warrior arts taught in Zhao Dynasty China, they appear in the classic Confucian text “Zhou Li” – 周禮/周礼). This was a teaching of Confucius. Etiquette (national etiquette, individual etiquette), calligraphy (reading and writing), mathematics (knowledge relating to mathematics), these were academic subjects – music, control (control over a horse, horsemanship) and shooting (archery).

These six things often appear in Budo scrolls, but we’ll have to move on to higher concepts in order to discuss why Confucius would have taught such things.

You cannot interfere with a horse when you are controlling it. You cannot stop a moving target in archery. You can only put yourself in order carefully. Put your mind and body in order carefully, when you do that the arrow will strike the mark naturally.

In other words, the horse is the object, and one does not attempt to apply some kind of action to an object. It is the idea that when one uses their mind and body carefully then technique will be born. This is not “Keichu” – this is a Confucian teaching in order to attain the “state of Shuchu”. This is difficult to explain by jumping right into higher concepts, so Confucius explained it through the means of things such as Kenjutsu.

Music, control (horsemanship) and shooting (archery) – these are the foundation.

In Aikido we say that one destabilizes the opponent, but if you have the intent to destabilize them then it won’t work. Judo is good as far as it goes, but it’s a sport. Kano sensei made it that way. In Aikido, however, if one attempts to destabilize the opponent then their mind will become stuck on the opponent. One must carefully take a posture in which the opponent is destabilized. When one does that then the opponent will be destabilized naturally. You must create that condition. Pulling on the opponent, thinking to destabilize them, or pushing on them to hold them down, these are things which must not be done. It is a difficult point, but it is the idea that if one carries their mind and body with care then as a result the opponent will be destabilized.

Place your hand right against them like this. Do not pull on the opponent. If you watch O-Sensei you’ll understand this point. Even with large people, one’s hips drop and they will be shut down.

For example, even with musical instruments, if one tries to do something to the piano itself then they won’t be able to do anything. The piano remains the way it is as one moves themselves carefully. It’s the same with a violin. They are all the same. By arranging oneself carefully one is able to achieve a good result.

Even in Aikido, although it requires a great deal of dedication to improvement, one moves themselves carefully. I watched O-Sensei and thought that I would like to do techniques like that, so I etched them in my heart. When you do that they become traced well into your body. That’s why, truthfully speaking, in Aikido it can be said that techniques of the mind come before techniques of the body.

When the opponent flies away at the moment that they appear in front of you, O-Sensei would call it “opening his eyes”. He said that in that moment his body would move automatically and the movement would be expressed. Before the opponent, the technique was born in his mind. This is required first. This is realized in the nerves of your entire body and becomes manifest. One must practice the fundamentals and breathing methods extensively in order to perform that type of movement.

The biggest challenge for Aikido in the future is how to express this type of concept in very logical terms that are in accord with everyday modern life.

Because the theory is difficult it is rarely discussed. I heard these theories from the time that I was a child, and because of meeting Tempu sensei and being able to get an introduction to enter the Ichikukai Dojo, I understand. Perhaps it’s difficult to understand without that even if one listens to O-Sensei’s lectures, because this is a specialized field of study.

Hiroshi Hiraoka (平岡煕), 1856-1934
The Father of Japanese Baseball

*Translator’s Note: Hiraoka went to America in 1871 and studied railway technology while working for train manufacturers in Boston and Philadelphia. When he returned to Japan in 1876, he brought with him some baseball equipment as souvenirs from America and later formed Japan’s first baseball team, the Shimbashi Athletic Club.

Specialized fields of study are not limited to Aikido. I am trying my best to explain this to those who want to break through the walls, like Mr. Hiraoka did with baseball. Just because one comes to Aikido doesn’t mean that they will be able to perfect it. The use of Ki in Aikido, in essence, the way that the mind is held, that is what is important.

When speaking of the “mind”, “saints” (聖人君子) present themselves. A human being who is such a perfect example, who can tell others how to live their lives, doesn’t exist. It’s rather impossible.

The problem is one of how one’s life force can be increased to its greatest limits, and how it can be used. In other words, how eastern thought can be applied in modern times. I think that it would be beneficial if there were an increase in the number of university students specializing in the research of these subjects. However, unlike times past, it is difficult to make this a specialty in modern times.

The greatest problem is how to diagram Shuchu and Keichu.

Today people may have been doing it as if it were nothing, but A-un Kokyu-ho and the vibration of human nerves is extremely important. The movement of life is vibration, the energy enters directly through the nervous system.

Normally we use some kind of apparatus. Musical therapy, vibration therapy, increasing your strength through lifting weights and investigating methods of self regulation of the body, these are all tools for attacking this greatest of problems.

Morihei Ueshiba and Onisaburo Deguchi in Mongolia
prior to their arrest in Tongliao (パインタラ / 通遼市)

O-Sensei’s Misogi is the same. Before training O-Sensei would chant Norito (Shinto prayers) for a long time. It was really tough! He would forget that the students were sitting there behind him. Many time he would chant continuously from 6:30 all the way to 7:30. When Sensei was chanting he would fall into a trance and continuously create new prayers.

One creates a vibration within themselves with the echo of their own voice. We did it like it was nothing, but the Kokyu-ho that we did today, for example, is effective when one is worn out, or when one has suffered from a bad experience.

In ancient times the Samurai’s armor would vibrate before battle with the tremors of their excitement. It’s not that they were afraid, it’s that they were building up their life forces. One generates that artificially. The power of the voice can be applied effectively, using Kokyu-ho as a device. For example, the concentration of extremely tiny vibrations in a place that is hurt or injured. There are many methods of accomplishing this concentration. Please research into this on your own.

One must express the way that they hold their mind in technique.

For example, in Shiho-nage one does not just perform a Kata with the body, first one must sketch in their mind how they will move and what kind of condition they will construct. Then one enters directly with Kokyu-ho. This is one method of training.

In order to become a master one must do a great deal of solo training and individual practice. Anybody who does that will be able to progress, even if they don’t become a master. Please research this.

When one begins with research into Kokyu-ho they will come to understand what kind of training comes next. And not just Aikido. Everybody has their own areas of specialization – making use of those skills is important.

If you have some time please read through some of O-Sensei’s Doka (“Poems of the Way”).

You must keep today’s lecture in mind while training in order to create technique naturally and effortlessly like O-Sensei.

Well, let’s finish for today.

Christopher Li

The post Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – the Yachimata Lecture, Part 5 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Hiroshi Tada (多田 宏) sensei’s family were originally samurai of the Tsushima-han. Initiated into Budo by his great-grandfather, a master of Japanese archery, he went on to study Karate with Shotokan Karate founder Gichin Funakoshi, and then became a student at Ueshiba Dojo in 1948.

Here are some impressions of Tada sensei from Ellis Amdur:

Tada sensei was an icy, formidable presence when I trained in the 1970’s. He has a face like a blade, with piercing black eyes. To my eyes, he was the purest budoka of any of the Aikikai shihan. From what others have told me, he has close friends, particularly in Italy, and a fine marriage before his wife’s untimely death. He is a cultured and well-educated man, by no means an ascetic. All of that aside — or perhaps, better said, in parallel — he is utterly focused on his own path. Although he is a meticulous instructor, breaking down techniques in fine detail, somehow one has no sense that he teaches as a vocation: rather, he makes himself available for others to learn from as he pursues his own way.

You can read the rest of Ellis Amdur’s impressions of Tada sensei in It Had to be Felt #6: Tada Hiroshi: “Like an Eagle”.

You may also be interested in this eight part interview with Tada sensei conducted by Tatsuro Uchida, who is a well known Japanese author and a long-time student of Hiroshi Tada:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

This is the fourth part of the English translation of a lecture given by Hiroshi Tada sensei at the 15th anniversary of the Yachimata Aikido Association on September 26th 2004. You may wish to read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 before reading this section.

Eda Shrine (江田神社) in Miyazaki Prefecture
This shrine was built on the Odo district where Misogi was born

Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – the Yachimata Lecture, Part 4

(translated by Christopher Li)

O-Sensei said that Aiki is “Odo no Kamuwaza” (the “divine technique of the small door” / 小戸の神技).

Izanami pursues Izanagi from the Land of the Dead

This is from the Kojiki, from a story about Izanagi and Izanami. Izanagi longed after his deceased wife Izanami, and went to meet her in the land of the dead. He had been warned not to look at her, but when he did anyway she began to chase him, bringing the legions of the dead with her. After that he cleansed his body and the gods were born from the Misogi.

*Translator’s note: Izanagi gave birth to three gods during the cleansing of Misogi – Amaterasu (the sun goddess) from his left eye, Tsukuyomi (the moon god) from his right eye and Susanoo (the tempest or storm god) from his nose. Susanoo was a particular patron of Morihei Ueshiba and Aikido.

Then, when the legions of the underworld pressed forward, Izanagi-no-Mikoto threw a peach pit and held them back. At the time of the International Congress there was someone who said that the Founder said “Aikido is the technique of the peach pit”. Perhaps this kind of story has something to do with “Momotaro” (“Peach Boy” / 桃太郎).

Further, O-Sensei said “Aikido is Misogi” (合気道は禊ぎ技である). I won’t explain all of this in detail, but I think that Sensei was explaining the “state of Shuchu” in his own way.

So this means that the way that one thinks about things related to Aikido is of great importance.

I am already 75 years old, and most of my friends already suffer from illness. When that happens the illness becomes the “object”. In sports one doesn’t really have this problem, because it’s not a matter of much importance. Of course, things like winning a gold medal are important, but there’s no chance of dying. There is no chance that you will be killed. Your life is the reward.

In the case of “illness”, or in the matches with live blades of the training in ancient times, or during the wars of recent times, if the object becomes the master then the mind stops and the body will not be able to move. This is the meaning of death.

For that reason, Budo says over and over that one must not create an object. The “state of Shuchu” means not to create an enemy inside your own mind. It is because you do not create an enemy that your mind can become the immovable mind. The word “immovable mind” (“fudoshin” / 不動心) is often used, and the meaning of “fudoshin” is to not create an enemy within your own mind. Even if an enemy is actually in front of your eyes, your own mind just observes quietly and no enemy is created in your mind. If you can hold your mind in this way you become extremely stable.

It is the same thing with “illness”.  When one is suffering from “illness” then that sickness becomes the object, the sickness becomes the master and one finds themselves chasing afterwards. This is a great problem. That is, when human beings have a comparison, an object, or a competition in mind they somehow lose all sense of stability. This is because when one desires to defeat all comers, no matter how strong, or to avoid losing, a tension arises within one’s own mind.  In other words, if one does not create an enemy within their own mind then this tension will not arise and one will remain tranquil. That condition is called the Immovable Mind.

The other day, when I was speaking to a professor at Tokyo University named Takashi Suzuki (鈴木たかし), who is studying the Ottoman Turks, we discussed the possibility that this use of the mind will become the most important issue for the future of Gerontology. Perhaps it will form the foundation of that field in the future.

The Shin-Shin Toitsu Method of the Tempukai
Showing the terms “life force” (生命の力) and Sekkyoku-shin” (“positive mind” / 積極心)

Considering Gerontology, in other words, as a training method for “life force” (生命の力), might not Aikido be the most superior solution? That is to say, now we think of everything as competing and winning, but this is not a superior method of making use of a human being’s life force. It could be said that it does not match well with the principles of the universe. If one makes use of what I have explained to this point, then they may be able to realize the wisdom and power of the universe through a tranquil and transparent mind. These have been fundamental principles throughout the long history of human beings. Aikido has superior points as a method of physically expressing these principles.

