Kawaraban No. 78

06/2009

by The Head of Tendokan, Kenji Shimizu

This year is the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Tendokan. Kaleidoscopically memories of the Uchideshi period, with which I started my Aikido, pass through my head. In the year 1963 I entered the Aikido class under the supervision of the founder, Morihei Ueshiba, and I want to talk just a little bit about that period.

I practiced all the day from morning to evening, and normally once in a week Mr. Hidehiko Hioki appeared for private training with O-Sensei. At that time Mr. Hioki was the owner of a company of the perfume branch called Masamoto, which was leading in this branch at those days in Japan. As he went on business trips to France I received various souvenirs as Hermes neckties and so on.

Being somewhat audacious I would like to mention that O-Sensei had asked me to do the Ukemi, and so I was Uke for O-Sensei and did the Ukemi for Mr. Hioki. I felt some pride, because nobody else was admitted to this special training. In those days Mr. Hioki was in his sixties and he suffered from Diabetes, and therefore he rested a little every ten minutes. During those breaks I took the chance putting eagerly questions to O-Sensei to learn some details about difficult techniques. Happily he said: “Try to grasp me this way” or “ Try to attack me”, and therefore I was able to learn extremely valuable technical details. Today I consider those secret techniques as my treasure.

Well, I also want to tell something about an extraordinary situation. During the training now and then O-Sensei said: “Next Shimizu should perform (the technique)”, and he mend that I should now throw Mr. Hioki without hesitation, as of course there was no other Uke besides him. As Mr. Hioki was not such a satisfactory Uke I thought that I actually couldn’t throw him severely. But Mr. Hioki was Mr. Hioki, and he said with a serious look showing his firm readiness: “Please attack me without restraint”. Thinking now thoroughly about the situation, I assume that O-Sensei might have intended to teach me that you have to keep always a serious mind whoever our partner may be.

Exactly at some training day O-Sensei went somewhere due to urgent business. Mr. Hioki showed up a little earlier and remarked: “Today I am a bit in a hurry, therefore I would like to finish practice earlier”. But O-Sensei, who left mentioning that he would be back in time for the training with Mr. Hioki, had still not returned. Mr. Hioki said: “Thank you for the wonderful training”. I was worried about the time, but Mr. Hioki as well had time problems, so I did my best teaching him, and Mr. Hioki left for home after about 20 minutes practice.  Immediately following O-Sensei returned and asked: “Did Mr. Hioki show up?” and when I answered with a good feeling: “You let me do the training instead of you”, O-Sensei, who all of a sudden changed completely, became very angry. He called: “ Did you really think that you were able to take over the teaching of Mr. Hioki?” and his eyeballs seemed merely to jump out of his face. Even if I then was in accordance with O-Sensei’s words, I was thinking in my mind: “ Damn it, why doesn’t he understand the situation”.

This private training only took place once a week, and probably was very satisfying for O-Sensei as well, and Mr. Hioki also was keen to profit from the meetings with O-Sensei. He just was a person with an extremely fine character.

After the next morning class O-Sensei, who seemed to have forgotten all about the last day’s incident, said: “ Shimizu, could you please buy some bread (O-Sensei liked sweat bread)”, and I received some coins in my hand. He ignored the people in the bureau, who asked: “What might have happened between the two?” and talked to me at a sunny corner of the Dojo while the two of us ate the pan. I remember quite well that I was very happy that O-Sensei seemed to worry a little bit about me because of the incident at the previous day.

This matter took place about a half century ago, but looking back now, I recollect the fine character of O-Sensei.

© translated by Ichiro Murata and Peter Nawrot 07/2009