Shoji Nishio

Shoji Nishio (西尾 昭二, Nishio Shōji, December 5, 1927 – March 15, 2005) was a Japanese aikido practitioner and innovator. He held the rank of 8th dan shihan from the Aikikai. He also achieved multiple high ranking honors in other martial arts from different lineages, most notably Iaido, Judo, Karate.
Nishio developed his Aikido style based on his understanding of Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba's teaching and experience with other martial arts. His style has been described by practitioners as dynamic, natural and effective. The uniqueness of his style compared to other Aikido styles is the integration of the sword principles and atemi mechanics into Aikido techniques.
His contributions to martial art includes the creation of a new school of iaido, the introduction of aikido koshinage, different mechanical interpretations of classical budo concepts, among others. Some emphases of his Aikido style include the importance of acknowledgement of opposition, weapon techniques, atemi, and natural stance.
Nishio's role to Aikido extended beyond technical aspects as he played a significant part in the art's international expansion. He left a lasting impact through his teachings, publications, and the worldwide propagation of his style. It is taught in 19 countries in Europe, America, Asia, South East Asia and Australia. He was honored by the Japanese Budo Federation with the Budo Kyoryusho award (2003) for his contribution to Aikido's development and global reach.
Nishio started practicing judo in 1942 in a dojo near the Ministry of Finance in the Japanese Mint, where he was then employed. After the war ended in 1945, he joined the Kodokan Judo Institute. Kyuzo Mifune, considered to be one of the greatest judo practitioners, was Nishio's trainer during this period. He was awarded 6th Dan Kodokan Judo. This background created the technical foundation that helps him introduced koshinage into official Aikido throwing repertoire.
The restriction from judo competition made Nishio felt his martial art growth was inhibited, he switched to practicing karate in 1950. Nishio was trained under Yasuhiro Konishi, the founder of Shindō jinen-ryū (神道自然流) karate. He was awarded 5th Dan Shindō jinen-ryū. The technical influence of karate in Nishio's Aikido style is significant as he emphasized the importance of atemi (strikes) as well as the comprehensive range of atemi types in his teaching.
Still feeling that karate was limiting, Nishio kept searching for another martial art. After being told about a ghost-like martial artist whom Nishio's sensei (trainer) at the time couldn’t hit, he decided to try Aikido. With his karate friends, Nishio went to Nuke Benten to watch Aikido. He signed up after watching two classes. Changing primary martial art did not stop Nishio from practicing other ones. At the beginning of his Aikido career, he was still practicing judo and karate. It was common for him to train about five hours a day.
Nishio joined Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1952 after 10 years of practicing other martial arts. At the time, the dojo (martial art training place) was not yet properly repaired after the war and there were around five people practicing on a good day. His fellow practitioners included Seigo Yamaguchi and Hiroshi Tada, among others. He was promoted to shihan (master instructor) and began to teach around 1955. As his Aikido developed, he incorporated skills and principles of other martial arts into his own aikido style. In 1976, he was promoted to 8th dan Aikido.
Nishio believed that one of Aikido's core tenets was about acknowledging the other person. Most Aikido techniques offer 3-4 opportunities to striking down opponents but ultimately choose the least damaging option. This type of choice materializes the philosophy of acknowledgment, understanding, acceptance and mutual respect of and for others, even as they are opposition. Aikido's philosophy stands in contrast to other martial arts' goal of overcoming other. Nishio believed that this context helped recreating each technique close to the spirit of Ueshiba.
Nishio believed that the innovation of Aikido was a requirement Ueshiba had from its practitioners. He also asked practitioners to develop based on on their own background. His conclusion based on Ueshiba's words was
The commitment to this view is reflected by Nishio's technical contributions and distinctions within the martial art world. He is considered as "one of the foremost technical innovators" in Aikido.
Nishio believed that other martial arts knowledge was a "nourishment" for one's Aikido development.
Indeed, he was still practicing judo and karate for a period even after signing up for Aikido. He also practiced in-depth iaido (and other weapons to a lesser extend) independently from his aikido training. His martial art technical application system is clearly influenced by knowledge and experience from other martial arts.
Nishio's approach to aikido can be elementally described as aikido spirit and techniques perform in atemi rhythm following the sword's direction and purpose with judo tweak.
Nishio believed that shizentai - natural stance (自然体, shizen = natural, tai = body/posture) was the way to face an opponent, adversary, or training partner.
In Nishio's style, the shizentai stance takes form of hand, hip straight down naturally. Both feet should also be straight with one slightly higher than the other. This feet position let the practitioner face his opposition directly and acknowledge him (a core tenet in Nishio-style). Practitioners of the Nishio style believe this stance is physical manifestation of humanity in Aikido. Shizentai is the same when practitioner use a sword or a jo (a wooden stick). With the sword, the tip of the sword lie down near front foot in front of the holder. With the jo, the direction of the jo intersect with opposition's eyes.
Physically, these form a "no stance" stance; however, the practitioner should already taking a mental stance of acceptance, awareness, preparation. The hand is then offered to the opposition. Entering technique starts at the moment of contact. In comparison, most other Aikido styles' stance is in kamae position (roughly means preparing stance before the fight). Practitioner's body is in triangle shape (feet spread out back and front, straight body) and having one hand or both hands extended forward, usually with extended fingers.
