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It is a martial art of Aikido?
It is a martial art of Aikido?
Sensei Henry Ellis - 2001
Co-author of Positive Aikido.
PART 1
At first sight of the above title I am sure many of Aikidoist will be angry, they will assume that this is another attack on the credibility Aikido for the martial artist.
On this occasion they are totally wrong, I've been a student of Aikido since 1957, in the early days I started Judo 1956 at the Kenshiro Abbe School of Budo, I studied Karate with Harada Sensei and Kendo with O'Tani Tomio Sensei, so with my experience I think I have something to offer here debate.
First Impressions
The Aikido that I first saw it demonstrated by Abbe Sensei in 1956 was certainly a positive martial art.
I was impressed immediately by its positive techniques and power, and in those days my fellow martial artists and I were in doubt that we were witnessing a devastating new form of self-defense, as demonstrated by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei.
Abbe Sensei had begun his martial arts career at the age of five and became a legend in his own life. At eighteen he was the youngest champion of all Japan Judo and also the youngest ever 5th Dan at the world renowned Kodokan. Later he became the oldest ever all Japan Judo champion at the age of thirty-three.
When Abbe Sensei arrived in the UK in 1955 was eighth Dan Judo, 6th Dan Karate, 6th Dan Kendo, 6th Dan Kyudo, 6th Dan Aikido,
the question must be asked that have Budo Aikido master studied if they do not believe that is a martial art?
It is my opinion that Abbe Sensei would not have studied Aikido as it is today.
Please break my finger
As a direct student of Abbe Sensei I asked one day while we were traveling to a seminar
"Sensei, how a student first O-Sensei and Aikido "?
He smiled briefly and recalled later told me the following story:
He said he was a young man at the time judo champion of all Japan and traveling on a crowded train across Japan to a new competition Judo.
Sitting across from him in the same car was an old man who was trying to make conversation with him, Abbe had his eyes closed as he tried to sleep.
The old man said: "I know who you are "Abbe Sensei replied rather modestly" everyone knows that I am, I am Kenshiro Abbe champion of all Japan "politely asked the old man who was, "replied the old man
"I am Morihei Ueshiba founder of Aikido" Abbe Sensei nodded politely and suggested now try to sleep a little, suddenly the old man put his hand forward and offered the smallest digit to this burly young man, Abbe was surprised when the old man said "
please break my finger "Abbe thought I will break your neck if you do not sleep, he was now becoming irritated by this old man immediately took the finger of the old in an attempt to silence him, he openly admitted that his frustration was his intention to break the digit offensive. To his complete surprise was suddenly crashed on the floor of the wagon. As he lay prostrate and unable to move, I knew I had to study with this teacher. Asked O'Sensei if I could study with him, O'Sensei agreed and Abbe stayed with O'Sensei for ten years.
O'Sensei He had spent many years studying various martial arts, I think the art of Daito-ryu and Ju-jitsu had more influence on the development of Aikido than anything else he had studied, and he knows he went to Mongolia to fight and this would be the perfect opportunity to test their skills of many in a real situation, so we can have no doubt that this incredible man was a true warrior samurai and modern.
A knife for my enemy
It was this early positive style Aikido that Abbe Sensei brought to the UK in 1955, at this time there was also the first Japanese teacher in Europe, this was Tadashi Abe Sensei 6th Dan who was based in France, was small even by Japanese standards, but to me he was the hardest man I ever knew.
He was very similar to Kazuo Chiba Sensei whom I met in the West End of London last week, when he traveled he always carried a knife with him, this was not for their own protection but to hand his opponent shocked, saying "please, this is for you."
He said an opponent with bare fists was no challenge, but a man with a knife was "Very interesting."
I think we can safely assume that as these teachers were so hard and positive then this must have been the style of Aikido taught in the Hombu dojo in Japan, this was the Aikido O Sensei as a young man, the Aikido being taught today is that of O-Sensei as an old man there is no doubt that as people age they lose the spirit of his youth and become more philosophical in his approach to life.
My father who was considered once as the toughest man in town later in life found his peace taking his dog for long walks. I think now we have two traditional aikido which if truly aikido Traditional (this word is much abused) is the martial side of Aikido, the soft fantasy and dance style of Aikido should simply be categorized as an "art."
Those who fulfill traditional Aikidoists have any offense in this article, however, the dancers will probably be offended and I care little for their feelings as I honestly believe that this soft Aikido has no more right to call itself a martial art that has synchronized swimming has a right to be at the Olympics.
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PART 2
In my previous article, I tried to establish the hard style of Aikido that was first introduced to the West in the 1950s. I would like to emphasize that get no satisfaction publicly criticizing Aikido and I get a lot less satisfaction when I see Aikido bring ridicule.
To continue from part .....
