Website updated
  01 Feb 2012

Professor Kenji Tomiki, 9th Dan Judo, 8th Dan Aikido  (1900 - 1979)

(click on video clip to see the full  version)

THE CONCEPT OF LOVE IN AIKIDO

In seeking the Truth, both master and disciple must be modest in their Heart and also must love the Truth.

The Way starts from the original precepts set down by the founder and reaches the final goal through the achievement of the successors.

To treat those achievements of the founder as the base and go beyond it:

this is Creation.

To improve upon the achievements of the master and take them to a higher level by disciple's successive works though master's works sometimes being succeeded or denied:

 this is Advancement.

Mutual Respect and Love exist here. To respect master and love disciple is no doubt to respect Love and Truth.

 KENJI TOMIKI

(Translated by Mr Itsuo Haba)

EL CONCEPTO DE AMOR EN AIKIDO

En la busqueda por la verdad, ambos, maestro y discipulo, deben ser humildes de Corazon y tambien deben amar la verdad.

 El camino comienza desde el precepto original establecido por el fundador y alcanza su meta final atraves del exito de sus sucesores 

Trantando esos exitos del fundador como base y llegar a sobrepasarlos.

 eso es Creacion.

Mejorar los alcaces del maestro y llevarlos a un nivel mas alto atraves del sucesivo trabajo de los discipulos, asi sea el trabajo del maestro logrado o negado.

 eso es avance.

 Mutou Respeto y Amor existe alli. El respeto al maestro y amor hacia el discipulo es sin duda respetar el amor y la verdad.

KENJI TOMIKI

(Translated by Mr Carlos Ruiz)

A brief history of Professor Tomiki and those originally associated with him.

Jigoro Kano

(1860-1938)

(1883-1969)

(1906-1983)

(1910-1986)

(1911-1991)

(1913-2001)

(1913-1975)

(1916-       )

(1926-      )

(1923-2006)

(1927-      )

(1924-2010)

(1929-1998)

(1926-       )

1900 Born Kakunodate, Akita prefecture
        Nacido en Kakunodate, Akita prefecture
1914 Entered Yokote Junior High School
        Entra en Yokote Junior High School
1919 Received 1st Dan in Judo
        Alcanza su 1ro Dan en Judo
1922 Entered preparatory course at Waseda University and joined the judo club
        Entra curso prepararorio en la Universidad de Waseda y se une al club de judo
1926 Met Morihei Ueshiba
        Conoce a Morihei Ueshiba
1927 Attained 5th dan in Judo. Married Shigeko Naba (who died from an illness in 1942)
        Alcanza su 5to Dan en Judo. Se casa con Shigeko Naba (quien fallece en 1942)
1929 Entered a judo match held in the presence of the emperor
        Entra en una comptetencia de judo organisada en presencia del emperador
1931 Started to teach at Kakunodate junior high school. Met Hideo Oba
        Comienza a enseñar en Kakunodate high school
1936 Left Japan for Daido Gakuin in Manchuria
        Viaja a Daido Gakuin en Manchuria
1938 Assistant professor at Kenkoku University in Manchuria
        Profesor asistente en la Universidad de Kenkoku en Manchuria
1940 Received 8th dan in Aikido from Morihei Ueshiba
        Recibe su 8vo Dan en Aikido de Morihei Ueshiba
1941 Professor at Kenkoku University in Manchuria
        Professor en la Universidad de Kenkoku en Manchuria
1943 Marriage to Fusae Yanagi
        Se casa con Fusae Yanagi
1945 Interned in Siberia
        Exilado a siberia
1948 Returned to Japan
        Regresa a Japon
1949 Part-time teacher at Waseda University. Full-time secretary of Kodokan
        Maestro a medio tiempo en la Univesidad de Waseda. A cargo del Kodokan a tiempo
        completo
1951 Full-time teacher at Waseda University. Shihan of the Waseda Judo Club
        Maestro a tiempo completo en la Universidad de Waseda. Shihan del club de judo de
        Waseda
1953 Visited the United States as a member of a judo mission
        Visita los Estados Unidos como miembro de una mission de judo
1954 Became a professor at Waseda University
        Professor en la Universidad de Waseda
1958 Set up an Aikido club at Waseda University
        Comienza un club de Aikido en a Universidad de Waseda
1969 Received 8th dan in judo
        Alcanza su 8vo Dan en judo
1970 Retired from Waseda University. The First All Japan Student Aikido Tournament
        Se jubila de la Universida de Waseda. Comienza el 1ro tornamento nacional
        estudialtil de Aikido
1974 Established the Japan Aikido Association and became the first chairman of the JAA
        Establece la Asociacion Japonesa de Aikido y es su primer dirigente
1975 Became the vice chairman of Nihon Budo Gakkai
        Vice dirigente de Nihon Budo Gakkai
1979 Passed away due to colon cancer
        Fallece debido a cance de colón

MU SHIN,  MU GAMAE

MUSHIN       Empty Mind, Not thinking, Without

                      Conscience, Without emotion

                      Mindless, Endless, No-mind-ness

MUGAMAE   Without posture, Without stance

                       No posture, No attitude-ness

A philosophical concept that lies in the heart of Tomiki's Budo, "Mushin Mugamae." "Mushin" is a state in which the mind lets go from itself, no longer seeing things as "this and that, good and bad, right and wrong, gain and loss, life and death-all which must be seen as a oneness." "Mushin" is a mind undisturbed by effects of any kind from which proceeds a "flowing mind and body" and making possible the performance of skilful technique without "conscious efforts made to generate and sustain it."  Mushin is the Zen concept of “no mindedness,” a state in which there is no preconceived thought that interrupts the flow of physical action.  Mu means “nothing, empty, or no.”  Shin means “mind or heart” in both the physical and in the spiritual sense. Thus in terms of Zen, there is no separation between thought and emotion.  To feel it is to think it; to think it is to feel it.

