〇 Tomiki (5 dan) vs. Oki (4 dan)
As they engaged, Tomiki assumed his stance with great care. At the same time, he controlled his opponent and skillfully led him into a disadvantageous position, fully preparing for his attack. Seizing the perfect moment, he launched a powerful and skillful o-soto-gari. With full spirit and perfect timing, the technique landed with complete effect; Ōki’s body was caught by the momentum and thrown down. With this, Tomiki secured victory in the Fourth Division.
This tournament was Tomiki shihan’s final match as an active competitor.
Tomiki shihan’s encounter with budo dates back to his youth. From early childhood, Shihan trained in judo, and during his years at Yokote Middle School, he served as captain of the school’s judo team and distinguished himself as one of the top competitors in the prefecture. Excelling in both academic studies and martial arts, Shihan was awarded the Physical Education Prize and the Academic Excellence Prize upon graduation from Yokote Middle School. At this school’s judo club was also Kujiraoka Takashi sensei, who was three years older than Tomiki shihan. Kujiraoka sensei later attended Tokyo Higher Normal School and afterwards played an active role at the Kodokan. Tomiki Kenzaburo sensei, Tomiki shihan’s younger brother by five years, would also join this Yokote Middle School judo club. Afterwards, Tomiki shihan enrolled at Waseda University and was active as a prominent member of the judo club. Around this time, he also came into contact with Kano Jigoro shihan at the Kodokan. In 1926, while still a student, he was introduced to the founder of aikido, Ueshiba Morihei sensei, by his friend from the Waseda judo club, Nishimura (previously Kubota) Shutaro, and became a student of Ueshiba sensei. From this point on, he began training in aikido in parallel with judo.
In 1930, Kano Jigoro shihan visited Ueshiba Morihei sensei’s dojo and highly praised Ueshiba sensei’s techniques. According to Tomiki shihan, Kano shihan said, “This is my ideal of judo.” Soon after, Kano shihan sent two of his students to Ueshiba’s dojo so they could study Ueshiba sensei’s techniques. In 1936, just before departing for Manchuria, Tomiki shihan, along with Mr. Takasaki Masami, visited the director’s office at the Kodokan to greet Kano shihan. At that time, Kano shihan said, “Tomiki kun, the kind of techniques you’re practicing with Ueshiba san are necessary. In the old days, all jujutsu schools did similar things to Ueshiba san’s techniques. But the question is, how can we train those kinds of things? That’s the real difficulty.” To this, Tomiki shihan replied, “If we apply your principles of judo, I believe nothing is impossible.” He later reflected, “That became the life work I have pursued ever since.”