At the Funeral of Ueshiba Kisshomaru doshu
Almost 20 years after Tomiki shihan passed away, Ueshiba Kisshomaru doshu passed away on 4th January 1999. I am reminded that when I attended the funeral, I saw that the name of the then Kancho (President) of Shodokan, Tomiki Fusae sensei (Tomiki shihan’s wife), had been accorded a place of great prominence written high up on the list of attendees. It was an opportunity for me to once again realize the important position that Tomiki shihan had held within the world of Aikido as one of the earliest high-ranking disciples of the founder, Ueshiba Morihei O sensei. At that time, I also had the opportunity to reconnect with Fujita Masatake sensei again, and spoke with him briefly.
Tomiki shihan’s Legacy and True Intentions
Tomiki shihan named the practice methods he established through many years of research ‘Aikido Kyogi’ (Competitive Aikido). He had a strong attachment to this term and used it in a variety of situations. Some examples of this include, the educational film he made entitled ‘Aikido Kyogi’ (produced by TBS Britannica in 1976), the text he wrote titled ‘Aikido Kyogi as a modern form of physical education’ (1977), the newsletter ‘Aikido Kyogi’ (renamed from ‘Aiki-to’ in 1978), and the “All Japan Aikido Kyogi Seminar” (held in both 1978 and 1979, in Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture). Tomiki shihan very much disliked putting his own name to his practice methods for Aikido. Shihan aimed for the modernization of Aikido, or in other words the establishment of ‘Aikido Kyogi’, and not the creation of a so-called ‘Tomiki ryu’ as a single school or style.
On 28th March 1976, Shodokan was reconstructed as the Central Dojo for Aikido Kyogi (Competitive Aikido). In his role as Kancho (President) of Shodokan, Tomiki shihan gave an address during the dojo’s official opening ceremony. In this address Tomiki shihan describes his vision for the modernization of aikido by clearly and systematically describing the history of budo, the training process and philosophies of earlier masters, and the future direction that Aikido Kyogi should take. I would like to introduce this address below.
We are approaching nearly fifty years that have passed since that opening ceremony of Shodokan as the Central Dojo. As the current Kancho (President) of Shodokan, I write this to ensure that Tomiki shihan’s legacy is faithfully conveyed to the next generation. I will conclude my remarks by requesting that our Aikido be referred to in a manner that honors Tomiki shihan’s vision and remains faithful to his heart and true intentions.
Read Kenji Tomiki’s remarks from the opening of the honbu dojo