Hard training
The training and exercises in the early days were tough and physical, with karate style kicking and punching a very integral part of our heating, followed by 200 press ups on the back of the wrists, fingers pointing inwards and outwards, very often while you were in the position high Abbe Sensei would instruct another student to sit on your back, as we were the only group of five Dan grades in the United Kingdom and all in the same dojo then this was training in all the Aikido dojos in the UK and today we are the only organization in Aikido is doing these push-ups.
Purists say "These bends are bad for you" what they really mean is that you can not do, all part of the decline of traditional Aikido.
Choreography
Aikidoists are often accused of practicing "choreography Aikido" and to be honest I must admit that these claims are often justified, Uke (attacker) preparing to break fall long before he makes his attack, and most of them attack off balance, therefore making any multiples techniques possible with the minimum of effort and of course this makes Tori (defender) look "fantastic."
What is really sad that these people believe that this is good Aikido.
Kenshiro Abbe Sensei always told us that "two" students are training at the same time, a Uke he is learning and improving his attacking techniques and
Opponent Tori is also learning and improving his defensive techniques, while being trained with Abbe Sensei if the foot or heel of Uke left the carpet as he attacked Abbe Sensei would give the offending leg a good whack with a shinai (bamboo sword) then said: "My English is very bad but my shinai speaks fluently!".
If Uke attacks to end, then it is obvious that Tori's technique must be good and strong to throw, and as Abbe Sensei said so many times "two students are training."
Mark Eastman a strong young Dan grade with me was at a recent seminar, where Dan was sixth. The sixth Dan Uke refused to use as saying "I can not be used because it does not harmonize with me, that was not being awkward or difficult just attacking on balance.
Diluted training
Today these traditional exercises and methods of training have changed to a mere warm-up routine with jumping up and down on the ground and a lot of deep spiritual discussion.
Hard exercise is now considered to be aggressive and not in harmony with the true spirit of Aikido.
Abbe Sensei said that hard training developed the spirit, also referred to Ki during those first days as demonstrated by the power of his technique, when asked to explain the meaning of Ki, he said to worry about Ki as that would be part of our training and development.
Then he said: "Only when you reach first Dan will be able to understand the true concept of Ki as an extension their additional Aikido. "
I still believe that line of thinking, and instructors in our dojo's very rarely speak of Ki, but it is taught as an important and integral part of our training and study.
Aikido Ki
Although Ki is generally recognized as the spirit and breathing during the application of the technique, every teacher and student is offered a wide and varied and sometimes bizarre interpretation of the meaning of this much abused word.
The main problems arise and are created by teachers themselves, who often mislead their students to the extent that I almost believe that Ki is a form of magic. The following is an example of a very prominent Aikido magazines letters section.
Title: The Spirit of protection
I am a carpenter and 2nd kyu in Aikido. I was working on a new home doing repair work, I had finished my work and went to a long staircase when I realized the owners of two years old son was heading to the same stairs from the opposite direction.
Approaching the top of the stairs and I was not looking where was. It was too far to grab, so I shot him (irimi) and got his right arm out to him, my "Ki" went through the small against children and the back of the head, fell back and began to mourn.
His mother heard the crying and climbed the stairs, when I told what had happened, thanked me,
He said, "No thank me, Thank Aikido."
That poor child can be as good now disturbed as the writer.
Harry Potter Ryu
There are many examples wrong which I will in future articles, is this kind of nonsense Aikidos brings credibility in doubt I am fully aware that every martial art has its own version of "Harry Potter" in their ranks, I do not understand is that there are more Aikido of them in all of mixed martial arts.
The reason why I am so critical and vociferous about Aikido is that every day I see these people dilute the great martial art that I spent most of my life studying, teaching and promoting for the past 46 years. I am often asked, "Teacher, which do you think is best and worst martial art. "
I always make the same answer, "All martial arts are good, if there is a problem with any martial art it can only be the people who represent that particular art who misrepresent their art
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PART 3
The Convert
In some parts of items one and two that have covered the introduction of Aikido to the West, and the impact in other Martial Artists, Aikido progressed and developed in the UK by visiting existing dojos of all Martial Arts and offering to demonstrate and teach different way free in the hope of starting a small class in the more receptive dojos, as one can imagine was not easy because most of the time our efforts were not an open invitation to most dojos.
In the end the positive style of Aikido first won through, and this is very important point to make in the early development of Western Aikido was that most new students of Aikido were from other martial arts. I do not think we could have converted to other Aikido martial artists if it had not been as strong and effective.
Bad breath!
I referred to the numerous changes in Aikido over the past 46 years of its history to the formation and choreography and Ki Aikido and also a lot of Harry Potter's world of Aikido, as a direct result of these articles I was contacted by a Aikido student in the United Kingdom to tell me that she had now stopped training in Aikido because her teacher said it was now going to teach students "Breathe through your toes."
