Interview with Hiroaki Kogure Sensei: Part Two

Would you please tell us about the kata Tomiki Sensei taught?

I think, in fact, that there are two ways in which we use kata techniques. the first is in set groups for demonstration, and the second way uses the same techniques in condensed and abbreviated patterns derived from competition, in form of free practice. there is also another form, randori. Tomiki Sensei always conducted kata style free practice with, of course, randori style movement in mind. from this period, Tomiki Sensei began conducting various experiments such as putting on protective gear, or executing techniques against karate practitioners, boxers, or Sumo wrestlers.

We believe that the system of kata training for demonstration and the training method for competition are different. Can you tell us about your practice methods?

Because our practitioners are mainly university students and usually they only practice for three years during their university days, they do not have enough time to practice both aikido kata and competition. On top of that, young students naturally have a desire to win in competitions, and thus they neglect the practice of kata. However, one should start out by practicing kata first, before training in randori. I believe that unless one undertakes the practice of kata in a way such as conducted in Ueshiba Sensei’s dojo, one cannot understand the essence of aikido.

Because university students begin free practice and training for randori without spending enough time on basic and flowing techniques, their practice tends to become hard and powerful. Waseda students and Tomiki Aikido people look stiff when they do aikido, don’t they? For example, when our students put on hakama and try to do Yoshinkan or Aikikai style Aikido, their flowing movements all look very clumsy. This may be one of the traditionally observed weak points of Tomiki style. Therefore, in a kata demonstration competition, I think our style might be no match for the flowing style of others.

When you are in a competition, your posture tends to be quite forward, while if you practice kata only, your chin is always up, which is a weak point in competition. You cannot fight with your chin up. The weak points of each school become apparent when joint practices are held.

If you describe various kata forms with the term wa (circle), I think you can say that the form which is practices at Ueshiba Sensei’s dojo is characterized by large circles, whereas ours are small ones. On the other hand our “circle” includes randori but theirs does not. We have our good points and so do they. You learn the good points and weak points of both kinds of aikido only by practicing them both. Tomiki Sensei always said, “You should never become conceited about being able to do aikido. If you think I am a liar, you should come and attack me. I will control your aikido with judo leg techniques.

I taught many foreigners during my days of business abroad. Foreign students always came to challenge me. I couldn’t handle them only with aikido kata techniques. For example, when I taught a man from the FBI who had once actually killed a person, he refused to match my movement and wouldn’t fall when I executed a kotegaeshi wrist-twist on him. I had to use techniques like kicking and butting in order to twist him down. Even when I told students to practice according to the flow of ki, and move without resistance, they just wouldn’t do it. It was really hard to teach them. Their eyes would gleam and look weird. I felt the need of randori practice then. In a situation where your partner resists your techniques, the subject of the use of ukemi comes up and it is a difficult one. I do not think that the current forms of kata of our Association are necessarily the best. We need to do more research on that. There is no completely satisfactory form right now, but we would like to continue to transmit the good points of the art as tradition and make changes to it when necessary.

The attitudes of aikido teachers before the war and after the war seem to be different. For example, those who learned before the war now emphasize the martial aspect of the art when they train.

I like to practice that way. I think that this is the true way of budo. When Ueshiba Sensei was young, he considered aikido to be a martial art which could be used for fighting and therefore, I understand that many of his students from this period had the same idea. In his later years and he grew older, he considered the art as a means of religious discipline (gyo) and from this period Ueshiba Sensei and Tomiki Sensei began to disagree with each other. I think this was why Tomiki Sensei had to separate from Ueshiba Sensei.

Since Tomiki Sensei had practiced judo and was also a school teacher, he was very open about everything he did, unlike many other aikido teachers. This is why his style is often criticized for having abandoned the martial aspects and spirit. However, Tomiki Sensei had set for himself the goal of becoming known as the second Jigoro Kano. Another characteristic of our group is that we have many contacts with the practitioners of other martial arts. there are people who study the judging method of Shotokan Karate or study the characteristics and weak points of karate, judo, and pro-wrestling.

Have you had many chances to find aikido useful in society?

