Interview with Morihiro Saito Sensei

While re-reading some back issues of Aiki News magazines the other day, I came across an article of an interview with Saito sensei back in May 1979.

The question raised by the editor; was about the danger that what O Sensei taught us will become changed over the course of time into what can no longer be regarded as Aikido. So what would you regard to be fundamentally important points when you teach?

Saito Sensei replied: it is to adhere to basics. People think light of basic and are attracted to fancy techniques. Nowadays one cannot be regarded as good unless he does fancy things. This he said back in 1979 nearly thirty years ago, he also mention that, “It is wrong for a martial artist to try to make a living from students’ tuition by teaching budo”. The reason for this he say’s is that a martial artist shouldn’t be worried about his personnel financial situation, because he will end up giving rank to weak students or he will give special treatment and be biased favour of their gifts.

He mentions that O-Sensei always used to say, “I am what I am because I trained hard style for sixty years. What do you think you can do?” Many people don’t understand the meaning of hard and soft. “Hard” means to do the technique firmly with soft movement. But you find people tend to train in a jerky way and when people do soft training they do it in a lifeless way. Soft movements should be filled with the strongest Ki.

Through very hard training you will come to enjoy Aikido, devote yourself to daily practice observing those things that O-Sensei said. Train as O-Sensei trained himself in Iwama. To do perfect Aikido, study O-Sensei.

Kokyuho is included in the basic, which O-Sensei taught and ki exists in kokyuho itself, but there is no kokyuho in ki. Ki is in kokyuho.

Saito sensei trained in Iwama and there he had the basics drilled into him by O-Sensei even thought they were very hard to learn and must likewise be learned by everyone. Those who persevere will in the end, gain a true understanding when they learn Aikido.

This is just a small part of the interview with Morihiro Saito sensei, (ref. Aiki News magazine No. 34 Interview With Morihiro Saito Sensei (3)).

Now nearly thirty years on where is O-Sensei’s Aikido at, how far has it change? Have we been able to preserve it? I have added a video of Saito sensei which I found on youtube, I hope you enjoy it.

I have seen a change over the years and often wonder how O-Sensei would have felt about this. Aikido is personal and no two people practice it the same but when it comes to basic’s there shouldn’t be any way better than to do O-sensei’s way.

Aikido Books

When I first started to learn aikido there were very few books around to read, video wasn’t invented (smile) so we would group together to watch old cassette tapes of O sensei and Saito sensei to help get a better understanding of aikido and its founder and students. At this time the major books around were Aikido By Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the founder’s son, Aikido and the dynamics sphere by Adele Westbrook, Oscar Ratti and Aikido the Co-ordination of mind and body for self-defence by Koichi Tohei sensei. These were very enlightening books and I suggest to anyone practicing aikido to read these.

Now it seems there are hundreds of books about aikido, from many different authors a lot of whom practice and have practiced aikido to a high level. Two of my favourite books are Morihei Ueshiba Budo Teachings of the Founder of Aikido introduction by Kisshomaru Ueshiba and Abundant Peace the biography of Morihei Ueshiba founder of Aikido.

The book Budo was first published in 1938 and is the only instruction manual that Morihei himself posed for photographs showing his techniques and contains a comprehensive explanation of his philosophy, along with Morihei message that budo is a spiritual path leading to enlightenment, peace and harmony.

Abundant peace by John Stevens who, by the way, has written many books on aikido. It is the biography of Morihei Ueshiba, about the man, the martial artist and the message. It gives you an insight into who Morihei was and what his teaching were in a stimulating and delightful way, with many sayings, enlightening and thought provoking verses.

Aikido And Children

Aikido is a great art for children to learn, I started at about 10 years of age and to be truthful was grateful that I did. I had a terrible temper and would fly off the handle for any little reason, always getting into fights in and out of school. It was when I started to learn Aikido that I started to have somewhere to vent my energy and aggression.

As I began to learn and train I started to at first without really knowing to control my temper, this in a sense was a godsend as my teachers and parents were very worried for me because they thought that I might end up in trouble, big trouble, I learned respect not just for other people but for myself. This can and is often the case not only in aikido but other martial arts also.

Children can learn aikido and most aspects of it, it is hard because we use every part of our body and have to co-ordinate movement with timing but most of all we have to make it fun, and that has a lot to do with the sensei (teacher).

We have to keep in mind when teaching that children are still growing and therefore their bodies are vulnerable when over-training, and training too hard can distort young bones. But children like adults like to achieve, to challenge themselves and it gives them confidence.

Because aikido is a martial art and if practiced incorrectly can be very dangerous it is of the utmost importance that we teach our children respect, not only for each other but their sensei, club and to act appropriately, otherwise their actions could have serious affects. Important make your class fun, give them praise if they train well, likewise tell them if they misbehave, play games instil a sense of worth and value in what they are doing. And in this way hopefully they will come to love aikido and practice it not only on the mat but in every part of their lives, as O Sensei had intended.

Ffenics Aikido

Welcome from Ffenics Aikido.

We are a small club that practice aikido in Sully in South Wales, in the U.K. We started up approximately two years ago, although we have practiced elsewhere. Ffenics is the Welsh spelling for phoenix and was chosen to signify the birth of our new club from the ashes of the past.

Our chief instructor (sensei) is Colin Pike, who first started practicing aikido back in the sixties and was taught by Chiba Sensei who was then head of the British Aikikai federation. Colin ran the Cardiff Aikikai club for over 20 years, teaching countless students of aikido, some of whom have gone on to open and run successful clubs of their own.

We were fortunate to be able to hire a dojo for two evening a week off a local Judo club, which means we have no distraction as we learn Aikido, as others who practice in leisure centres know. We have a children’s class of about 20, ranging from 7 to 14 year olds, we have found that any younger and they struggle to keep their attention fixed. Although Colin’s daughter did start at the age of two, being brought down the club religiously it seems from birth. Our senior class has approximately 15 to 20 members who regularly practice, we practice on Friday and Sunday evening. If you would like to practice, in the area and would like to come see us, email me at aikipad@yahoo.co.uk and leave me your details and i'll get back intouch with you.

Aikido And Our Health

Aikido can be practiced at varying degrees, by anyone whether there young, old, have an injury or are physically impaired. O Sensei (Morihei Ueshiba) I believe accepted people of any age and condition, even over 60 and patiently helped them develop their Aikido.

Aikido improves our physical health and our spiritual health by training the body, mind and the spirit.

You don’t have to be able to roll, break-fall, be extremely agile or move at great speed to participate. You just have to want to do it - the enjoyment comes as you learn aikido. At our club in Sully, we have members ranging from 7 years of age to 68. Some of these have either asthma, cancer, heart conditions, muscle wasting etc and don’t think it is just the older Aikidoka’s that this applies too. Illness doesn’t distinguish between age, but one thing they have in common is the enjoyment and sense of achievement they gain through learning Aikido.

With Aikido you are stretching, bending, rolling, you’re breathing deeply and using you’re Ki (life force / spirit) while you’re moving; all this helps in our daily lives. Another benefit is, for that hour or two you can forget about everything else and immerse yourself in your training.

In aikido we learn how to breathe deeply and purpose filling our lungs to capacity and expelling almost completely. We train not only our bodies but our minds too, while learning how to accept the pain from the techniques we shift our focus of thought, so we can accept it and help our bodies to become more supple and receptive.

When you feel good and your spirit is lifted, then your worries and ailments all seem lessened. I would like to wish a big thank you to all who practice and participate in Aikido.