Well then, here we will discuss how to avoid the “state of Keichu” in Aikido, and what practice and training methods do not come into conflict with the “state of Shuchu”. First, you must forge your Kokyu and receive Ki into the nerves of your entire body.  In sum, and this must include your own techniques, you must practice in a way in which your mind is not taken by the object.

For example, when one cannot move their legs freely they somehow fall into the state of “Keichu”.

O-Sensei explained the “state of Shuchu” in this way – “When I move, technique is born” (動けば技が生まれる). When one moves with an empty mind (“Mushin” / 無心), technique are born. Or possibly, techniques are envisioned – newly created. This doesn’t mean application of a technique that one already knows upon an opponent, this means that the principles of technique that have entered one’s body mix together and give birth to a new technique at the moment one moves. It won’t work if you have to think about it in order to do it – this is why it is important not to stop the mind. If the mind is stopped then there is no way that any technique will come forth. If you don’t think this way than I can’t explain it to you. It is the idea of the creation of technique.

In other words, O-Sensei was saying that one must practice in a unified state. That is what he was saying, even though it is a little difficult to understand.

The “state of Keichu” is a way of thinking about things relatively, “the state of Shuchu” is a way of thinking about things absolutely. This is not the same absolutely as it is used in physics. This is the way of using the mind in accordance with the principles of the universe. The “state of Keichu” is more of a way using the mind in such a way that the earth’s environment is at the mercy of human power.

So, in Kokyu-ho one simultaneously accepts the two requirements to receive the oxygen of the earth and to accept the universal Ki that moves the universe itself. When we are speaking of oxygen, of course there is some power in the world that brings the thing called oxygen into existence. Through breathing one receives that power.

“Kuki” (“air” / 空気) is a subset of Ki. If Kuki is separated from the Earth than it disappears, but Ki fills the universe. That is because what we call the universe is the action of Ki. For example, the reason why a rocket can still fly when it separates from the earth is that the universe is filled with Ki and the power which brings it into existence and the fundamental principles behind it are operating properly. If that were not so it would not even be able to exist for a moment. Well, I think that all of you know this.

Be that as it may, for Aikido training the automatic creation of technique by the body must be the fundamental training method. From the beginning you must not use a training method which cannot be executed without conscious thought.

For example, in the movement of the legs, when the opponent comes to strike one must move simultaneously with the strike. For that reason we have built a foundational training method in which one automatically moves correctly from the very beginning. You must train in these leg exercises hard for about six months. Your body will become able to move without thinking.

Further, if one learns the steps in the form of a Kata they will be unable to move. Somehow one’s head always ends up thinking about the Kata.  This is one of the reasons why O-Sensei did not attach names to the techniques. You must take extreme care about this in your Aikido training in the future, it is a difficult point. Also, I am not saying that it is a good thing to just thrash around by instinct in your training. You must know the fundamental principles well. There is an exponential difference in effectiveness between doing something when you know what is happening and doing something when you don’t know anything.

We can try to understand this in terms of a ship’s compass – if you try to cross the Pacific in a ship without a compass it will be a big problem! It’s because we have a compass we know that if we go in this direction that we will reach America. In a manner of speaking, the compass is the same as the principles.

In another example, if one rides on the Tokaido Line train they will pass through Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto and the station in between until they reach their destination. The train in the “state of Keichu” the train in the “state of Shuchu” are on different tracks from the beginning. Stated extremely, they are going in completely opposite directions. You must know this well. The physical education departments of most universities go towards the “state of Keichu”.

In other words, it is important to know the principles behind cause and effect and build a mind that will not be taken in from the beginning. Completely ignore such things as who is strong and who is weak, win and loss – you must first absorb the principles into your body. If you do this, then as a result you will achieve a better condition. I have no doubt. Because this is the result of thousands of years of human experience.

There are many separate training methods that can be used to reach “Shuchu”. For example,  “Ki no Renma”, in which each person is like a battery working to increase the free exchange of Ki with each other, or working to move their mind in a more positive direction.

Tempukai founder Tempu Nakamura, in his youth

In theTempukai this is called “Sekkyoku-shin” (“positive mind” / 積極心). “Sekkyoku-shin” means to be free from all distracting thoughts (無念無想). Becoming one with the spirit of the universe through a state of Mushin (“empty mind” / 無心) is called Sekkokyu-shin.

If one were to speak of the “state of Shuchu” in older terms, we would say “universal” (宇宙的). The way of training the mind is the same. The idea that oneself in a “state of Shuchu” is the master means that one must claim responsibility. That is to say, one becomes unable to blame the opponent for the things that occur with one’s own body. People often say that they were injured by an opponent – even in Italian soccer games losses are blamed on poor referees or some other kind of external cause.

Everything is your own fault. Seeds that are not sown will not grow. Whatever happens with your own body is all the seeds of your own sowing. You must create your own place in accordance with this great principle and rule over it yourself.

I am explaining the mental state necessary for the training method that produces this. When one is training in the dojo they are always the leader. For that reason, that which occurs within your own body cannot be blamed upon another. Whatever the situation is, it is also the same in everyday life.

Continued in Part 5...

Christopher Li

The post Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – the Yachimata Lecture, Part 4 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Masamichi Noro, Kisshomaru Ueshiba,
Morihei Ueshiba, Koichi Tohei and Hiroshi Tada

Hiroshi Tada (多田 宏) sensei is one of the major figures of post-war Aikido, and is currently the only living Aikikai 9th Dan. He became a student at Ueshiba Dojo in 1948.

Here is are some of  Yasuo Kobayashi sensei’s recollections of Tada sensei (from “Aikido My Way“):

Hiroshi Tada Sensei was the sensei who was teaching the first time I went to observe a practice at Hombu Dojo. He was a somber ball of lightning who was twisting arms and smashing people down. When I was leaving, he just said “If you’re interested, come to practice.” There had been no explanation of the techniques. After I had begun to practice, I realized that Sensei had no half measures in his tempering style. With the bokuto, if we resorted to strength, it was as if we had had a thousand cuts to the abdomen. After regular practice, we uchideshi would have to do 1000 suwariwaza ikkyos. In the dojo he would pick up and hold in one hand an enormous tempering stick and brandish it, stopping just where he wanted to.

A really long time ago, when I was walking on a narrow street near the Arch de Triomphe in Paris I heard someone calling “Kobayashi. Kobayashi.” When I turned my head I saw Tada Sensei waving his hand. It was a good accidental meeting.

Later, when Tada Sensei returned to Japan from Italy, he took it easy at his dojo Gessuji in Kichijoji. My dojo isn’t far from Kichijoji. Suddenly there was a phone call from Sensei. “Kobayashi, I’m going to Italy the day after tomorrow. Send some teachers here.” He only said what he needed and that was all. He didn’t ask my opinion. With great excitement teachers were sent one after another. Kazuo Igarashi Sensei went there a great deal. He had been my assistant having trained up in my dojo and I lost him during this time. Tada Sensei even today is still energetically teaching.

You may also be interested in this eight part interview with Tada sensei conducted by Tatsuro Uchida, who is a well known Japanese author and a long-time student of Hiroshi Tada:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

This is the third part of the English translation of a lecture given by Hiroshi Tada sensei at the 15th anniversary of the Yachimata Aikido Association on September 26th 2004. You may wish to read Part 1 and Part 2 before reading this section.

The Grave of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei

Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – the Yachimata Lecture, Part 3

(translated by Christopher Li)

What O-Sensei believed in was Shingon Mikkyo (esoteric Buddhism). O-Sensei’s grave and a monument to him is in Kozan-ji (高山寺 / Kozan Temple).

O-Sensei met Sokaku Takeda of Daito-ryu at the age of 32. When he was 35 he returned home because his father was gravely ill, and at that time he met Onisaburo Deguchi. Met him and adored him. Why did O-Sensei, who was a practitioner of Shingon Mikkyo, fall for Onisaburo Deguchi? Onisaburo Deguchi preached the common origin of all religions (万教同根). That is, all teachings arise from the same source. So, he wouldn’t say that because I believe one way your way is no good. He approved of everything. O-Sensei really fell for that aspect of him.

When one looks at O-Sensei’s Doka and other writings they might think that they are related to Shinto, but they actually contain the teachings of Shingon esoteric Buddhism. The average person probably doesn’t understand that. I specialized in practicing Aikido, and listening to his lectures, so I understand. The symbolic cuts, the nine symbolic cuts (“Kuji-kiri” / 九字切り), what I taught everybody today about the creation of a “place”, this is the idea of making a Dojo just for yourself within this huge Dojo. In the past this was called a “border” (結界). It is upon this foundation that one builds their Shugyo.

Kuji-kiri
“The Kuji Method of Self Defense” (九字護身法), 1881
Hand gestures are used to empower specific concepts
This is found today in Shugendo, Shingon Mikkyo
and some martial arts lineages.

In modern terms, you yourself preside over that place. Whoever comes. Whatever happens – how many times have I repeated this?

Just exactly what is “mental concentration”? This is one of the things that is the most misunderstood. This year we took a survey among the young people in Italy, but even though they nod and say “yes, yes” when one is speaking, when questioned afterwards it seems that they don’t really understand. As I suspected, it seems that nobody understands “Shinpou no Michi”. Even though I’ve been doing this for more than thirty years…

Tempu Nakamura and mentor Mitsuru Toyama (頭山 満), 1924
Toyama Mitsuru was a right-wing political leader
and founder of the Genyosha nationalist secret society.
Morihei Ueshiba was linked to Toyama
through Onisaburo Deguchi

Here are the most important points of “Shinpou no Michi”:

Anybody can understand that you must concentrate with all of your effort. However, there are two different aspects to “all of your effort”.  It could be said that there is one case that backfires and one that doesn’t. Defining things as clearly as the “Keichu” and “Shuchu” chart above is a difficult thing. As with a single piece of paper, the two sides can flip over and change in an instant. Just when you think you are doing well things flip over and change.

Takuan Sōhō (沢庵 宗彭), 1573 – 1645
Advisor to Miyamoto Musashi, Yagyū Munenori,
Itō Ittōsai and others

In Takuan Zenji’s “The Mysterious Record of Immovable Wisdom” (不動智心妙録) it is expressed as “The stopping of the mind is the moving mind, the mind that moves and changes freely is the immovable mind” (心のとどまることが動く心であり、ころころと自在に動くのが動かざる心である。).

When “Keichu” occurs it becomes fixation. What is the state of fixation? The stopping of the mind means that the mind moves with the object of  its fixation. In other words, it as if a separate mind has been created within you. For example, when one must avoid the attack of the opponent, or when one hates someone, a desire rises within their mind and their mind becomes fixed at that point.

Then, what is the state of “Shuchu”? It is to make your mind like a mirror. In ancient times there was a saying “The enlightened being’s use of their mind is the same as a mirror” (至人の心を遣うこと鏡の如し). “Keichu” is a method of immersion in the relative mind. The mind stops there and the fixated mind is born. On the other hand, “Shuchu” is to use the mind like a mirror. Just as the image in a mirror changes when the mirror is moved, the self is in a state of absolute freedom.

