09/12/2022
https://www.facebook.com/YaheSolomon/photos/a.622773651173534/2042854912498727/
MASTER
I tend to emphasize principle over technique. My reason is as follows; I truly believe that anyone’s aikido can be drastically deepened by the correct use of principles regardless of style.
As I mentioned previously, Chiba sensei is my strongest influence technically, yet I’ve studied with pretty well all the Japanese first generation teachers. Masters Nakazono M. And K. was where I began this path at the age of six. Had some great practice from Saotome Sensei as well in my teenage years. Arikawa, Yamaguchi, Tada In Hombu Dojo along with K. and M. Ueshiba Doshus as uchideshi at Hombu. Was blessed to have connected with M. Saito Sensei several times over the years.
The diversity of the environment in Hombu Dojo was initially a little disconcerting. I often thought to myself how do these guys, all great teachers in their own rights all look at each other without sticking out their tongue and saying, “what you do isn’t Aikido na,na”. One could hardly qualify them all as even practicing the same art. To the untrained eye in no possible universe would one classify Arikawa, Yamaguchi and Tada Sensei as doing the same art, the one everyone called Aikido. The difference was insane in their various expressions.
Yet - here’s the truth of the matter. All of these masters had art that was so radically different in appearance simply due to the fact that they truly were masters of their art. The master is by definition one whose style looks like no one else, and not only that can never in the entire history of the world or that to come express and embody Aikido in the same manner.
One of the lectures(See Sermons) that Chiba Sensei gave me on my departure for Japan was simply this; go, stay open and train sincerely. You need the input from multiple angles and expressions in order to become a master yourself.
At this point there’s something which needs to be remembered clearly about Chiba sensei. Namely his understanding and acceptance of process. His position as the “coach“ in the Aikido world was established in stone throughout multiple generations I quickly realized. The then younger generations teachers such as Yokota Miyamoto Osawa, all said Chiba sensei is the best teacher. Even Arikawa sensei one time said “oh Chiba he’s the coach.”
There is to some extent an idea out there of a “ Chiba Sensei style of Aikido“ as much is there is a Yamaguchi or Saito style. At a quick glance this observation is accurate in that they all have certain inherent agreements. Yet the observation itself is actually only half true at best as it misses the greater truth which is that these men were masters who express themselves in a manner which is simply suitable,enjoyable and at the end of the day interesting to them as their own personal path.
Chiba Sensei had his traits,this is for sure. Martial relevance, that was one i.e. unbalance your opponent, don’t move in front of an opponent who is planted, connectedness, sticky Ukemi etc. If there was a central theme of his I would say most principles were exaggerated a bit. After all he was a teacher and his main focus was imparting correct Aikido to his students. Correct as in one which would eventually lead to its own sense of mastery in each of them. This was even more important to him than his own practice.
So at the end of the day mastery is its own goal, one which is very fascinating to me, as much now as it was when I was 20 actually.
There is something inside of me which always wanted to be free, I think it’s a deeply held human sentiment. Some express it through politics,some through adventure skiing or dirt biking. Or gaining a deeper understanding of the world either in a given field or just in general none are wrong all are good.
My obsession has always been physical, to feel what is actual in my own very body through space movement and rhythm in relation to others. It’s elemental, it’s real, it’s alive and I can touch it and live it. In a word -mastery.
Its freedom to to me as I understand it, and it is my love.
My entire intent is to help you on a path to your own mastery of this wonderful art. To a position where when someone looks at your practice they’ll not really be able to even say who your teacher is as you just look like yourself. If they happen to have be very astute they may feel simply feel there is just something fundamentally right or alive about it.
I won’t lie to you, it takes work, it takes practice and it takes committing to a process. I have been in circumstances where It was all Aikido all day and all night. Chiba Senseis Kenshusei program comes to mind. In that setting we all did the same thing, a lot of practice under a master who truly was the teacher’s teacher. Yet even then sadly some got their sense of mastery and others did not. I do not know why.
When I ran a Dojo in Connecticut for many years, I had students who showed up for class twice a week and had done so for years simply because it was who they were and was on some level deep inside of them simply what they were about. They would put in the same number of actual practice hours in a year as most of us in our old Kenshusei days did in a few weeks. Yet some of these folks absolutely had their mastery of the art. It was stunning and gorgeous to see. Again I still don’t know why.
All of this has led me to the point I am at now which is a point of hope for you and everyone practicing this art. That you can be masters of this art of Aikido and all that implies in the way of joy and depth of being in what I feel is a very universal understanding of some principles that exist in our world as we know it.
I I hope you will join me on this journey.
Photo with Chiba Sensei, 1992
