Blitz - June-July 2017

34 ƫđƫ333ċ(%06)#ċ*!0 | (^) FEATURE STORY
that you would notice from his
presence on the mat). “Actually,
I feel like this a lot, but as far
as aikido is concerned, the
important thing, if you are
not injured, is to continue
training. Whenever I feel this is
happening, the answer for me
is to practise more until I work
my way through and begin
feeling better about things. Of
course, this kind of thing is
not unique to aikido; people in
many other kinds of training
and sports, too, experience
difficult times. Although I
know that after I overcome one
problem another will arrive at
some point, so I cannot let this
kind of thinking overwhelm me
— after all, this is the reality of
life. So, I focus on the problem
in front of me and deal with it
one problem at a time. This is
what I meant when I said I am
experiencing my ‘wall’ every
day, because there is always
another problem to overcome.”
With only an hour set aside
to chat, it was time to start
drawing our conversation to a
close. But I first wanted to get
Ueshiba Sensei’s thoughts on
how he saw aikido developing
from here. “I strongly expect
that the things Kaicho (O’Sensei)
spoke about will be followed
precisely and become the reality
for aikido everywhere,” he said.
“Today, there are not so many
people who actually met Kaicho
and were his direct student; most
people today did not learn their
aikido directly from Kaicho.
When the expansion of aikido all
over the world is considered, it
is easy to see how the dilution of
Kaicho’s teachings could happen.
So, I would prefer, and expect,
that as the number of people
training in aikido continues
to expand, it will happen
without any deviation from the
teachings, both physical and
spiritual, of Kaicho.”
At this point, my good
friend Tony Smibert, himself
an aikidoka of over 50 years,
deftly contributed a question
of his own: “Around 1980 in
Paris, Kisshomaru Doshu (the
second Doshu), taught at a
gathering of the International
Aikido Federation, and I have
a very strong memory of him
saying, ‘It is wonderful to see so
many people developing aikido
all over the world, and to see
so much creativity surrounding
aikido — O’Sensei would be
pleased. But! We must not forget
that O’Sensei practised certain
waza (techniques) every day:
irimi nage, shiho nage, suwari
waza ikkyo and suwaziwara
kokyuho...therefore, we can
say that these are the basics
of aikido.’ So, in a world
where everyone is looking for
something new, what are your
thoughts on keeping the basics
of aikido alive?”
Ueshiba replied, “I think the
idea of keeping the basics of
anything strong is important,
not just in aikido. But regarding
aikido, if you do not understand
the basic idea and cannot make
the postures correctly, then it
is very difficult to practise or
understand aikido, therefore
we have to train hard to get
the basics right. This is a
commitment that everyone
should make to themselves, and
from that point they can drive
aikido further without additions,
omissions or making alterations.”
Always aware of the privilege
my work afforded me, and
mindful that many budoka,
regardless of how many years
they practise, never get the
opportunity to meet the teachers
I have, I asked Ueshiba Sensei to
share any insights he might have
regarding aikido. He thought for
a moment, then said, “If I have
any advice to offer regarding
aikido, it would be to simply
focus on what you are doing in
your training today and try not
to look too far into the future.
Just do what you need to do
today, and then do the same
the next day, and so on. Also,
I would recommend everyone
to pay equal importance to the
spiritual as well as the physical
side of aikido.”
With that, our meeting came
to an end. This was his first visit
to Australia but I’m sure it won’t
be his last. Representing the
fourth generation of his family to
lead the aikido world, it’s clear to
all who have met him that aikido
is in safe hands moving forward.
(Note: I’d like to thank a
number of friends within Aiki
Kai Australia whose generosity
of spirit made my meeting
with Ueshiba Sensei possible:
my good friend Tony Smibert
Shihan for his kind invitation,
Jack Sato Sensei for his role as
interpreter, John Rockstrom
Sensei for meeting me at the
airport, and to a great many
others within the Aiki Kai
who never fail to make me
feel very welcome — domo
arigato gozaimashita.)
UK-born Mike Clarke Sensei
has been training in karate for
43 years. A student of the late
Miyazato Eiichi Sensei, he is
ranked 8th Dan in Okinawan
Goju-ryu karate and recently
relocated his private dojo, the
Shinseidokan, from Launceston,
Tasmania to Perth, Western
Australia. He has been a regular
writer for Blitz since 2003
and has published four books
on karate including the 2016
title Redemption: A Street
Fighter’s Path to Peace (visit
subscribeandshop.com).
“If I have any advice to offer regarding aikido, it
would be to simply focus on what you are doing in
your training today and try not to look too far into
the future. Just do what you need to do today, and
then do the same the next day, and so on.”
Smiles and sweat go together
at an Aiki Kai gathering