In order to reach this state, it is important to meditate with Kokyu-ho. The deep states of that meditation can be expressed as “concentration” (集中）, “unification” （統一） and “Sanmai” (三味) – in the original language these are “Dharana”, “Dhyana” and “Samadhi”.

It is important make your mind transparent to whatever comes, to undertake this with all of your effort, but it is quite difficult to actually become aware of the “Keichu” state towards the object, because the object becomes the master while you end up chasing after it. On the other hand, in the “Shuchu” state you are always the “master”, and the object is always “chasing” you, so one becomes able to feel as if they are reflecting the opponent’s (object’s) state in a mirror.

In other words, in the “Shuchu” state, the state of your mind becomes absolutely free, an absolute state in which the object does not move you to the left or the right. In the “Keichu” state the object takes you to the left and the right, in a relative state where there is no freedom.

So if you have 2 or 3 opponents when in the “Keichu” state, there will be 2 or 3 objects, you will not be able to establish control, and it will become a real disaster.

Ancient scrolls of Budo explain this with tedious repetition. You must absolutely never enter a state of “Keichu” or use a method of training that allows you to be taken into such a state. This is written in every one of the ancient scrolls.

This is not true only for Budo, it is exactly the same in one’s everyday life. Hating or fearing people, mourning or being envious, these all make the mind fixate on the object.

It is important not to fall into that state, and to always keep yourself in a state of “Shuchu”. A state in which one observes the object closely, but is not taken in by it. In other words, to be in a state in which one is able to control themselves.

Fight delusions like the state of “Keichu”, clear them away. By deepening your state of “Shuchu” one is able to realize the universe within their own mind, and realize that one’s self is something that has been given as a Wake-mitama (分霊) from the universe itself.

O-Sensei taught “To become enlightened to the spirit of the Universe is Aikido” (大宇宙の精神を悟得するのが合気道である。) – when watching O-Sensei one could really sense the feeling of what he was saying.

It is easy to think about the state of “Shuchu”, but just thinking about it won’t get you anywhere. First, you must forge your Ki well through Kokyu-ho and accumulate an abundance of energy. If you don’t have that abundance of energy, then no matter how much effort you expend you will not be able to achieve control. This is because when the object that you face is large you will be pulled towards them. “Keichu” is written with the character “傾く” (“incline towards”), so you should understand this immediately.

I would like you to be careful here, because the dictionary definitions of “Keichu” and “Shuchu” are the same. Try looking it up in the Kojien (*Translator’s note: a standard Japanese dictionary / 広辞苑)! I am using it here as a pre-defined convention. This is a convention used in the Tempukai when doing research into such matters.

As to how this connects to Budo technique – building an abundance of energy through Kokyu-ho is important for training in how to control your own sensations.

 Pages from the Makashikan (left) and the Tendai Shoshikan (right)

In terms of Indian style training this is Pranayama (Translator’s note: extension of the pran, or breath” or, “extension of the life force”). By the way, when speaking of training methods we’re talking about India or China. Japan is a Shinto nation, and since one faces the Gods directly there is not much talk of difficult training methods. If we’re speaking about training methods then we’re generally talking about famous works such as the  “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” (ヨーガスートラ), or the Chinese “Makashikan” (摩訶止観 / “The Mahayana Practice of Cessation and Contemplation”) and “Tendai Shoshikan” (天台小止観 / “Samatha – Vipassana”).

When examining these types of works we can see that the ways in which human beings train were developed some thousands of years ago. They practiced Kokyu-ho, purification of the senses through dietary control, methods for increasing life force, how to eliminate distractions and obstructive thoughts, and methods for controlling one’s five senses.

For example, someone grasps your wrist. When your partner grasps your wrist you understand this through your sense of touch, right? But you cannot let yourself become tense just because you have been grasped. In order to use technique you must not lose your own freedom, even while understanding well that you have been grasped.

Many disciplines are the same, the ability to control your own sensations are important, and an important requirement that you must have before you can concentrate your mind. If one cannot meet the internal (inside the body) requirements then you will not be able to meditate quietly or practice Kokyu-ho. The basic requirements are the same as for a Zen Buddhist priest – control of the body, control of the breath, control of the mind are just a few of the common sense requirements. “Condition the body”, “condition the breath”, “condition the mind”.

O-Sensei’s ability to use these things during technique in Aikido training was truly astounding.

Continued in Part 4...

Christopher Li

The post Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – the Yachimata Lecture, Part 3 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Hiroshi Tada sensei on the cover of Hiden Budo & Bujutsu magazine

Hiroshi Tada (多田 宏) sensei is one of the major figures in post-war Aikido. He entered Ueshiba Dojo in 1948 and was sent by the Aikikai to establish Aikido in Italy in 1964. Like many of the post-war Aikido students, including Ki Society Founder Koichi Tohei, his practice has been heavily influenced by his studies with Shin-Shin Toitsu founder Tempu Nakamura.

More information about Hiroshi Tada sensei can be found in this eight part interview conducted by Tatsuro Uchida, a well known Japanese author and a long-time student of Hiroshi Tada:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

This is the second part of the English translation of a lecture given by Hiroshi Tada sensei at the 15th anniversary of the Yachimata Aikido Association on September 26th 2004. You may wish to read Part 1 before reading this section.

Bonga Ichinyo / 梵我一如 / Aham Brahmasmi / I am Brahman

Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – The Yachimata Lecture, Part 2

(translation by Christopher Li)

“Shinjin Aiki” (神人合気) and “Bonga Ichinyo” (梵我一如) have the same meaning.  Is is the same meaning as the Sanskrit terms Brahman and Atman in Buddhism, in other words, “Wake-mitama” (“divided spirit” / 分霊).

In sum, from the very beginning it is our Wake-mitama that has driven the construction of this universe. This is the basic premise when considering our mind (“kokoro” / 心).

The point here is that our ancestors emerged together with the universe. When the universe began our ancestors also began. Otherwise, nothing can be explained.

”All things from one source” (万有一元), “Shin-butsu” (the marriage of Shinto and Buddhism / 神仏), the unity of life and death (生死合体) are all the same concepts, they begin from the one.

The first source of the beginning of all of these is “Ki”. In this case “Ki” means the energy that is the foundation of the universe. The great force that constructs and moves the universe. However, the problem is that our life is different than Ki. Our mind and our body are not Ki. Our life is the basic principle of the universe that has been brought into being by Ki, the Wake-mitama that is the “will of the Great Origin” (“the will of the Oomoto” / 大本の意志) that moves “Ki”. In other words, our life force must be the same as the origin that brings that force into being or nothing can be explained.

This is the first premise of Aikido. In other words, that we are the children of the universe. Stated simply. I’m not saying that aliens (“people of the universe” / 宇宙人) are around somewhere. It is that, at the same time that we are humans on the face of the earth, we are also creatures of the universe. Please examine O-Sensei’s poems and writings with that premise in mind.

Next, there are two ways of thinking when considering the “Way” (道) within this premise.

“Shingaku no Michi” (心学の道) and “Shinpou no Michi” (心法の道).

Budoka Senshu (“Anthology of Martial Art Songs and Poetry”)
by Yoshio Imamura (1903-1997)

This is not something that I said. This is something that was said by the martial arts researcher Yoshio Imamura (今村嘉雄).

First, “Shingaku no Michi” (心学の道) is the way of ethics. For example, things like behaving seriously in the Dojo that are closely connected to Bushido. This is the way of the ethics of a particular era.

We can immediately understand the meaning of “Shingaku no Michi” when speaking about Bushido. The Bushi arose towards the end of the Heian Period. This was the principle that established feudal society from that time, beginning with the Kamakura Period and lasting until the end of the Edo Period. There were many things required in Bushido, such as loyalty, or the way of sincere character, among those great emphasis was placed on “loyalty” (忠誠).

The purpose of “Shingaku no Michi” is to train in Bujutsu for the purpose of developing warriors of good caliber. This was a way that was required from outside in those times (*Translator’s note: in other words, imposed by society), a way of moral philosophy. This is something that changes with the times. In our time is was “loyalty and patriotism” (忠君愛国). The period from Meiji through Taisho, and into Showa. It crossed a border on August 15th of Showa year 20 (1945 – the surrender of Japan), just at the time when it was strongest, and changed like a hand turning over. Those of us living in that period were immediately struck with the impact. We went through the text books that we had used until that day and inked out the mistakes. Perhaps others do not feel the impact of  it so clearly…

In front of the Imperial Palace after the surrender of Japan
– from “Aikido Ichiro” (合氣道一路), by Kisshomaru Ueshiba
Thousands of people, including Kisshomaru Ueshiba, who
was present when this photograph was taken, gathered
in front of the Palace, sobbing and bowing to the Emperor.

At that time, perhaps 95% of people thought that “Shingaku no Michi” was the Way of Budo. That’s certainly true. However, when you see the word “Shingaku” appear you can understand that this is from Confucian teachings.

From times past Bushido was a thing of pure Shinto. That became mixed together with the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, and with Neo-Confucianism, until it was completely developed towards the end of the Tokugawa Period. Additionally, there had been a long period of peace, so the idea of training in Budo in order to develop people of good character had emerged. Accordingly, there was a powerful influence on Budo itself. That continued through Meiji, Taisho and into Showa.

“Shingaku no Michi”, in other words, was used to explain the heart of Budo in the schools of the clans. The clan schools were very advanced in some areas, and slow in others, but in the so-called public schools of the clans Budo was advocated for the purpose of developing Bushi of good character.

“Shinpou no Michi” (心法の道), on the other hand, can be said to be the exact opposite, advocating something completely different. Its goal is how one’s “life power” (命の力) can best be increased, how one can improve their skills, how one can best live so that they can be truly be satisfied with themselves as a human being. This is really something that is more Shinto or Taoist, with strong influences from the Buddhism that came from India via China.

In this the technical method is especially emphasized. This is true for the techniques of Budo, but also when a swordsmith forges swords or armor, in the work of a craftsman, or when an artist paints a picture.

When we speak about the arts now we generally speak of painting or sculpture, but in the past when one spoke about the arts one would speak of Kenjutsu or Bujutsu. For that reason, someone who made things was called a craftsman. It was not called art (芸術). For that reason “Geijutsu-taii” (芸術大意) is is about the teachings of Kenjutsu.

Banzan Kumazawa 熊沢蕃山 (1619-1691)
author of “Geijutsu-taii” (芸術大意), which examines the mental aspects of Kenjutsu

“Shinpou no Michi”, like the Narita-san temple near here, was heavily influenced by the teachings of Kobo Daishi (弘法大師, also called “Kukai” / 空海).  The two teachers Kobo Daishi (Kukai) and Dengyo Daishi (伝教大師, also called “Saicho” / 最澄) were sent as envoys to T’ang China in the year 804. But they were only there for two or three years. They brought back Esoteric Buddhism, which was the cutting edge of Buddhism at the time. The reason why Kobo Daishi was so powerful was that Buddhism had become the national religion, it had been received by the Imperial Court of the time and spread throughout Japan as the national teaching.

What has been called “the science of mental concentration” sank into Japan deeply. The “Way” that is advocated through these teachings is something that is required for becoming skilled at what we will call “techniques”, and is different from “Shingaku no Michi”. “Shingaku no Michi” set up a class system and was an extremely strict path. For example, Bushido created the Warrior-Farmer-Craftsman-Merchant class system.

