Aikido Journal

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2005 2:04 pm

A friend of mine sent me this a couple of days ago and I wonder if any what O'Sensei's part of this would have been. Mind you, I don't believe everything to be true on the net. Anyway, here is some of what he wrote to me, and I condesned it and had to reword some of it so that it was presentable here.

"...I was reading on a WebPage yesterday that some fifty or so years ago some Gaijin students had their Aikido rank reexamine...can't blame them for being pissed-off with the politics. ...they had to retest because the mucky mucks in Japanese Aikido didn't like them having rank higher then them. The weird thing is these Gaijin got their first ranks supposedly from a Japanese Sensei designated by the founder of Aikido... The [Sensei] who retested the lot again the second time for the same rank was [less favorable] to the Gaijin. ...because he was told by the Aikido headquarters that all Gaijin should not get any rank higher then the Japanese. The Japanese didn't want Gaijin to have higher rank then them... when they [go] to visit the Gaijin overseas. What a load of [unfairness]...talk about Japanese politics...What a rotten thing done by the so called benevolent founder of Aikido whose mission is to spread harmony in the world! It’s true…they [Japanese] have many faces."

My question is if this is a fact, did O'Sensei have knowledge of this, did he condone and authorize such behavior to protect the ranks of his Japanese students over his non-Japanese students?

Thoughts and facts if you please?

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2005 4:41 pm

Lyndon wrote:

A friend of mine sent me this a couple of days ago and I wonder if any what O'Sensei's part of this would have been. Mind you, I don't believe everything to be true on the net....

[i]"...I was reading on a WebPage yesterday....

Trust your instincts to distrust the net.

"A friend"
"a WebPage"
"some Gaijin"
"got their first ranks supposedly from a Japanese Sensei"

That's a lot of speculation to get upset about: No names, no dates, a lot of opinion, lots of typos...

If aikido registered on normal scales of importance, I'd check it out on scopes.com (urban legends).

As it is, I'd want a lot more specifics before I got my shorts in a knot about it. Can you/he/she/the web page provide these?

Fwiw, Osensei's was often more liberal than his students, but he let them run the administrative end of things--pretty typical Jpn management.

Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 757 Location: Malibu,CA.USA

Don wrote:

Lyndon wrote:

A friend of mine sent me this a couple of days ago and I wonder if any what O'Sensei's part of this would have been. Mind you, I don't believe everything to be true on the net....

[i]"...I was reading on a WebPage yesterday....

Trust your instincts to distrust the net.

"A friend"
"a WebPage"
"some Gaijin"
"got their first ranks supposedly from a Japanese Sensei"

That's a lot of speculation to get upset about: No names, no dates, a lot of opinion, lots of typos...

If aikido registered on normal scales of importance, I'd check it out on scopes.com (urban legends).

As it is, I'd want a lot more specifics before I got my shorts in a knot about it. Can you/he/she/the web page provide these?

Fwiw, Osensei's was often more liberal than his students, but he let them run the administrative end of things--pretty typical Jpn management.

Agreed. The bad news about the internet is it's easy to spread rumors and lies. The good news about the internet is it's easy to check most facts.

William Hazen

Joined: 13 Apr 2001 Posts: 806 Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Don wrote:

Lyndon wrote:

A friend of mine sent me this a couple of days ago and I wonder if any what O'Sensei's part of this would have been. Mind you, I don't believe everything to be true on the net....

[i]"...I was reading on a WebPage yesterday....

Trust your instincts to distrust the net.

"A friend"
"a WebPage"
"some Gaijin"
"got their first ranks supposedly from a Japanese Sensei"

That's a lot of speculation to get upset about: No names, no dates, a lot of opinion, lots of typos...

If aikido registered on normal scales of importance, I'd check it out on scopes.com (urban legends).

As it is, I'd want a lot more specifics before I got my shorts in a knot about it. Can you/he/she/the web page provide these?

Fwiw, Osensei's was often more liberal than his students, but he let them run the administrative end of things--pretty typical Jpn management.

1) He's probably referring to England and the early students under Kenshiro Abe. AFAIK it's true, the early dan ranks were re-examined at some point. Whether or not the motivation for that re-examination was racially based I have no idea.
2) After the war Morihei was more or less out of the picture in terms of running day-to-day affairs - all of which he left to Kisshomaru, so it seems unlikely to me that he would know about this kind of thing personally.
3) Sadly, there is no question in my mind that racism has raised it's head at any number of points within the post-war Aikikai, which lends some credence to the story, although I couldn't really comment on that specific event.

Best,

Chris

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:49 pm

Chris Li wrote:

1) He's probably referring to England and the early students under Kenshiro Abe. AFAIK it's true, the early dan ranks were re-examined at some point. Whether or not the motivation for that re-examination was racially based I have no idea.

....

3) Sadly, there is no question in my mind that racism has raised it's head at any number of points within the post-war Aikikai...