Lets Dance
The most important of all the changes that have taken place in the last 46 years, must be the changes in technology and its application early style of Aikido was very compact and powerful. From the day of its introduction into the United Kingdom, was always taught Aikido as a circular movement of Martial Art with Tori in the center of all movement.
As Uke (the attacker) made his attack, Tori turn within their own circle that allows you to perform the technique on a very small area of maybe four square feet. Today, the need for fantasy aikidoist a football field.
I have seen some so-called "masters" Uke circling the end of a finger and pirouetting several times before being released across the length of the carpet.
Alignment
Kenshiro Abbe Sensei always taught that Uke just "go" if the technique was effective. I often hear and have seen some of those people who say they can throw an opponent without touching, sometimes by breathing and projecting their "Ki." I also had the misfortune to see the very high notes with various "* * attackers 
breakfalling to attack them, fun? not really, since most of them really believe that the projectile uki is a serious attack.
You can not do that if someone is attacking on balance, I've never seen anyone do that to one of my students. Of course, if the attacking end, then, is not being charged "Harmonizing."
Real aikido
I have read several accounts of the first Americans to practice Aikido in the early 60s. There were Americans practicing Aikido in the UK in the late 1950s in "The Hut" The Abbe School of Budo.
The Americans were members Air Force stationed in the United Kingdom. were always questioning "How to work on the street?" and often ended in the parking lot of the hut after class and engage in some real Aikido.
Then everyone would be in a good mood and have some beers.
Sunday mornings were always the best practice sessions with the dojo doors being locked to all but Dan grades. It was then that Dan grades would fight each other for real. This was the only way to truly evaluate your technique.
On one occasion I was fighting with Sensei Ken Williams (The British National Coach) he hit me hard and I We were clutching his chest and moaning loudly in agony.
He knew he was not going down and I never made a mess, so now everyone was concerned about me and as Sensei Williams leaned over me asking, "Harry, are you okay" I pounded his fist on the head, just looking to make contact, gave a step back and kicked me in the head to end my cunning.
The smallest of all grades was Eric Dollimore Dan was only 5 feet 6 inches high-and about 130 pounds.
I always felt that Eric was avoiding me in this session of Sunday morning, when I was about to leave the mat I told him "Eric, would you like to try against me" he just turned and said "Sorry Harry, I have to be at my girlfriends house for lunch." Leaving the mat I smiled to myself and thought, "That's what I expected" complacency did not last long, as I heard a voice behind tell me
"OK then Harry, can we do it fast as I walk away."
Eric was, for when I was surprised then I said to myself if you want faster than host them.
I moved to take him out with one punch and the next thing I knew I had passed by the dojo office partition and I was still lying stunned the office floor when he heard the voice call from Eric
"See you Monday Harry, I have to go. "
That was a very important lesson for me, I have never underestimated anybody from the small taught me a lesson.
Lottery classification
If in the 1950's and 60's was a 5th or 6th Dan you would be in awe of him. Now I see the ratings several points and the truth that Dan will not be classified first in the old days. They make these statements knowing that if they are ever challenged and prove their mettle they know they can say that this is contrary to the principles of aikido.
Another favorite of these people are playing with their grades and get to play multiple degrees, an excellent example of this Article control of abuse of British Aikido-the dispute.
Harada Sensei Mitsusuke "Dan fifth"
Harada Sensei was my teacher of Karate in the 1960s, who was then and still is a 5th Dan in Shotokan dojo in Tokyo. was described by the founder of the modern days Karate Gichin Funakoshi Sensei.
He taught Karate to the USAF in the Kodokan dojo after the second world war. Was described by Funakoshi Sensei 5th Dan in 1957 and is still 5th Dan after 45 years, stating that "any degree above 5th Dan is totally useless."
This is exactly the feeling of Sensei Derek Eastman and myself, even though they are two of only four remaining original group left of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei group of the 1950s, both agreed there were too many "Harry Potter" grades around, then decided that like Harada Sensei 5th Dan would do the most high level in our organization.
Serious study
I will take a break now that these items are complete and do something serious "the Toe breath. "
This is my last article for CyberKwoon for a while, I would like to thank the teacher Fabien Seine, allowing me to air my views on a subject rather than trying to avoid.
Do not know what direction the Martial Arts will have when all the "Old" is gone.
As one of the comments (for Cyberkwoon site forum) said: "We can still make a difference."
For those who asked by my father, he was not a martial artist, a hard man who began working at the age of 13 years two miles underground in the coal mines of South Yorkshire.
Sensei Henry Ellis. Traditional Aikido fifth dan.
http://www.EllisAikido.org
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http://aikidoellisvideo.magnify.net
About the Author
Henry Ellis co-author of Positive Aikido.