On the other hand, “Shinpou no Michi” is something that is universal, that can be received by all people. This is the idea that “all people are welcomed by Amida Buddha” (万人来迎). For that reason, Kukai built a school that anybody could attend.

Kukai and Saicho meet for the last time
at Daiji-zan Otokuni-dera (大慈山乙訓寺)

Of course, there is original philosophy in the teachings of Kobo Daishi, but the origin of those teachings is Mandala, that is to say, Yoga.

In other words, the purpose of “Shinpou no Michi” is to determine how mental concentration can best be developed and increased. There are a variety of training methods such as Kokyu-ho and other techniques of mental concentration for that purpose. Even today, they are used by modern people to develop their abilities.

One can read twenty or more traditional Budo scrolls, and they will all explain the truth of Budo through “Shingaku no Michi”. However, in “Shinpou no Michi” the greatest emphasis is placed on the state and use of the mind.

Those skilled in, for example, Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu (天真正伝香取神道流) usually finished their lives as Shingon Buddhist priests. Even now there are some left in the temples. Most of the famous masters of the past were practitioners of Buddhism or Shinto.  They placed great emphasis on “Shinpou no Michi” and did much training in the ways of “Misogi” or “Zen”, or other methods of Mandala.

These methods are more universal.

In other words, “Shingaku no Michi” is the rules laid down by human society, “Shinpou no Michi” is a Way that searches for universal principles.

On the license given to Munetoshi Yagyu (柳生宗厳) by Ise-no-kami Kamiizumi (上泉伊勢守, born 1508) the following passage is written in his own hand:

武術はわが国ではいざなぎ、いざなみの命、中国ではしちてん？、インドでは梵天にはじまる、つまり我々は宇宙の法則に則った武道をやっている。

In our country Bujutsu is the life of Izanagi and Izanami, in China it is “Shichiten” (? – the meaning here is unclear), in India it begins with Brahma. In other words, we follow the principles of the universe in the practice of our Budo.

What is particularly emphasized here is “Shinpou no Michi”, and of the two it can be said that Aikido follows the way of “Shinpou no Michi”.

Continued in Part 3...

Christopher Li

The post Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – the Yachimata Lecture, Part 2 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Hironobu Yamada, Shihan of the Hokuso Aikikai (北総合気会) and the Yachimata Aikido Association (八街合氣道友会) in Chiba prefecture, started training with Hiroshi Tada sensei in 1963 at his dojo in Jiyugaoka.

Hiroshi Tada (多田 宏) was born in Tokyo on December 13, 1929. Originally a member of the Waseda University Karate Club , and a student of Shotokan Karate founder Gichin Funakoshi, he began training with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei in 1948. The events leading up to his enrollment in Ueshiba Dojo and his first encounter with O-Sensei can be found in the article “Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada: The Day I Entered Ueshiba Dojo“.

You may also be interested in an eight part interview with Hiroshi Tada sensei conducted by Tatsuro Uchida – “Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada: The Budo Body”:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

This is the first part of the English translation of a lecture given by Hiroshi Tada sensei at the 15th anniversary of the Yachimata Aikido Association on September 26th 2004.

Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada Sensei
The annual All Japan Aikido Demonstration (全日本合氣道演武大会)

Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – The Yachimata Lecture, Part 1

(translation by Christopher Li)

Today I will talk about a number of things. Those of you who are used to listening to me will understand, but those of you who are not used to listening to me may not understand what I am talking about. Even among the students at Tokyo University who have listened to my talks for four years and then two years more in graduate school there are those who tell me that it is not until much later on that they finally understood those lectures.

In Italy we have been holding these types of seminars for thirty years. This year it is forty years since the Italian Aikikai was established in 1964, but we weren’t able to hold the summer seminars in the beginning. There weren’t enough students. That’s because we started from zero. Four years later in 1968 we held the first international seminar and have continued to this day.

Well then, there are two methods of training in Aikido.

“Ki no Renma” (“Ki Training” / 気の錬磨) and “Waza no Renma” (“Technique Training” / 技の錬磨).

Everybody understands the latter, but even Japanese people do not understand the origin of Aikido technique.

I would like to turn my attention to these topics in today’s lecture.

In foreign countries 気の錬磨 is spoken of as “Ki no Renma”. This term is generally understood in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and even other places.

The word “Aiki” is well known, but people use the term “Aiki” in many different ways. What we are speaking of in Aikido is “Shinjin Aiki” (神人合気).

This means “Forging an enlightened person through the Aiki of God and Man” (神と人との合気による真の人を練る).

The phrase “Shinjin Aiki” (神人合気) is the Shinto way of expressing this concept.

Chinkon-kishin Method (鎮魂帰神法) of Uniting God and Man (神人合一)
At Oomoto-kyo Hombu, February of Taisho year 10 (1921)

Stated in Buddhist terms this would be “Bonga Ichinyo” (“I am Brahman” / “Aham brahmasmi” / 梵我一如 – one of the favorite phrases of Shumei Okawa, a close friend of Morihei Ueshiba).

Shumei Okawa (大川周明) on trial as a class-A war criminal
Wartime Prime Minister Hideki Tojo forward and to his left
Hideki Tojo helped to spread the popularity of Aikido in occupied Manchuria

If 梵 is “Brahman” and 我 is “Atman, than this is a typical expression of the Indian ancients. Brahman, the creator of the universe, and I are one. This is the idea that we are the same thing.

The Aiki of God and Man (“Aiki” / 合気 ＝ “gotai” / 合体 / “union”) is also this way of thinking of Man and God as originally the same.

Well then, if we talk about what a human being is, Mr. Goi (五井昌久) of the Byakko Shinko Kai (白光真光会), who welcomed O-sensei when he visited, would say say that it is a “Wake-mitama” (“divided spirit” / 分霊). In other words, if we look at the enormity of the universe, it is the view of something that has been divided from that life.  So of course, it is something that cannot be separated. When we see the Kanji we understand immediately, but foreigners have a difficult time understanding this. It is difficult this to explain this in places like Europe.

Since Shinto expressions, Buddhist expressions and Taoist expressions have all been mixed with things from Japan I don’t know which of them came first.

Earlier today we spoke about why this is connected to Budo. If one is trying to become skilled at Aikido then they must build the Mind and Body to become skilled at Aikido or they will never succeed. It is the same for everyone. If one wishes to become a musician then one must work hard to build the Mind and Body of a musician, or else be born with that talent. If one cannot do that then there is no way that they will become skilled. Why? Because this is the first requirement for becoming skilled. This is not something that one realizes after they have become skilled, this is something that one must understand in order to become skilled.

There are many ways of thinking about what Aikido is. When we listened to O-Sensei he would say “Aikido is not the same as Bujutsu – competition between people, fighting, that age is over”, and towards the end of the war he would say “It is because we were doing those things that we are here today”.  This is the idea of transcending Bujutsu.

Another way of saying this is that Aikido has reached the pinnacle of Bujutsu. When one reaches this pinnacle one may let the opponent live or die at will.

In the midst of wartime, of course, the military desired to make use of this. According to what O-Sensei told me directly, in Showa year 18 (1943) there was a proposal to eliminate all other Budo and spread Aikido alone, since there was nothing as useful in close combat as Aikido.

You see, most people don’t even defeat a single person on the battlefield. However, there were some exceptional cases of military exploits. Looking at the statistics, those were all students of Morihei Ueshiba. It was the use of the sword of Aiki. Of course, it was not Aiki techniques. In the past most of the students were students of either Kendo or Judo, so they were probably Kendo students. They understood the feeling of Aiki while wielding a sword.

Aritoshi Murashige, 1895-1964

The movie “Daisatsujin” (“The Great Killing”), 1964

By the way, how many people do you think can be defeated with a single sword?  It seems that one-hundred men can be defeated easily. Do you know the movie “Daisatsujin” (“The Great Killing” / 大殺陣)? It is an old movie. One man cuts down one-hundred men. You might say that would never happen, but it really does. In war, even in recent wars, there have been actual instances.

However, Ueshiba sensei was enraged at the proposal.

“Unthinkable! If that were to be done all Japanese would become devils!” “Originally, cutting a person, killing a person, was a high crime. We started the war ourselves, so we should be sorrowful about it. It’s unthinkable that Aikido would be the best thing for killing people.” “I quit Aikido!” he said, and retired to Iwama. After that, he did not resume his activities until Showa year 24 (1949).

Do you know the article “Tanren ni Kiwami-nashi” (“There is no end to training” / 鍛練に極み無し)? It is an interview with O-Sensei by Shigetoshi Takahashi (高橋しげとし) during the war, in February of Showa year 20 (1945). It appeared in the April issue of “Shin-Budo” (新武道) magazine in Showa year 20 (1945).  In that interview Sensei says “I had no intention of ever teaching Budo again”.

He had come to the idea of giving up the Budo that was practiced up to that time and starting a new Budo from that point. The reason for this is that Aikido had reached the pinnacle of Budo. Once the pinnacle is reached it is no longer used. I suppose that science is the same. Science has not yet reached its pinnacle, so we fight wars and use atomic weapons. When something is made that can destroy the earth, in other words, when science has reached its pinnacle, it will no longer be used.

So then, we must infer the meaning of what “Aikido” is from what was said by O-Sensei. If it is “a method of training that requires the union of God and Man and the presence of Aiki” then it is a way of human beings. In other words, Bujutsu is not technique, it is a method of living. This is also something that O-Sensei said in “Tanren ni Kiwami-nashi”.

How the “life power” (命の力) of human beings can best be increased, and how they can best make use of that power, has been researched for thousands of years. The Bushi, Samurai and Bujutsu-ka have especially researched this deeply because of its close relationship to their techniques and their own survival.

Aikido can be practiced as Bujutsu, of course it can be practiced as Budo, it can be practiced as an arrest method, it can be practiced as a sport or as a health method. Women can practice it for beauty, there are many different ways, but all of them are possible. Also, and this will be the most important issue for the future, attitudes towards the elderly also emerge. Further, what human beings should do when they become ill, the most effective methods of training, the ways of handling the body and the meaning of the principles that govern our lives are also included in the Way.

Continued in Part 2...

Christopher Li

The post Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada – the Yachimata Lecture, Part 1 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

The new statue of O-Sensei in Iwama, and the bust in front of Iwama Station

“The harmony born from the midst of the clash of forces is the real one”

Hiroshi Isoyama sensei was born in 1937, and started training with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei in 1949, at the age of 12.

Isoyama sensei, together with Hiroshi Tada sensei, formed a committee for the construction of a large statue of the Founder of Aikido on the precincts of the Aiki Shrine, which was unveiled on the 8th of November 2009. Surplus material from this monument was used to make a bust of the Founder which was unveiled at the newly rebuilt Iwama Station on the 24th of July 2012.

Hiroshi Tada sensei began Aikido shortly after Isoyama sensei himself – find out how Tada sensei met Morihei Ueshiba in “Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada: The Day I Entered Ueshiba Dojo“. There is also a very long interview with Tada sensei in Japanese that appears in a nine part English translation – here is the first part of that interview.

What you are reading now is the second part of a two part English translation of an interview with Hiroshi Isoyama sensei that first appeared in the February 2009 issue of Gekkan Hiden (“Secret Teachings Monthly”), a well known martial arts magazine in Japan. You may want to read the first part of the interview before reading this section. 