1) England? I was thinking France if it was true...

3) Aikikai or other budo hombu's.

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:51 pm

Chris Li wrote:

1) He's probably referring to England and the early students under Kenshiro Abe. AFAIK it's true, the early dan ranks were re-examined at some point. Whether or not the motivation for that re-examination was racially based I have no idea.
2) After the war Morihei was more or less out of the picture in terms of running day-to-day affairs - all of which he left to Kisshomaru, so it seems unlikely to me that he would know about this kind of thing personally.
3) Sadly, there is no question in my mind that racism has raised it's head at any number of points within the post-war Aikikai, which lends some credence to the story, although I couldn't really comment on that specific event.

Best,

Chris

Chris, an interesting point you bring up about the possible racism. I don't know the Japanese mind so I can't say if it was a cultural misunderstanding or rascism. It stuck me odd that O'Sensei from what I see really pushed Aikido be international, to be accepted by other cultures, therefore, I would guess it wasn't something O'Sensei fostered. But is it possible as you say that it may have been something other Aikido Administrators or whom ever implimented on their own for their own purposes. Because it seems the real issue is not the students, but rather an issuse that relects on first Sensei that awarded rank or nominated those guys for rank. Didn't he have the most to suffer from retesting? Wouldn't that be egg on his face? A greater issue for him than the students since he was Japanese, is what I figure. Am I right? Confused

_________________________________________________

Don, your are right and that is why I brought this issue up. I didn't read the webpage that discussed the issue. I will try and find out where my friend read what we are discussing.

-------------------------------------------------

When I doctored the quote a bit to make it more presentable here, I left out that the way by friend worded things does suggests It was England.

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 2:01 pm

This is what my friend sent me. He said he didn't remember the address of the webpage, he was surfing without a purpose as he puts it and found this. I don't know the author nor heard of him. I am a reserved person that doesn't mingle much- except now for this board. Smile

I am also checking the web since this is the first I have heard of this fellow. And I will see, hopefully other with better internet skills than I, will be able to find this page my friend isn't telling me where he got.

Quote:

In the 1950's several of us that were students of the legendry Kenshiro Abbe sensei were graded to dan grade, we all trained at least four to five nights a week, with three hours every Sunday, these were some of the best aikidoist's I have ever seen, all dan grades were graded by Abbe sensei, our certificates were signed by O'Sensei. In the very early 1960's Aikido was now expanding very quickly throughout the UK, Abbe sensei asked O'Sensei to send another teacher to the UK. The first teacher O'Sensei sent was Mikoto Mashailo Nakazono, we were all shocked to learn that we were to be regraded by Nakazono Sensei, the gradings were harder the second time around, I must add that the first grading was tough enough, we all kept our grades except one who was demoted from 2nd dan to first, this was the occasion that Nakazono stated " Necessary sell your gi while prices are high " this guy was a great student and a good 2nd dan, he was totally gutted after that, and it was not long after that he gave it all up. Now back to Chucks point, we later found out that Abbe sensei had received a letter from the Hombu dojo to advise that all Western students should be held back from promotions in grade, this was obviously to enhance the grades of any visiting Japanese."

Henry Ellis

Joined: 05 Sep 2002 Posts: 77 Location: Denmark

Lyndon wrote:

And I will see, hopefully other with better internet skills than I, will be able to find this page my friend isn't telling me where he got.

Google is your friend Smile

search on: Nakazono stated henry ellis
quickly guided me to
http://www.geocities.com/britishaikido/articles/positive_aikido.htm
http://www.ellisaikido.org/fai.html

Not exactly the same quote but the same story:

Ellis wrote:

The important thing I have not mentioned so far is the vast difference in technique between Abbe Sensei's old style and Nakazono Sensei's new style, which was a far more flowing movement - it seemed so much softer and yet so strong. We quickly adapted to this new style, and it was then that Abbe dropped a 'bombshell'. We would all have to be re-graded to meet with the present standards of the Aikikai Hombu (Headquarters) in Tokyo.

The grading was physically and mentally demanding, and at the end of it he lined-up all eight Dan grades and said he accepted all our grades with the exception of one. He looked at this student for what seemed an eternity, then said: "Necessary sell you gi (uniform) while price is high".

Even after 37 years that sentence has not been forgotten. He took away that students grade.

But its only part of at bigger story, Ellis seems to have had a good time Smile

(know disrespect meant)

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 8:34 pm

It just seems interesting to me that Abbe sensei was not considered by Mr. Ellis in the experience he detailed as racism. I think racism is a bit harsh and over used by the explanation of the experience by Mr. Ellis.

Figure this, all but one where restested and pasted. The person who didn't pass was admonished. That admonishment was made a point of in Ellis's telling of the story.

How many of use had been on a sports team where a coach admonished you. How many have experience a Coach telling you where cut from the team? Or the Coach told you where not making the grade- not cutting it?

