From: gummitch@techbook.com (Jeff Frane)
Subject: Re: Aikido teaching styles
Organization: TECHbooks of Beaverton Oregon - Public Access Unix
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 21:45:45 GMT

kjones@src.dec.com (Kevin Jones) writes:

>Ted Camus writes: 

>  By this, I meant to criticize what would appear to be the attempt of 
>  some Aikido schools to teach this ultimate stage ("new age touchy-feely")
>  without really understanding the origin and foundations of the art.
>  [My own instructor is a student of Chiba Sensei, and teaches very real
>  aikido, but still with a spiritual component, like that found in O'Sensei's 
>  1936 manual "Budo".]

>[This comment pushes a "yes, I know I could just ignore it but that's just not
>right" kind of button 8->.]

>You are making the assumption that Aikido schools that choose to teach in this
>way are doing so "without really understanding the origin and foundations of
>the art". Since many of the schools that try to teach the principles of Aikido
>and practice them in a form that certainly differs from O'Sensei's Budo days
>are associated with Tohei Sensei, I claim very strongly that your assumption is
>not true in these cases. I find the connotations of the term "new age
>touchy-feely" mildly insulting and think that it suggests you don't properly
>understand what is involved in this kind of practice. If you comments are not
>directed at Ki Society schools, then I don't know if my comments apply. If they
>are directed in this direction, then I believe they come from a lack of
>information and I'll try to correct that. You are entitled to your opinion, of
>course, but given more information you may choose to phrase it differently.

Not being Ted Camus, I can't speak to his original intent, but I _doubt_
that it referred specifically to the Ki Society.  From my own
experience, having trained with Chiba Sensei and one of his students,
having trained in related Hobmu-style aikido, and having trained for a
few months in Shin Shin Toitsu Ki-Aikido (I hope I got that part right),
I'd say that you gave a knee jerk reaction that was off the mark.  

My own observationof "touchy-feely" teachers has nothing to do with Ki
Society or Tohei Sensei but with Americans (Californians, in large part)
whose interpretation of aikido does not include teaching a solid
functional background but instead a sort of New Age psychobabble.  As I
heard Chiba Sensei describe it once, an aikido students must pass
through three stages: (1) rock --based on a thorough grounding of the
physical basics; (2) liquid -- much later, well up into the yodansha
ranks; and finally (3) gas -- the ethereal, seemingly effortless aikido
seen in very advanced students.  His criticism was that too many
teachers attempted to take their students directly to (3) without going
through the previous stages.

A similar explanation I've heard from him is that the three stages
include: (1) form; (2) function and (3) power.  The aikidoka who you
refer to below as performing "wrestling" are attempting (3) without
passing through stages 1 & 2.


>Tohei Sensei was uchi deshi ("apprentice") to O'Sensei from before the war and
>O'Sensei's later years. He was one of the very few people awarded the rank of

>If your comments were directed at some specific schools you have knowledge of,
>then I have no doubt that you may be right in your claim of their lack of
>understanding - there's a lot of that out there 8->. If you are claiming that
>anyone who doesn't practice "hard style" for the first 30 years doesn't
>understand Aikido, then I disagree with you most strongly.

>I practiced in that fashion for my first few years, with some very skilled
>people including contemporaries of Chiba Sensei. Then I became involved in the
>study of Shin-shin Toitsu Aikido, and have studied Tohei Sensei's Aikido for
>about 15 years now. I think that the style of teaching offered in this art is
>superior in some ways. I, personally, believe that *for some people* they
>become stronger, more complete Aikido-ka if they don't have to go through a
>stage that tends to lead to dependence on physical strength for a number of
>years. I see nothing wrong with people practicing in a "hard style" if they
>wish; I do observe that many people never grow past the "strength" stage; some
>of course do.

I have absolutely nothing but respect for Mr Tohei and his connection
with O-Sensei is indisputable.  My own exposure to Ki Aikido, however,
was not very positive.  But I'm also not willing to judge Tohei Sense's
teaching from what I saw here; it's clear to me that a great deal of the
problem was in the chief instructor and _his_ emphasis.  I have trained
with Ki Society students who were very open-minded and had what I
consider excellent physical aikido -- but most of the students in the
area-wide Ki Society have little training in the physical aspect,
_especially_ after having achieved shodan.


>There are many teachers and practitioner of traditional Aikido that I have a
It would be interesting to compare notes (on the mat) with someone who
has moved from Hombu-style (or "aikikai" as the local Ki Society
referred to it) to Ki Society and stayed.  My only experience has been
the reverse: training with people who have left the Ki Society.  If you
come to Portland, look us up!

--Jeff Frane
  Multnomah Aikikai

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