Hiroshi Isoyama sensei inside the Aiki Shrine
May 2002, at the annual Aiki Jinja Taisai

An interview with Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Isoyama, Part 2

(English translation by Christopher Li)

Q: “Connect navel to navel”?

A: Meaning that the end of the hilt is facing your own navel, and the tip is towards your partner’s navel. This develops a firm match between the line of the sword and the center of the body. O-Sensei would become very angry if we crossed swords like they do in the Samurai movies (“chanbara”).

Q: As in how you were striking at each other?

A: Yes, he’d say, “It’s not really that kind of ‘chanbara’. Engage them first with your body, not just your hands.”. When you got used to it you’d find yourself moving the sword with just your hands and running away, but that was no good – you wouldn’t be able to execute a proper Irimi. Connecting with your partner, engaging with the body and entering is the real Irimi. Today most people don’t even pay attention while they’re doing it, but in times past I think that Irimi was serious enough to be called the secret of Budo.

Q: What about swinging the sword upwards?

A: It’s Kokyu. You don’t keep your wrists straight and lift up, you close your armpits and roll your palms inward as you lift up. More quickly than you cut down. This becomes the hands as in Kokyo-ho, and I believe that this connects with everything. I think that O-Sensei must have done quite a bit of research. Also, a great deal of importance was placed on Shiho-nage. If you did Irimi-nage techniques from the beginning you would be scolded.

Q: Why was that?

A: I think that must be because it (Shiho-nage) consist of the basics. There is Tenkan (“turning” / 転換) and Kuzushi (“destabilization” / 崩し), and it is thought that the body is conditioned through that training. In later years (the Founder) liked the soft Irimi, but in our time we began first with Shiho-nage.

Hiroshi Isoyama sensei teaching Aikido

Unspoken Teachings

Q: Usually when you speak of the Founder he has the image of someone who did not teach, but from what you say it feels as if he taught you quite carefully.

A: He didn’t talk about things in much detail, but he took our hands and taught us conscientiously – this experience is a real treasure.

Q: I have heard that he could be long winded…

A: Yes, sometimes he could be. However, even if he was speaking about the Kojiki he was doing it so that Aikido could be understood, so it was nothing like a long speech about spiritual doctrine. Well, anyway, the talks on the Kojiki were very difficult to understand. (laughing)

Q: Outside of training, were there other things that you noticed while being near the Founder?

A: He was very strict about time. There was one rainy day, it was raining so hard that you couldn’t see more than a meter in front of you, and when the time came for training I was the only one there. I thought “The ground is slippery today, there’s no way that O-Sensei will come”. Taking advantage of this chance, I took out a Shinken (a real sword) that was in the Dojo at the time and started to swing it around.

Q: That must have been a real spectacle! (laughing)

A: As I was doing that, just before the 7:00 practice time, the door opened wide and O-Sensei walked in. I panicked and shouted “I’m sorry!”. (laughing)

Q: (laughing) I’ve heard that the Founder always left in time to make the train before the train that he actually rode!

A: However, whenever I think about it again I think that, rather than being strict about time, it was that he was strict with himself.

Q: Strict with himself?

A: No matter what happens, no matter what the weather is like, always being at practice, never being late – that’s impossible if you are not being strict with yourself. I had to leave Iwama for work to go to Hokkaido, and I taught Aikido to the U.S. military police (“kanpeitai” / 憲兵隊) there. One day there was such a blizzard that I thought “Nobody will show up in this”, and I didn’t go to practice. Later on I heard that they had all showed up after all and waited for me for a long time. It was really inexcusable. At that time I felt the severe presence of the Founder. The Founder never said to anyone “Come on time” or “Don’t miss practice”. But he showed it in his actions. After that, no matter what, I was never late, and if something unavoidable occurred I would always stay in contact. More than just as a Budoka, this is an important teaching for life as a human being.

Hiroshi Isoyama sensei demonstrates Irimi Nage

Harmony Born from the Midst of Severity

Q: I’ve heard that you taught the American military’s Green Berets while you were in Hokkaido…

A: Yes, that was just around the time of the Vietnam War, and I taught soldiers who had come to Chitose for training exercises.

Q: I would think that you wouldn’t be able to use ordinary training methods.

A: They were aggressive from the very beginning. The still brought with them the attitude of a victorious nation, when you told them to grab you they wouldn’t listen! They’d say “What do you do if they come like this?”. No matter how severe Aikido training becomes, there is never training in destroying the opponent. However, they weren’t able to understand that. They’d say “If you do that they can escape”.

Q: That’s very difficult, isn’t it?

A: It was hard. That’s why I thought “If I do this half-heartedly then they will look down on Aikido” and prepared myself to push it to the limit with no leniency.

Q: It was like a duel, wasn’t it?

A: Well, everyday it was really like a battle – I started to get tired of it and think “Ahh, I’ve got to go again today…”. When I think of it now, however, it was a good experience.

Q: What were the good points of that experience?

A: However you say it’s like a real battle (“shinken shobu” / 真剣勝負), on this side you are in the teaching position. You can’t just charge ahead recklessly at the same level as your partner. Even if something angers you, or something unexpected occurs you just have to handle it without letting it show on your face. I learned how to move intuitively while exerting that kind of control over myself. Of course it’s important to train with partners who control their temper, but the intuition that is born in the moment that you face the pressure of a partner who is not like that is also an important part of Budo.

Hiroshi Isoyama sensei with Ni-Dai Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba

Q: That must certainly be true.

A: For that reason, when I teach overseas I partner with the local practitioners as much as possible. Large people, small people, strong people, weak people. That is the best way to further my own training.

Q: That’s Shugyo (修行), isn’t it?

A: There is one thing that O-Sensei said that I remember well. When one of the students asked, “Sensei, are today’s Irimi-nage and yesterday’s Irimi-nage different?”, he answered, “Idiot! Aikido is a matter of steady progress.” (日進月歩). I think that is the truth. For myself, when I recall training with O-Sensei, in my junior high school years I can remember nothing but the pain, and in my high school years whether holding a sword or working empty hand the techniques were very severe. This has become transformed to a kind of smoothness as I have reached these later years.

Q: In other words, it is similar to the transformation from “Kaisho” (“block style writing” / 楷書) to “Gyosho” (“semi-cursive style writing” / 行書) to “Sosho” (“cursive style writing” / 草書). Within that range, isn’t Iwama Aikido legendary for its hard training?

A: Rather than “hard”, I would say that it is devoted to basics. However, I myself was not conscious of that transformation occurring – I was surprised when people told me “Isoyama-sensei, you have become rounder”.

Q: You weren’t aware of it at all?

A: Not at all, but I wonder if that is really the truth. When I think about it, in the beginning there was a time when I mistook physical strength (馬鹿力) for Kokyu strength (呼吸力). As the years passed my strength disappeared and I began to use the opponent’s strength to do the same things instead. In other words, Irimi, Tenkan and Tai-sabaki have become natural for me. Thinking in this way, perhaps as one ages it is natural to use strength less wastefully and become closer to the ideal.

Q: On the other hand, some people aim for the ideal of “strength is unnecessary in Aikido” from the very beginning.

A: I think that this is one method. However, doing this without a foundation in the basics will not result in effective techniques, and as Budo I don’t know if this method can result in power in the really important situations. At least, when I am teaching students I say, “Do it with all of your strength. There will come a time when you become aware that you are using your strength wastefully, but until then throw all of your strength into it.”.

Hiroshi Isoyama sensei teaches at the 9th International Aikido Federation (IAF) Congress

Q: “Using your strength wastefully?”

A: If you fail to exert your strength, even when you are able to, some part of you will remain dissatisfied, and you will stop believing in Aikido. I believe that it is because you have the experience of doing it with all of your strength that you can understand that strength is not necessary.

Q: But when you think about the “Budo of Peace” there must be some place in which you match with your partner, isn’t there?

A: No – conversely, I believe that the harmony born from the midst of the clash of forces is the real one. Isn’t there some part of a “harmony” that is born as the result of giving in that is false? It is especially important to pursue this while you are young. On the other hand, there is no need to do such a stupid thing when you’re sixty or seventy! (laughing)

Q: This isn’t just for Aikido, this is a very important lesson, isn’t it?

A: I think that it is possible to come to understand by doing something wasteful. I think that it’s no good just mimicking outer appearances.

Two Images, Two Glances

Q: Sensei, have you ever thought about quitting Aikido?

A: Of course! I had those thoughts when I was teaching the U.S. military and teaching was not going as I envisioned. I especially had problems when teaching children. However, there have been many more times that I am grateful for. Making many friends through being invited to instruct overseas, good training, delicious Sake. (laughing) That was all thanks to O-Sensei. The experience of applying technique to O-Sensei that I spoke about in the beginning, and all of these experiences, are treasures that I have received from O-Sensei. I cannot keep such treasures for myself alone. For that reason, communicating the experience of O-Sensei to even just one more person through training is my repayment.

Q: What is the image of the Founder that comes first to your mind?

A: There are two. One is inside the Dojo. Sharp, with eyes that judge a person’s heart. The other image is outside the Dojo, a gentle glance. With those two sets of eyes I remain connected to the times of my youth. This is truly the treasure of my life.

Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI      

The post An interview with Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Isoyama, Part 2 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Hiroshi Tada Sensei on the cover of Aikido Journal #101
See “Interview with Hiroshi Tada” by Stanley Pranin from this issue

Ishin-denshin, the “heart-to-heart transmission”

This is the eighth and final section of the English translation of an interview in Japanese with Hiroshi Tada. You may want to read the previous sections first:

Part 1: explore Tada Sensei’s samurai ancestry and his encounters with Shotokan Karate Founder Gichin Funakoshi.

Part 2: find out how Hiroshi Tada met Shin-Shin Toitsu-Do Founder Tempu Nakamura.

Part 3: discover Tada Sensei’s thoughts on “telepathy” training.

Part 4: read Tada Sensei’s thoughts on Japanese Budo and Kata training.

Part 5: learn about the most influential person in the history of Japan, and their relationship to Japanese Budo.

Part 6: find out why Hiroshi Tada’s father was told never to read books on archery.

Part 7: discover why you should never eat watermelon after a fast.

You may also be interested in “The Day I Entered Ueshiba Dojo“, in which Hiroshi Tada recounts his first encounter with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei.

You may notice that the tone of the interview is quite conversational. This is the way that it appears in the original Japanese – the original was not heavily edited, with the result being that the natural conversational tone was preserved. However, this also means that the discussion is sometimes less focused then a more heavily edited interview would be. 

Hiroshi Tada Sensei in Switzerland

Hiroshi Tada – The Budo Body, Part 8

(English translation by Christopher Li)

Tada: At that time I weighed an average of about 70 kilos (154 pounds). At the end of the fast at home I weighed about 63 kilos (138.6 pounds), but I lost about 10 more kilos (22 pounds) after that.

Uchida: You are already quite lean, if you drop weight from there are you losing muscle?

Tada: Overall I became slimmer, however I was fine even when climbing the mountain passes.

Uchida: What kind of changes did you experience?

Tada: After I had been home for a week I started frequent morning runs. At 6 a.m. I would run from my house in Jiyugaoka up Meguro Street, and through Kaminoge to Tamagawa. After running down from the old hothouse area and across Denenchofu I would return home, exactly 15 kilometers (9 miles).