Why was it taken to be a harsh insult? Sure on could consider it rude, but to the point stressed by Ellis may be over doing it. The guy wasn't kicked out of the dojo. I understand it was a bit humiliating to the students- that is explained latter. If I am not mistaken don't Japanese admonish other Japanese in such a fashion, or even more harshly?

And yes, there is the issue about that hombu letter to hold western students back. It was Ellis's opinion that "this was obviously to enhance the grades of any visiting Japanese." Yet, all passed the retesting except one student. I wonder what the reaction would have been if the art Ellis learned was Sumo instead of Aikido?

I just think sometimes we make excuses for things that happen that we don't like, or understand. We easily point fingers and yell foul, without full circumspect. Maybe the guy who failed wasn't up to par at the time of retesting like the others. A lot of people in my experience once they get rank think they are on easy street, and throw their feet up on the desk instead of maintaining and improving on their skill. Maybe the guy had a poor attitude toward Aikido, himself or others.

Now what about Abbe sensei? Did this event reflect on him, maybe the Hombu felt it necessary to retest Abbe sensei's student. Or it was a matter of politics, someone in the Administration of the Hombu felt the need to question Abbe sensei's judgement. Maybe it was at all about the students. Maybe it was?

Ellis seems to have has a bad taste in his mouth about this, and as Mike Toitsu said, Ellis,,in his opinion, seemed to have a pretty good time.

Politics or not, any thoughts?

Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 261 Location: Durango, Colorado

Lyndon wrote:

It just seems interesting to me that Abbe sensei was not considered by Mr. Ellis in the experience he detailed as racism. I think racism is a bit harsh and over used by the explanation of the experience by Mr. Ellis.

What's interesting is how we project our own values onto other people. Wink

Chinese and Japanese and a LOT of other peoples in the world are "racist". It's just part of the human condition... a survival trait of distrust for foreigners that probably helps quite a bit if you're interested in keeping your own genetic line reproducing. The West has this recent guilt thing about "racism", maybe part of the Germanic angst that seems to be wired into us, but we shouldn't worry too much that our trendy ethics must apply to other peoples' worries. I'd suggest that "racism" or xenophobia may indeed play a part in some decision-making about rank, but we've got to just live with it, accept the differences in values, and move on. Besides, the term "racist" has become too much of a bogeyman that is used to limit discussions that aren't politically correct... let's don't saddle the rest of the world with our PC. Very Happy

Joined: 05 Sep 2002 Posts: 77 Location: Denmark

Lyndon wrote:

It just seems interesting to me that Abbe sensei was not considered by Mr. Ellis in the experience he detailed as racism. I think racism is a bit harsh and over used by the explanation of the experience by Mr. Ellis.

Figure this, all but one where restested and pasted. The person who didn't pass was admonished. That admonishment was made a point of in Ellis's telling of the story.

How many of use had been on a sports team where a coach admonished you. How many have experience a Coach telling you where cut from the team? Or the Coach told you where not making the grade- not cutting it?

Why was it taken to be a harsh insult? Sure on could consider it rude, but to the point stressed by Ellis may be over doing it. The guy wasn't kicked out of the dojo. I understand it was a bit humiliating to the students- that is explained latter. If I am not mistaken don't Japanese admonish other Japanese in such a fashion, or even more harshly?

And yes, there is the issue about that hombu letter to hold western students back. It was Ellis's opinion that "this was obviously to enhance the grades of any visiting Japanese." Yet, all passed the retesting except one student. I wonder what the reaction would have been if the art Ellis learned was Sumo instead of Aikido?

I just think sometimes we make excuses for things that happen that we don't like, or understand. We easily point fingers and yell foul, without full circumspect. Maybe the guy who failed wasn't up to par at the time of retesting like the others. A lot of people in my experience once they get rank think they are on easy street, and throw their feet up on the desk instead of maintaining and improving on their skill. Maybe the guy had a poor attitude toward Aikido, himself or others.

Now what about Abbe sensei? Did this event reflect on him, maybe the Hombu felt it necessary to retest Abbe sensei's student. Or it was a matter of politics, someone in the Administration of the Hombu felt the need to question Abbe sensei's judgement. Maybe it was at all about the students. Maybe it was?

Ellis seems to have has a bad taste in his mouth about this, and as Mike Toitsu said, Ellis,,in his opinion, seemed to have a pretty good time.

Politics or not, any thoughts?

Sorry cant follow or understand your point...I think you read to much into the text..

Like you said one guy did not make it, maybe he was not up to it ? who knows (who cares ? again no disrespect meant to the guy)
I hope and think must of the people training (not only Ellis) had a good time Smile

I liked Mnemos post Very Happy

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 7:52 am

Mike,

The point I guess of the thread and my posts is in the quote by Ellis seems only to be concerned about the students, only one dynamic, and not how it affected or effected Abbe.