In 1963 or 1964, the members of the Waseda sport clubs underwent an examination testing various kinds of physical strength and the results were very interesting. Those who had the strongest grasping power were the students of the Boating and Kendo Clubs. As far as back strength was concerned, the Judo and Boating Club students were the best. For lung capacity, the Ski, Mountain Climbing and Swimming Club students won. However, the person who had the best reactions was Tomiki Sensei himself. The karate group was second. The Boxing group was not that good. After all, aikido is a martial art for self-defense, so we become very sensitive to attack. If we are punched or kicked, that’s the end. Therefore, we seriously try to avoid attacks.

Also, in conducting business negotiations, positioning yourself according to aikido maai often becomes very useful.

A long time ago, I wrote an article entitled “Social Defense” and gave many examples. One interesting example is that of two samurai warriors walking together. The man of higher position always walked on the left side because he could use his sword to cut the man on his right with a single motion. The man on the right needs to make two movements to cut the man on the left. Therefore, when a samurai wanted to prove that he had no intention of harming his company, he would choose to walk on the right. Also, when they walked, they always walked in the middle of the road in order to keep some distance from any attack they might receive from the sides of the road. A samurai thought all the time about things like the position of the sun, or how he should place himself in front of a big tree when he got into a fight. I wrote about these things.

Because I often taught aikido to foreigners, I have no lack of subjects to talk about. I tell them, for example, about the subject of good movement (unsoku). Since Japanese society was originally based on agriculture, we walk with a sliding walk suriashi and this walk is often seen in Japanese martial arts, Noh and Yo (music accompanying Noh performances). On the other hand, the society of the ancestors of foreigners was based on hunting and so they jump like you see in boxing. Since Japanese farmers did not have to talk much during their work, we have forms of martial arts which can be practices solo, while hunters had to shout out to each other in order to capture their quarry, so they now play group games such as baseball and football. You can find many such differences between Western culture and Eastern culture, hunters and farmers, and a meat-eating race and a plant-eating race, in the martial arts.

We understand that you were quite active abroad.

Tomiki Sensei had three top students. they were Hideo Oba, Senta Yamada, and Tsunako Miyake Sensei. Yamada Sensei went to England and taught judo and aikido there. I happened to be staying in England then and this is how we established the BAA [British Aikido Association]. This was the beginning. I also resided in Houston in the United States and I saw Tomiki Aikido begin to gain popularity in Texas and Chicago. Since I had a job, I could not teach aikido all the time. But fortunately, the president of my company was very understanding. I taught the art free of charge as a social service and I am very happy about that. I think that I somehow could contribute to international friendship by spreading aikido to the local community.

Tomiki Aikido was introduced in the Black Belt magazine article which I sent you the other day, and this article contributed to the spread of Tomiki Aikido to various places, including NASA. Because of that, I was given the title of Honorary Citizen, as well as Honorary Sheriff, of Houston, Texas. I still treasure these awards.

I believe that there are many good points in all of aikido’s various facets: as a martial art, or a sport with set rules and free and fair competition, or as a religious discipline. It is important that both Japanese and foreigners choose the best way of aikido training for their own self-improvement. We should not criticize other schools but instead, recognize each other. We should always try to absorb the good things with a pure mind, not resisting just because something comes from a foreign country, and we must never stop studying in our pursuit of the Way. I believe that this is true aikido. I also believe that this is what Tomiki Sensei considered as his ideal as expressed in the expression mushin mugamae (open mind, open stance), which is hung up on a wall of the Shodokan Dojo.

There is some criticism that Tomiki Aikido is a sport, not a martial art. What is your opinion on that?

I think that the dignity inherent in Japanese martial arts, which has been transmitted through Japanese history and tradition, is something that we are all proud of and is something all of those who practice martial arts should make more effort to preserve alongside the spiritual and technical aspects.

Judo, kendo, and karate are all fine sports and their competitions are all conducted fairly, and in this sense they are no different from other sports like soccer, baseball, or boxing. They would not have been accepted by the world otherwise. Tomiki Sensei and I see no contradiction in understanding aikido as a martial art in terms of form and as a sport in terms of competition which is conducted freely with specific rules.

One can freely choose any discipline such as the martial arts, religion, kiko (beauty culture), etc. depending on one’s view of training. We must have the broad mind of mushin mugamae, rather than a narrow and prejudiced mind, especially, in the internationalized world of the 21st century in order to preserve our dojos. Thus, we can contribute to the development of the world, which I believe is the mission of all of us as martial artists.

This is the second installment of a two-part interview. Read part one here.