One morning I noticed that everything was incandescent. From the large trees to the grass, everything. My body moved forward through it all naturally. My legs were pumping automatically, and it felt as if I were flying through space. Even my body at that time – the skin on my face became as smooth as a baby. Not only my skin, my entire body felt clear. However, as time passed I would go right back to where I started from. (laughing)

I went to Houshuuji (宝珠寺) in May of Showa year 26 (1951). So I took time off from school to go. I thought it was something like a spring break. (laughing)

Uchida: Is it OK to skip school to go on a fast? (laughing) Concerning the feeling of clarity from that time, how did that affect your training?

Tada: When I was receiving instruction from Ueshiba Sensei, at the moment that Sensei laid a hand on me it felt as if my mind had gone blank. In other words, I understood that my condition would seem to become the same as Ueshiba Sensei’s.

Uchida: Ahh, do you mean that you would become synchronized? That your sense of self would dissappear?

”Mushin Mugamae” (無心無構 / “No Mind, No Stance”) calligraphy by Kenji Tomiki

Tada: It must have been because Sensei was “Mushin” (無心).

Uchida: That’s incredible.

Tada: I thought that it may have been like that from before. However, I got the sense of “That’s it!” at that time. There was no feeling that Sensei’s body was separate from mine. When I spoke about this to my friends, nobody believed – that is, nobody understood at that time, but now people believe more readily.

Hiroyuki Aoki, Founder of Shintaido
Aoki was at student of Hiroshi Tada’s sempai in Karate, Shigeru Egami
Shigeru Egami studied under Morihei Ueshiba’s nephew, Noriaki Inoue

Uchida: When Mr. Aoki did that they took brain wave measurements, and it seems that they were synchronized when throwing at a distance.

Tada: I believe that there have been reports that when Qigong therapists are giving treatments their patient’s brain waves become synchronized with the therapist. So, the recent generation of people believes, but until recently such stories were not usually believed.

Uchida: You don’t have any memories of that moment?

Tada: No, it’s not that I have no memories. Rather, my condition was more transparent, sharper, than usual. If that weren’t so then I would not have been able to sense that my condition had become identical to O-sensei’s. I think that the concept of a “heart-to-heart transmission” (以心伝心) may have originated with this type of event.

Uchida: Ahh, is that so. It is transmitted to your body, is that right?

Tada: If you understand nothing than it will not be any sort of training. At the moment one was thrown by Sensei there was a particularly distinctive Kokyu. Because this can be acquired directly it was of vital importance to grab Sensei’s hand and have him instruct you.

I was also told to partner with Tempu Sensei, he used me for a lot of things. I thought the same in that case. Sensei would experiment with changing various concepts, and Sensei’s body would change in an instant – you could really feel it clearly.

I fasted two more times after that. When I returned from Europe in Showa year 45 (1970) I fasted for three weeks at home. I felt like I was cleansing the grime that had attached to my spirit in Europe. The feeling that I got from this fast has become an important part of my Aikido training. This is related to control over sensations from the five senses.

What ever you are doing, there are certain insider tricks, isn’t that always the case? In important times those things come to the surface. Usually it is said in Budo that when you use it you must have wisdom. However, this is different from what is normally called wisdom. The ideal is for the body to move automatically, for the the best course of action to come forth naturally in each moment.

Neko no Myojutsu (“The Mysterious Technique of the Cat”) by Issai Chozan (1727)
included in “The Demon’s Sermon on the Martial Arts: And Other Tales“
… the cat replied, “Because of the self there is the foe; when there is no self there is no foe.”

In Japanese Budo it is understood that it is very important to become by doing, as in that story “The Mysterious Technique of the Cat” . Morihei Ueshiba Sensei said, “When I move technique is produced”. The way (method) of training must be designed to inculcate that into the body in this way. For example, in Kihon training for Aikido’s ushiro techniques, people are often told to put their hands on the floor. The reason why you put your hands on the floor is not to pull your partner and unbalance them, you put your hands down in order to lower yourself, and your partner naturally becomes unbalanced. In that way, through the arrangement of your body, your body remembers the sensation of technique being applied in a natural manner. You must not engage in a conflict with your partner when applying technique. This training is the goal of Kata training. According to each person’s limits this practice is performed a hundred times, a thousand times, ten-thousand times, your body must begin moving automatically. When you do this your spirit at that time will become Dharana (concentrated) and Dhyana (unified), meditation in Western terms, in Japan this is called Zen (however, we call it Anjo Daza). The five senses are activated to their greatest limits, but are not led astray by those sensations. When you achieve this state, and movement comes forth naturally, then Waza (technique) will be created.

I think that grasping that as a starting point is the greatest advantage of fasting. Another, that I mentioned before, is that even when there is no food you will have no problems in your thoughts. This really happened to me! At the time that Aikido began in Italy there were no students, so there was a period of time when I only ate one slice of bread a day, but it was no problem at all. (laughing)

Uchida: Have any of your current students experienced fasting?

Tada: When Kenji Hayashi (林賢二), who is now practicing in Germany, was training at Gessouji he did one week fasts several times. He also continued training in Aikido as usual. Yoshinobu Irie (入江嘉信) also fasts occasionally. However, I don’t recommend that anybody force themselves to do it. Even though I do think that it’s good for my body. Because if you’re not careful it can be dangerous. You should have a good instructor and a quiet Dojo in which to do it. I think that a place in the mountains is better than a place by the ocean. That’s because when you do it at home your family eats. Personally, I am fine if someone is eating in front of me, but my family feels uncomfortable while they are eating…The most important thing is not to give up part way through once you have decided upon the number of days to fast. When you give up you carry around an immense feeling of failure on your spirit, and that’s not good for you.

Uchida: You first started after meeting Ava Nakamura at Yukikazu Sakurazawa’s (桜沢如一) place. She fasted for thirty days in Tateyama, met a sage, and then became a sage herself. On that day she understood all that would occur during the day, and what people were thinking…

Tada: Right, right, that’s true. I thought “I’d like to be the same”. (laughing)

Uchida: You really like that kind of thing, don’t you? (laughing)

Tada: In any case, my father would say, “Hiroshi always believes anything anybody says”. (explosion of laughter)

Uchida: When you were told by the Yokoyama brothers that they had something interesting to show you…

Tada: When I was told, “There’s a teacher like this over there” I would go right away. I went straight to the Ichikukai Dojo.

Uchida: Without hesitation. In a manner of speaking, doesn’t that mean that your instincts are very good? When making a choice. Since you went directly to Morihei Ueshiba Sensei and Tempu Nakamura Sensei without hesitating. Directly there. Before that, Gichin Funakoshi Sensei. In any case, without any unnecessary action or detours…doesn’t that mean that your instincts are really very good?

Tada: I was very grateful for those points.

However, it’s not a matter of my instincts being good. In any case, if at all times you strive to train with all your effort, and keep that wish deep in your heart (at times it is only later on, when it becomes expressed on the outside of your spirit, that you yourself realize this), it is only a matter of course that you will achieve that end and that your senses will become sharpened. When you do this it will be as if a thread appears before your eyes linking you to people and things that are essential to your goals. Said another way, when you do all that is humanly possible a faintly glimmering path is revealed, with a new world beyond…It’s that kind of thing. Leave that kind of thing to the gods, perhaps this would be called Karma in Buddhism.

Uchida: Even now, you don’t eat meat, is that right?

Tada: I don’t eat meat. I eat fish that can be eaten whole with the bones, and a little chicken, and I eat brown rice.

Uchida: But you don’t speak much about this to your students, do you? About dietary restrictions.

Tada: It’s good to eat a lot of vegetables. Maybe if I reach my nineties I’ll start explaining a little about health methods too. I can’t talk about health methods unless I’ve lived that long. (laughing)

Tempu Sensei was the same way. Certainly, it was after he turned eighty that he started explaining health methods, he never said anything before that. Shin-shin Toitsu-ho is the use of the power of life, I wasn’t really told that it was anything like a health method.

Uchida: Now that you mention it, you never say, “Aikido is good for your health”, do you? So, health methods after you turn ninety? (laughing) It’s still a long way away, but I’m looking forward to it. It’s already been about two hours, so I’d like to finish up the interview here. Sensei, thank you for taking such a long time to speak with me today.

[End of the interview]

(afterward by Tatsuru Uchida)

When the Department of Intercultural Studies decided to publish the paper “Eastern Body – Western Body” (東洋の身体・西洋の身体), the first thing that I thought of was a long interview with Hiroshi Tada Sensei called “The Budo Body” (武道的身体).

As stated in the interview, Tada Sensei has not yet published the comprehensive Aikido book that so many have wished for. I believe that this interview with Hiroshi Tada Sensei, the successor to the ideals and technical methods transmitted by Morihei Ueshiba and Tempu Nakamura, is a precious resource not only for his students, but for all those with a scholarly interest in Budo.

The interview was conducted in the Gessouji Dojo (月窓寺道場) in Kichijoji, Musashino-shi, and the transcription of the original taped interview was approved by Tada Sensei. Further, small errors in names or facts that occurred during the interview were noted by Sensei himself. For that reason, although it is an interview, in terms of the accuracy of the data the quality is the same as if Sensei had written it himself.

Sensei occasionally spoke rather quickly, and there were some portions of the tape that could not be made out, so Sensei deleted two or three sections, saying, “A normal person reading this would not understand what the conversation was about”. Obviously, that does not reduce the value of the data. Further, some students may receive the impression that Sensei’s manner of speech is overly correct, in actuality Sensei slightly altered some of his own wording.

There is no way that I can thank Tada Sensei for his detailed corrections in addition to his cooperation during this lengthy interview. Along with my most profound gratitude, I would like to make recompense for this great debt through my own efforts to disseminate Aikido in the future.

This interview appeared in “Eastern Body – Western Body” (Toyou no Shintai – Seiyou no Shintai / 東洋の身体・西洋の身体), a joint paper from 1994 by the Kobe College Department of Intercultural Studies (神戸女学院大学総合文化学科) – edited by Naoyuki Murakami (村上直之), Mitsuru Watanabe (渡部充) and Tatsuru Uchida (内田樹) – published in April 1995.

Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI      

The post Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada: The Budo Body, Part 8 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Hiroshi Tada Sensei

Don’t eat watermelon after fasting!

This is part 7 of the English translation of an interview in Japanese with Hiroshi Tada. You may want to read the previous sections first:

Part 1: explore Tada Sensei’s samurai ancestry and his encounters with Shotokan Karate Founder Gichin Funakoshi.

Part 2: find out how Hiroshi Tada met Shin-Shin Toitsu-Do Founder Tempu Nakamura.

Part 3: discover Tada Sensei’s thoughts on “telepathy” training.

Part 4: read Tada Sensei’s thoughts on Japanese Budo and Kata training.

Part 5: learn about the most influential person in the history of Japan, and their relationship to Japanese Budo.

Part 6: find out why Hiroshi Tada’s father was told never to read books on archery.

You may also be interested in “The Day I Entered Ueshiba Dojo“, in which Hiroshi Tada recounts his first encounter with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei.

You may notice that the tone of the interview is quite conversational. This is the way that it appears in the original Japanese – the original was not heavily edited, with the result being that the natural conversational tone was preserved. However, this also means that the discussion is sometimes less focused then a more heavily edited interview would be. 