In Nishio style, there are three major stages for an Aikido technique: tsukuri, kuzushi, waza/kake which roughly means set-up, break balance, technique execution. The clear stage of tsukuri in a technique is unique to Nishio style, as mainstream and other major Aikido schools do not mention it. It is possible that Nishio drew inspiration of these stages from his judo background, as there are similarly named stages. However, the timing and application of these stages in judo are different.
In the context of budo, tsukuri (作り, tsuku = to create, ri = noun form of verb) roughly means "set-up." It refers to a situation created in a way that can easily convert into advantageous conditions or positioning over opposition in the next immediate one or two actions. In Nishio teaching, to create tsukuri, practitioners need to take the initiative to elicit opponent's action. Furthermore, to have effective tsukuri, one must consider how to set up the situation in a way that best matches their own body and the intended technique. In weapon techniques, tsukuri takes form of lowering or moving the weapon out of the combat line. Another approach is to adopt natural stance - shizentai, not raising the sword to kamae position at all, leaving the body completely open.
In budo, irimi (入り身, iri = enter, mi = body) is essentially the movement to obtain an opponent's "dead angle." This refers to a strategic position offering effective strike and control opportunities while it is significantly harder/slower for the opposition to do so. In Nishio's style, in front-facing position, irimi is taken as a half-step instead of a one-step in other Aikido schools. The step is to the right and slightly forward, create a direction of about 30 degree compare to the shoulder's initial position. By taking half-step instead of full step, practitioner stays connected to the opposition thereby maintaining effective control of the situation.
In budo, atemi means strike or blow to the body (当て身, ate = strike, mi = body). In aikido, atemis are often used to take off balance and focus rather than delivering decisive blow.
In mainstream Aikido styles, atemi are demonstrated infrequently, and felt into disuse. In Nishio's style, atemis are everywhere and numerous (his teaching list at least 10 different hand strikes, 5 elbow strikes). Almost all Aikido techniques demonstrated by Nishio have multiple atemis at the beginning and during techniques. More than strikes, atemis in his style determine the rhythm and timing of techniques.
In Japansese, koshinage means hip throw (腰投げ, koshi = hip, nage = throw). The "hip throw" which is now commonly performed during promotion examinations at Aikikai dojos, was not a well-known technique at first. Aikido's throwing repertoire was limited to iriminage, shihonage, and kotegaeshi. Koshiwaza was independently researched and developed by Nishio (utilizing his judo background) and Hiroshio Kuroiwa when they were young instructors at the headquarters, and it is said to have spread to other Aikido practitioners.
In 1955, due to the lack of explanation regarding sword and jo techniques from Ueshiba (and other instructors), Nishio started to study iaido under Shigenori Sano (10th dan Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu). He was awarded 7th Dan Nihon Zenkoku Iaido Renmei.
In iaido, Nishio practiced a number of different styles and consolidated what he believed to be useful. By 2001, numerous addition and revision of kata were introduced in Nishio's iaido system. At one point, the number of kata were over 30. By the end, he finalized his iaido system to 15 katas, most of which correlated to specific Aikido movements. His system is called Aiki Toho Iai or Nishio-ryu Iai. While there are weapon training in other Aikido schools (like Iwama Ryu, Ki Society, Yoshinkan, Shodokan Aikido), there is no official iaido system supplement their Aikido.
In 1957 or 1958, Nishio trained in jōdō with Takaji Shimizu (headmaster of Shintō Musō-ryū jōjutsu) and Yari or art of the spear (Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu).
In Nishio's style, all techniques can be performed with the wooden sword bokken, wooden stick jo in hand as well as without weapons.
In weapon training, he believes, practitioners should try to be "on the edge". That means avoid being struck, deliver an effective final strike and stop within hair's breadth of contact.
Nishio's approach departed from Ueshiba's characterization of the "radiant sword of pacification". Nishio's sword utilization style can be described as the silent sword of purification.
He believed the purpose of the Aikido sword was to purify, as he called it the "sword of purification".
Described as otonashi, or "silent," which means sword techniques produces almost no harsh sound. It is the result of Nishio's sword work relies on minimal blade contact with opposition's sword. His sword techniques anticipate and exploit gaps in opponent's attacks, turning defense into offense usually in one single precisely timed movements. This approach differs from the teaching of Morihito Saito (who is well-known for close adherence to Ueshiba's approach), where the significant part of controls are achieved through impact with the other sword, resulting in clashing of the swords heard throughout.
Nishio's impact on Aikido went beyond the Japanese border and transcended techniques. He contributed to the international development of Aikido throughout the world by teaching, holding seminars and help establishing dojos of his Aikido style. The regions teaching Nishio-style Aikido include Central and Northern Europe, the United States, Mexico, France and Germany as well as Vietnam, Iran, Australia. In 2003, Nishio received the Budo Kyoryusho award from Japanese Budo Federation for his lifetime contribution to development and worldwide propagation of Aikido.
Nishio cultivated a following in many countries. Some senior practitioners of his style includes:
Nishio was born in Aomori Prefecture of Japan in 1927. Occupationally, he mostly worked for the Ministry of Finance in the Japanese Mint for his entire career from 1942 to 1980. He is well-known for being mild-mannered and frequent smiling. He died in March 2005 from prostate cancer.