Koichi Tohei at age 45 being interviewed in Los Angeles
The interview linked here is a rare conversation with Koichi Tohei Sensei, 10th dan, conducted during the summer of 1965 in Los Angeles during his USA tour. At that time, the publisher of Black Belt magazine was its founder, Mito Uyehara, a practitioner at the Los Angeles Aikikai.
“I definitely keep my one point at all times. If you do it only in the dojo, you cannot develop your ki because the training you receive in the dojo is too short. Only an hour or two a day is not enough. You must do it until it becomes a part of you and you do it naturally – unconsciously like breathing. Too many beginners do not really understand and keep concentrating on the one point (a point 2 inches below your navel) almost in a physical manner. They look at their expanded bellies and think they are doing it right. They do not understand they must concentrate, not intensively, but calmly.”
“The most important concept of Aikido training is applying it to daily life. Aikido teaches you to relax and that alone is beneficial. I wrote a book recently entitled How to Apply Aikido Principles to Your Daily Life.”
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The following announcement appeared in the April 1964 issue of Black Belt magazine. A search of subsequent issues of the magazine for 1964 suggests that this U.S. tour actually never took place.
“Master Koichi Tohei, 9th Degree (Kudan), the highest ranking Aikidoist, will arrive in the United States from Japan this April [1964] for a one year stay. During his stay Master Tohei will participate in Aikido activities throughout the country. He plans to visit and give instructions at Aikido dojos in Chicago, New York, and Salt Lake City.
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“When Sadaharu Oh, the idolized home run king of Japanese baseball, went into a slump last year, he sought the help of fellow countryman Koichi Tohei. After only a few brief lessons, Oh’s batting average improved dramatically and he began blasting balls over the outfield fence with his old consistency and flourish.”
In November 1973, Black Belt magazine published an article written by Jon Shirota titled “Ki — Separate and Indestructible.” For those interested in learning about the teaching methodology and thinking of Koichi Tohei Sensei during the latter phase of his tenure as Chief Instructor of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo, this article provides an excellent introduction. At this point in time, Tohei Sensei was a world famous martial artist due to his extensive travels and publications in both Japanese and English. This article was written a few months before his departure from the Aikikai, and a careful reading of the text will reveal Tohei Sensei’s state of mind and provide hints as to the events that would shortly unfold.
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[Please scroll down to the comments section below to find a list of most of the people appearing in this historic photo. -Ed]
I’d like to take you back to the Los Angeles Aikikai in 1965, to the month of August, to be exact. There was an air of excitement because Koichi Tohei Sensei–then Chief Instructor of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo–was soon scheduled to arrive in town. The dojo was bustling with activity and a large number of students were preparing themselves for kyu and dan tests in front of this great master.
I was scheduled to take my shodan test along with a number of fellow students, not only from the LA dojo, but from all over the region including quite a few from out of state. There was a palpable feeling of anticipation since many, including myself, were seeing Tohei Sensei for the first time.
We would constantly ply our sempai–many of them transplants from Hawaii–for more information since they had seen and trained with Tohei Sensei before. A funny thing was that certain people who seldom if ever attended classes started appearing out of the woodwork as the time for Tohei Sensei’s classes neared!
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Aikido Journal has just released a fascinating documentary concerning the aikido career of Koichi Tohei Sensei, one of the art’s most important figures of the postwar era. Titled Koichi Tohei: Aikido with Ki, the DVD runs 63 minutes and contains a well-researched documentary section and eye-grabbing film footage of Tohei Sensei in his prime during his tenure as the Chief Instructor at Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo.
This production will introduce Koichi Tohei to the present generation of aikidoka who, unbeknownst to most, have reaped the benefits of his contributions to the art during an earlier era. It will also serve to enhance their understanding of aikido’s colorful history and give due recognition to a central pioneering figure.
Click here for more information and to order this essential DVD.
I’d like to briefly explain the purpose of this website, which is an extension of aikidojournal.com. Koichi Tohei is a name that has become increasingly forgotten among present-day practitioners of aikido. If one were to turn back the clock 45 years, his name would surely be that most recognized by aikido enthusiasts in the west. This was due to his extraordinary technical and teaching skills. extensive foreign travels, and numerous publications in both Japanese and English. In a word, Koichi Tohei was “Mr. Aikido” and the name on everyone’s lips in the aikido world beyond the shores of Japan.
What happened after that that led to his gradual fading into obscurity among aikido practitioners? For those interested in finding out the answer, the story is long and complicated and can only be pieced together through an Internet search and reading of the sketchy accounts of what led to the events of May 1974 when Koichi Tohei resigned as the Chief Instructor of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo. Suffice it to say, the aikido world was split asunder, particularly outside of Japan. The Aikikai reeled from the upheaval surrounding Tohei’s departure and took years to recover.
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