Moriteru Ueshiba Doshu speaking at Aikido Celebration 2011
The 50th Anniversary of O-Sensei’s 1961 visit to Hawaii
Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, Manoa Grand Ballroom in Honolulu – Christopher Li translating

Hiroshi Tada – The Budo Body, Part 7

(English translation by Christopher Li)

Tada: Aikido will be centered around the Aikikai Foundation’s Moriteru Ueshiba Hombu Dojo-cho and protected by the young Shihan. However, those young Shihan must exhaustively pursue and train in the research of the spirit, especially the relationship between methods of mental concentration and physical technique.

Uchida: Would you say that excellent Budoka cannot be produced under the current status quo?

Tada: No, I’m not quite saying that. However, I think that a particular atmosphere will disappear. Mainly, you have to think about what has been transmitted. Simply speaking, it’s a matter of entering a trance. You must be serious about putting your heart into the technique and entering into a trance. In order to do that you must be highly skilled and have unshakeable conviction.

Uchida: This is very interesting. Is it easier for those with conviction to enter a trance?

Tada: When I speak of conviction it’s not something that I’m thinking of with my head. You must have the feeling of fusing Aikido with your way of living…it must appear to those watching from outside almost as if you are possessed by a demon.

Uchida: On a separate topic, although you often speak of publishing a book it never seems to come out (laughing) – what’s happening with that?

Tada: This year is the 30th anniversary of Aikikai d’Italia, after that…

Uchida: Will it be written in Japanese?

Tada: Daniela says that she would like to translate it into Italian, and there are many plans to translate it into other languages, such as English, French and German.

Uchida: When the Japanese is completed we would be grateful if the students of Tada Juku could be allowed to read it.

Tada: Yes, I understand.

Uchida: You must publish something. There are many of your students, and students of your students, who do not often have the chance to speak with you directly.

Hiroshi and Kumi Tada, at their wedding ceremony in 1970

Tada: Shall we sum up here? (laughing)

In any case, my main subjects are conversations with my father from my childhood, Ueshiba Sensei and Aikido training, the teachings of Tempu Nakamura Sensei, the Ichikukai Dojo, fasting, my experiences in Italy, then my marriage to Kumi (a violinist from Tokyo Fine Arts University) and the problems of life as an artist with the demands of their longheld beliefs, the birth of my child Takemaru and the frequent trips the three of us took to Europe…that’s already enough for six or seven books.

Uchida: In the past you have often mentioned your experiences with fasting, is it that important a pillar of your experiences?

Tada: There are many things that I would never have been able to experience without fasting.

Uchida: What kind of experiences?

Tada: Earlier I think that I said that the spirit has a direct influence on the body. When you have been fasting for more than two weeks the digestive system shuts down. Then you come to understand that when you happen to think about food your digestive system immediately springs back to life. One might think that this is because saliva enters your system. That’s not it. You come to understand that it is because the sensitivity of your nervous system is such that the state of your mind is immediately reflected in your body.

Uchida: Why did you begin fasting in the first place?

Tada: It was around the time that I was a Sho-dan, I became a Sho-dan in July of the year that I began.

Uchida: You started in March and became a Sho-dan in July? That’s really fast! (laughing)

Yukikazu Sakurazawa (George Ohsawa), the Founder of Macrobiotics

Tada: That’s because we practiced from morning till night. At that time in Ueshiba Dojo there was a round-table discussion of the first Sunday of every month.

There were many people who were famous in society among the Dojo sempai, but other important people would also come to share their experiences, there were demonstrations, and exhibitions of swords worthy of being National Treasures. Yukikazu Sakurazawa (桜沢如一) came to one of these monthly meetings – do you know who that is?

Uchida: Yes I do.

Tada: He came, and spoke about “Muso Genri” (Note: 無双原理 / the principle of balance of In and Yo in the diet). Later, there was a discussion of Aikido training at one of Sakurazawa Sensei’s meetings, and since the venue for Sensei’s seminar was in Hiyoshi on the Toyoko line near my house in Jiyugaoka, I was told to go attend training, which I did many times. At that time there was someone there named Ava Nakamura, for some reason everybody was using European names.

Uchida: Yes, George Ohsawa was the same, wasn’t he?

Tada: Nakamura-san fasted for 30 days at Tateyama. At Tateyama there were people like hermits that they fasted with. When you have fasted for more than 20 days, it was said that in the morning you could already understand what was going to happen that day. It was said that you could even understand everything that someone was thinking.

That was when I first developed an interest in fasting. I was still a student at that time, so I went to the Ueno National Library and borrowed all of their books on fasting to look into it. There were some interesting books. Kaoru Umeda’s “Reconstruction of Mind and Body” (心身改造), and in a book called “Spiritual Fasting and Healing” (霊的断食療法) there was an account of a woman from the end of the Meiji Period who fasted for 110 days.

Uchida: And she didn’t die? I wonder if she practiced so severely that she died (Note: 即身仏 / ascetic training to the point of death and mummification)?

Tada: She was a school teacher named Suzue Yamane (山根寿々恵) who graduated from Tokyo Joushi Koushi (東京女高師), which is now Ochanimizu University (お茶の水女子大). She had some kind of suffering and entered the fasting hall at Narita-san, practiced Gyousui (Note: 水行 / in other words, Misogi) every day, and was said to have done Ohyakudo-mawari (Note: お百度回り / “One-hundred times around”). By “Ohyakudo” I mean running around the main hall. It is supposed to be about 10 kilometers. At times she is said to have done Ohyakudo 5 times, for a total of 500 times around. That’s 50 kilometers. While fasting. When one is fasting for such long periods there may be times when a little food is taken, but even so it is said that she did not look as if she had fasted for 110 days.

Uchida: What happened to her person after that? Did she attain liberation?

Tada: She took inspiration from that ascetic training and became famous as a sage (Note: literally “immortal person”, 仙人), there were many reports in newspapers of the time.

Uchida: How long did you fast?

Tada: At first I fasted for a week in the guest house, one month after that I fasted for three weekes at the Rinzai Zen Houshuuji Temple in Kobotoketouge (小仏峠). I fasted two more times after that at home.

Uchida: During those times did you just live normally?

Tada: When fasting for up to a week you can just live as usual. When fasting for three weeks it is a little rough.

Uchida: What was it like during the one-week fasts?

Sanroudo (参篭堂), the fasting hall at Narita-san Shinshouji Temple

Tada: The first time was mostly a failure. My father would say “I heard you’re fasting, that’s pretty difficult. Take a break.”, so I spent half the time sleeping. When you’re sleeping you stop moving around. When people go on hunger strikes they must spend half their time sleeping. When you do that you stop moving around. No, no, when you do that it’s really dangerous. No, no, you mustn’t do that. You should enjoy it. When my father was in middle school he thought that he wanted to become a natural historian, and was a person who knew all kinds of things, but he just didn’t know anything about fasting.

When I first thought about fasting, I thought about doing it at Shinshouji (新勝寺) in Narita. The fasting hall at Narita Fudou (Note: 成田不動 / a popular name for Shinshouji) has been well known since ancient times, many famous people such as Sadanobu Matsudaira (松平定信) and Hakuseki Arai (新井白石) have gone there. However, although I took the Keisei Line to Narita I didn’t know where anything was. All I could see was sweet bean jelly shops. (laughing) I didn’t know where the hall or anything was, so I just ended up going home. So then I fasted for a week in the guest house during spring break. However, I didn’t feel very good so I tried to do it over again.

I don’t remember how I learned about Kobotoketouge, but I must have read about it in a book. There was an elderly priest there. Every morning I would follow the priest and recite the writings of Hakuin Zenji on Zazen. After that I was free, so I read read books by Tempu Sensei…Tempu Sensei published “Shin Jinsei no Tankyu” (真人生の探求) and “Kenshinshou” (研心抄) in Showa year 25 (1950), just the time that I started. He hadn’t published a book since the Taisho Era, it was said that the teaching had to be a direct transmission from heart to heart, that it was difficult to learn anything from a book. Later my daily routine would be to practice Kokyu-ho under a waterfall, and take walks through the forest. After three or four days the feeling of wanting to eat something would begin to disappear. Because I had made the decision not to eat anything. Basically, it is different from wanting to eat but being unable to. For the three week period that I had decided upon I did not feel any hunger. On my tenth day of fasting I climbed to the top of Kobotoketouge. The mountains and the boats floating in Lake Sagami were beautiful. I ran down the mountain. My heart felt like it was going to burst.

After my three week fast was over, I rested for three days and gradually ate a little rice gruel, and then returned home. At that time there was no bus from Kobotoketouge to Asagawa Station (now Takao / 高尾), so I put on my back-pack and ran back.

After the fast has finished is an important time. After the fast has finished the stomach is shrunken and there is not much of an appetite. However, after five or six days the appetite roars back to life, and I was warned by the priest that if you eat too much at that time it can become life-threatening. About four or five days after I returned home a really incredible appetite returned. I was so hungry that there was nothing that I could do about it. Because your body is undergoing a re-birth. There are many people who overeat and hurt themselves at this point. Some people would eat an entire watermelon and then die.

Uchida: You can die from eating watermelon?

Tada: The bodies cells want the strength to regenerate, but the digestive system is not fully functioning. When you put a large amount of something into it…For that reason it is also dangerous for refugees to suddenly eat large amounts.

Uchida: So there are no feelings of starvation when the digestive system has shut down?

Tada: Up to about three weeks there are none. When you fast for extremely long times and come close to death it is said that there are some danger signals…However, one of my motivations for fasting was to be calm in the midst of times such as those in wartime, or when there is no food, so as to prepare myself against surprise. (laughing)

Uchida: What happens then? How do your physical sensations change?

Continued in part 8….

Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI      

The post Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada: The Budo Body, Part 7 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.

Hiroshi Tada Sensei with Moriteru Ueshiba Doshu as Yoji Fujimoto receives promotion to 8th Dan
Aikikai Hombu Dojo, Kagami Biraki 2010
Fujimoto moved to Italy in 1970 to assist Tada in developing Aikido in Italy

Never read books on archery. Never criticize another persons technique.

This is part 6 of the English translation of an interview in Japanese with Hiroshi Tada. You may want to read the previous sections first:

Part 1: explore Tada Sensei’s samurai ancestry and his encounters with Shotokan Karate Founder Gichin Funakoshi.

Part 2: find out how Hiroshi Tada met Shin-Shin Toitsu-Do Founder Tempu Nakamura.

Part 3: discover Tada Sensei’s thoughts on “telepathy” training.

Part 4: read Tada Sensei’s thoughts on Japanese Budo and Kata training.

Part 5: learn about the most influential person in the history of Japan, and their relationship to Japanese Budo.

You may also be interested in “The Day I Entered Ueshiba Dojo“, in which Hiroshi Tada recounts his first encounter with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei.

You may notice that the tone of the interview is quite conversational. This is the way that it appears in the original Japanese – the original was not heavily edited, with the result being that the natural conversational tone was preserved. However, this also means that the discussion is sometimes less focused then a more heavily edited interview would be. 