The corollary of "Mushin" is "Mugamae", the body adopting the posture or stance appropriate to any situation without the conscious direction of the mind.

With no preconceived thought or emotion, action will be one with thought and emotion.  Thus to think it and to feel it is to do it.  A circle is always balanced.  There is no distinguishing top or bottom, left or right.  It has no point or goal but to be a circle.  The planet Saturn represents the eternal rotation of the solar system.  Should the planet cease to rotate, it will be destroyed, and harmony will cease in the universe.  The planets affect the tides, the never-ending flow of water.  Should the oceans cease to flow, stagnation will occur.  Stagnation in the physical world and in our personal lives will bring about defeat in martial arts and in life.  The planet Saturn is bound by its rings, which represent constraint and control.  The planet Saturn in harmony with the universe and its own self-contained cosmos, therefore, represents the mindless circle.  Training in martial arts is meaningless unless it leads to the continual perfection of the practitioner, despite the outside forces of negativity and darkness that constantly work in opposition to spirituality and the light of hope.  Thus the way of Mushin Mugamae is “the way of the mindless (endlessness) circle.”  There is not always a specific goal in a martial arts technique or in life.  In most martial arts systems, the techniques have an “end in mind.”  Too often the goal is to hurt or maim an opponent.  These techniques can also be easily countered, leaving the practitioner with no options.  The circle stops.  But a technique designed to be a means of achieving harmony with an opponent’s flow has many options.  Since the technique has not been predetermined, it will be difficult to defend against.  Because the end is not in the martial artist’s mind, it does not exist until created in response to the flow of combat.  Also in reaction to an opponent’s attack, a strike can become a block; a block can become a strike, with or without power.  A strike can even turn into a pat on a potential opponent’s back should the moment of conflict be eliminated prior to a physical confrontation.  The correct technique will occur when the martial artist is in the flow of the mindless circle.  A momentary defeat is only a chance to create another artistic endeavour based upon achieving the harmony contained in the mindless circle.  Even in defeat if a martial artist is in the flow of the endless circle, the defeat can become a means to spiritual and physical regeneration.  The defeat becomes a victory, and the circle is completed.

Even in life’s every day endeavours, many individuals always look for ends or achievements and often lose sight of the means necessary to attain those goals.  A missed opportunity in life is merely a chance for those individuals to aspire to another—perhaps more exciting—achievement that would never have been realized had their original goals been attained.  Thus no antagonist and no political or social force can prevail in an attempt to thwart their attainment.  But the problem is that many times those same individuals have looked only forward to that far off goal, and they failed to create the short-term means that would help them achieve that end.  Unless they develop the skills necessary to achieve that goal, the goal will never come.  If the perfection of a particular martial arts technique is a goal, it is first necessary to develop the timing, balance, speed, and power needed for proper execution.

A Zen proverb states something to this effect:  “Those who wish to attain certain goals must first become certain men or women; once they have attained that state-- become those certain men or women-- the attainment of that certain goal will no longer concern them.”

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RANDORI SYSTEM FOR AIKIDO

In the early part of this century Morihei Ueshiba (Founder if Aikido) practised AIKI JUJUTSU and from this he derived his original form "AIKI BUJUTSU".  By 1942, "AlKIDO", as it was then to be named, was officially recognised and was know as the way of harmony.

Originally the AIKI JUJUTSU form had no simple learning process and there were many hundreds of techniques many of which were deadly and violent.  Morihei Ueshiba's AIKIDO reduced the number to some 2664 variations on 30 basic movements and using safer techniques.  Students could then repeatedly practice without the fear of permanent injury, but still keeping in mind the origins of the techniques.  Kenji Tomiki, a student of Morihei Ueshiba and like his master he too was an expert in Judo.  He took this a stage further and devised a simpler and more systematic method of teaching Aikido efficiently from the knowledge and correct application of far fewer techniques.  One of his aims was to introduce the element of competition or free-play (Randori), something not previously acknowledged by Aikidoka.  By the mid 1960's he had achieved this and several colleges took part in a competition.  The analogy being similar to that of Judo, which was developed by Kano for younger players with a competitive and sporting element in mind.

The “BUDO MAN” diagram shows the origins and refinements of AIKIDO and how it relates to other disciplines.  It shows how the techniques are grouped and how they overlap with Judo.  Furthermore it highlights the key elements for safe and effective application of Randori.

SOFTNESS / MOVEMENT, BALANCE & POSTURE