Tetsuju Ogura, the last Uchi-Deshi of Tesshu Yamaoka and one of the founders of the Ichikukai

Hiroshi Tada – The Budo Body, Part 6

(English translation by Christopher Li)

Tada: First was Kokyu-ho. Sitting in seiza, matching with the sound of the bell, chanting lines from Shinto prayers with the voice of your entire body. In time, when you became tired and your voice died – “wham”, you would be hit on the back from behind. When that happened your voice would work again. (laughing) Well, if you could do that every day for ten hours at a time, starting on Thursday and continuing until Sunday, then you could become a member for the first time. At that time I was training in both Karate and Aikido, so I was physically strong. However much I did anything I would not become tired, but I would go numb to the upper edge of my navel. Because we were sitting in seiza. Even then, there was something quite mysterious – although my back was struck hard enough to raise bruises, when the training was finished my entire body felt alive, and my skin would be glowing. It is the same when you continuously do a type of Kokyu-ho that purifies the mind and body. I didn’t understand at all at the time, but your voice and the act of swinging the bell are assimilated in the same manner.

Uchida – didn’t you ever go?

Uchida: I could never go to such a frightening place… (laughing)

Tada: The leaders here (Gessouji Dojo / 月窓寺道場) all go there! From Jiyugaoka maybe only Aki Kobori (小堀秋) and Ryouzou Hirose (広瀬良三). Foreigners also go, and Mr. Masumori Aoki (青木増盛) started to go after he turned 65. Women go as well. It’s fine. If you jump right in it’s not as bad as the people on the outside say that it is.

Uchida: A young man who is an acquaintance of mine and doing Aikido at his university enjoys the Ichikukai. After going once he became addicted and appears to go quite often. When I ask him “Is it enjoyable?” he says “It’s fun!”… (laughing)

Tada: You become able to fire up your spirit. When I was young I went every month. In Showa year 39 (1964), the year that I went to Europe, they moved from Nogatamachi to Maesawa in Higashi-Kurume. That was because of complaints about the noise. (laughing)

Uchida: There was one more thing that I wanted to ask. When I teach foreigners I often think that the structure of their bodies and the way in which they use them is different, but when I talk to you about your experiences teaching Aikido in Europe it doesn’t feel as if there is much difference in their bodies…

Tada: They aren’t much different. You could go so far as to say they are exactly the same. I have never had any problems.

Uchida: In a recent paper I wrote that Europeans have different physical sensations than we do, and that their method of using their bodies is also different. Their names for the various body parts are also out of sync. So for example, when teaching Aikido to Americans, some types of movement are extremely difficult for them to pick up. What are your experiences with this?

Tada: Completely different. Outside of Hombu Dojo, I have also trained with students in Aikido groups from the Defense Agency, Keio University, Waseda University and Gakushuin University, but it is no different from that.

I went in 1964, and issued the first Sho-Dan in 1968, but it was in no way less than a Japanese Sho-Dan. They had endurance and were strong. I went in Showa year 39 (1964) and returned in year 46 (1970), but those who practiced continuously became skilled. How much of the content they actually understood, however, is another matter. I did not struggle even a little bit when teaching. Standing techniques, of course, and they could also perform Hanmi-handachi and Suwari-waza the same as in Japan. It is partly because there are no competitive matches in Aikido, but I think that it is a really wonderful thing that there were no feelings of confrontation or competition. But perhaps I just couldn’t understand because of the subtle differences in language…

Uchida: No, no. This discussion is a revelation to me. I’m sure that your perception of the body sees much more deeply. Is there some kind of basic body operation that is common internationally, to all people?

Tada: In the beginning I did not understand the language very well. I would always walk around clutching a small dictionary from the university bookstore. In any case, in training and in other things everybody would imitate whatever I did without question, so even in everyday life I always had to be on my guard!

As I discussed previously, in Venice in 1968 we began the most difficult kind of training, the nature of freedom of the spirit (とらわれない心) and Anjo Daza (安定打座). What cannot be understood concretely, through a concrete method, cannot be trained.

Of course, in Italy more and more new members would come for Ki no Renma. There was not even a little resistance. It was the same whether we practiced Ken, Jo or Kokyu-ho.

Uchida: It is intriguing that you attracted so many Italians like that, what were they looking for when they came?

Tada: Of course, depending upon the person they each had different goals when they began. In the beginning there were some women who thought “I’m too weak, like a rabbit, somehow I want to become like a wolf and mop the floor with the opponent.”, but were disappointed to find that “Aikido is love, or harmony”. (laughing)

Uchida: So, did they quit?

Tada: No, they just kept on going all the same. (laughing)

Uchida: I was the same way. (laughing) Regarding the Eastern spiritual culture, where there some who knew of it ahead of time and were attracted to it?

Salvatore Mergé, student of Morihei Ueshiba from 1942

Tada: There was a professor named Mergé (Note: Salvatore Mergé). I wrote about him in the Aikikai d’Italia pamphlet “Founders of Aikikai d’Italia”.

During the war Mergé was attached to the Italian Embassy in Japan. After the war he returned to Italy and became an instructor in a school for Eastern languages. While Mergé Sensei was in Japan he heard of Aikido and went to visit Ueshiba Dojo. However, he was told that he would not be allowed to enter the Dojo. At that time two introductions were required in order to enter Ueshiba Dojo, and no foreigners were allowed. In spite of that, Mr. Mergé sat outside the dojo every day until he was allowed to enter. He gave great thanks and respect to O-Sensei.

He was the first person to speak of O-Sensei in Italy. The Japanese language school students who heard him speak were the first to enroll.

On top of that there was a famous scholar of Eastern studies and translator of the “Upanishads” into Italian, Professor Filippini, who heard my explanation of Aikido and immediately stated, “Aikido is not a sport, Aikido is Japanese culture, moving Zen”.

This was translated into Italian by Daniela Marasco (member of Gesouji Dojo) from what I wrote in “Founders of Aikikai d’Italia” (イタリア合気会を創った人々) for “Aikido Tankyu”.

Uchida: It’s an impressive foundation.

日本伝統文化の会、イタリア合気会

Tada: The official name of the Aikikai d’Italia is the “Associazione di Cultura Tradizionale Giapponese” (日本伝統文化の会), authorized as a non-profit organization, number N.526, by the President of the Italian Republic on July 8th 1978. It’s really quite something to be recognized as an Italian government organization. It’s one thing for Japanese people to create an organization that promotes Japanese culture and think about applying for recognition as a government corporation, but such permission is not often received.

Uchida: However, it is an impressive foundation.

Tada: Currently there are around 5,000 members, it was created through the yearly dues paid by the membership. In foreign countries, since this kind of organization does not receive any kind of external funding to support the expenses incurred for its maintenance and development, independence is achieved through the considerable yearly fees paid by the membership. Such feelings of enthusiasm for the association are strong.

Uchida: Other than those associated with Mergé Sensei, what kinds of people came?

Tada: Well, there were many different types of people. Of course, many people had an interest in Japan. Doctors, lawyers, students, and those related to physical education. Ballet dancers, people who saw the demonstrations, and those who came via introductions. If I had to say, most of them were intellectuals. This is just related to Aikido, it is the same in any country.

Uchida: Why is that so?

Tada: Isn’t that because they come after hearing the rumors of Morihei Ueshiba Sensei, reading some of the books, and knowing something about what Aikido is? Also, Aikido has a particular rhythm. The foundation of this rhythm is the free spirit (とらわれない心), and they get a strong sense of this. After watching a demonstration, a university professor said, “To me, it seems that Aikido is the same as music”.

Uchida: What kind of mental attitude do you ask for in your students (deshi)?

Tada: Well, there are many different classes of students. I can’t summarize it in one word. Not everybody will become a professional. There are also those who practice to some extent as a health method.

However, you cannot keep looking here and there. Long ago, when my father began to study archery, my great-grandfather warned him of two things.

“Never read books on archery. Never criticize another persons technique.” – those two things. “Never read books on archery” – in large part this is because it will lead one to doubt. For example, “My Sensei said this, the other Sensei said that. It’s completely different. Which one is best? Perhaps if I take the best parts of both methods…”. This is a prime example of someone who will never improve.

Uchida: I don’t think that there are many books about Aikido.

Tada: Books are for people who have already learned so that they will not forget, or for people who only see a teacher once a year, a reference for those kinds of people. First of all, you will never get better by reading.

Uchida: What about when various experienced people discuss an art, for example, a book on the theory of an art, how about something like that?

Tada: Something like that is fine. However, if you make a mistake in how you read it you will be, as they say, “bitten by the secrets” (極意にかぶれる), in the past those kinds of books were disliked.

Neko no Myojutsu (“The Mysterious Technique of the Cat”) by Issai Chozan (1727)
included in “The Demon’s Sermon on the Martial Arts: And Other Tales“
… the cat replied, “Because of the self there is the foe; when there is no self there is no foe.”

Uchida: You have read “The Mysterious Technique of the Cat” (猫の妙術). I had never read a book on Budo before, but after hearing about it from you I thought “Ah, maybe it’s OK if I read something like that”. I read a lot of things after that, was that a bad idea? Was I “bitten by the secrets”? (laughing)

Tada: Also when training in Aikido, if you are not careful sometimes you “leap over” something. At the time when a beginner should be doing solid training they try to do something that is only possible for an adept, and ruin their training. In the end, the basics become a mess.

“Kyakka Shouko” – ‘Watch your step!” by Shoko Kazama – the Wind of Zen, Tokuzenji

Oshou-san (the chief priest at Gesouji) wrote “Kyakka Shouko” (脚下照顧 / “Watch carefully what comes under your feet.”), “Watch your step!”). That point also gets missed.

Uchida: Today there are periodicals such as “Hiden-Koryu Bujutsu” (秘伝・古流武術), and various articles on technical theory and the secrets of the arts can be read in periodical form, as a form of “Kobudo Journalism”, do you recommend that beginners avoid reading things like this?

Tada: People who want to look at it should look at it. However, for those who are serious about pursuing a path earnestly this will often lead to a detour along the way.

Uchida: What about someone like me?

Tada: You won’t improve very much. You’ll just burden yourself with a lot of unnecessary baggage.

Uchida: There is a “new wave” movement in Kobudo with people a generation or two younger than you such as Hiroyuki Aoki (青木宏之 / Shintaido), Yoshinori Kono (甲野善紀), Tetsuzan Kuroda (黒田鉄山 / Shinbukan Kuroda Dojo), and Kajo Tsuboi (坪井香譲 / Kiryuho) who are doing some interesting things. Thanks to them enthusiasm among young people is rising, what do you think of them?

Tada: Why not?

Uchida: What do you mean when you say “Why not?”?

Tada: I spoke about this earlier, about what the traditional methods were like in my father’s time. And that was with the intention of training as a professional. There are also people who have no Sensei. The worst case is when someone wants to learn but there is no Sensei. Someone who cannot find a Shihan of their own.

Uchida: If a teacher is present then one can progress without reading books or making comparisons, is that what you mean?

Tada: Something like that. The same but different. (laughing) It’s not all that difficult. However, now it is extremely difficult. From childhood one would recite the Shishogokyou (四書五経 / the Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism) and execute that mindset. I was raised in that world, but now it is completely different. Critical analysis in the modern European or American scientific style is in favor, and is how the world is raised. It may be possible for one to reach a certain point, but I wonder if the emergence of a truly great Budoka is possible or not. I think that it will be difficult.

Uchida: How do you think that the path of Aikido will be governed in the future?

Continued in part 7….
Christopher Li – Honolulu, HI      

The post Aikido Shihan Hiroshi Tada: The Budo Body, Part 6 appeared first on Aikido Sangenkai Blog.