Kimura Jiro Shihan is a Japanese Aikido teacher,
successor of Kobayashi Hirokazu Shihan in Japan
and director of the Buikukai, one of the largest organizations affiliated with the Aikikai Foundation.
He started Aikido in 1963 as a Junior High School student under Kobayashi Hirokazu Shihan,
well before the passing of Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba.
Kimura Shihan is one of the main Aikido figures of the Kansai region.
He received his 8th Dan at the 2016 Kagamibiraki ceremony,
at the same time as Christian Tissier and Miyamoto Tsuruzo Shihan.
To cover the many aspects of Kimura Sensei's practice,
Guillaume Erard, a Daito Ryu practitioner and Aikido historian,
and Jordy Delage - who started Aikido in a group affiliated to Kobayashi Hirokazu -
teamed up for a joint interview held at the master's Dojo in Osaka.
We invite you to discover a not-so-well-known portion of Aikido practice and history
with one of the kindest gentleman we have had the opportunity to meet.
Kobayashi Sensei did not really talk about his war experience,
so I don't know much about it.
All I know is that he was introduced by someone
to Ueshiba Morihei Sensei just after the war.
I did not want to ask him questions about the war,
so I really don't know if what people say about it is authentic or not.
For most people during the war,
and unlike us nowadays,
their only concern was to survive that difficult time.
Anyway, I think that Kobayashi Sensei was happy:
he met someone, a model he could follow all is life
and he managed to make Aikido his main job during all those years.
He met an incredible man
who gave him the motivation to choose his path...
I think he found happiness in all that.
War was a very chaotic period.
My parents told me that they suffered a lot.
They had almost nothing to eat...
Kobayashi Sensei lived through those troubled times,
found a life-long pursuit,
and met O-sensei... Yes I think he was happy.
Since you also practice Aikido I am sure you already know about this...
In Aikido you defeat your opponent using both vertical and horizontal movements.
When you use horizontal moves, you either want to "suck your opponent in"
or try to read his intents and enter in his space accordingly.
When using vertical motions, you either want to pull your opponent's power down or try to break his balance.
Kobayashi Sensei liked horizontal techniques quite a lot,
especially the "sucking the opponent in" ones.
He was very good at it and used it a lot.
He was also using "tsugi-ashi" a lot.
You know, when the front foot leap forward and is immediately followed by the back one...
[Jordy] "like in Kendo..." [Sensei] "indeed"
Like when they hit "Men"
Feet chasing each-other...
The hakama is hiding our feet, right?
It hides the stance's width.
When he was young, his stance's width was quite wide, but later on, it became very narrow.
You could leap in or retreat, the second foot was never far behind.
Kobayashi Sensei's retreating moves were especially strong.
He was also good at evolving from nikyo to kotegaeshi
and vice versa.
Or from sankyo to kotegaeshi...
This kind of techniques...
Even from yonkyo, he would go to this kotegaeshi.
This rotation was also very characteristic of his style.
Those techniques require however a huge amount of training and refinement.
I am sure he trained a lot to acquire this combination of strength and suppleness.
Suppleness only is not enough...
You wouldn't be able to move a big and strong foreigner.
You need power, and therefore tanren practice, as well.
In Daito-ryu there are techniques where one keeps sticking to the opponent.
I think he was using some of them as well, actually.
I myself use this side and this side of my arm to stick to my opponent...
There are many techniques like that.
You don't want to loose contact... You stick to the opponent and twist your body around.
I personally use this knee as a pivot for my body.
But Kobayashi Sensei was very fluid;
like this...
That really characterised him: he wasn't taking shortcuts using his hands only.
Footwork was the essence.
Tsugi-ashi...
[Jordy] "What about kaeshi-waza?"
He liked it very much.
As you know, kaeshi-waza are very difficult techniques to master.
Succeeding in countering the technique of an experienced practitioner is the hardest thing.
Yet, if you can read your opponent's strength and use fluid moves to counter it...
He loved this kind of techniques and used them a lot.
[Jordy] "I heard that he was also doing those techniques from a seated position (with is toes laying flat)..."
The question here is: do you sit on your toes or not.
I personally do.
Kobayashi Sensei did not. And still he could apply all his techniques.
I think he could do it because his absorption power was very strong.
Unskilled people would be pulling with their arms only,
but Kobayashi Sensei wasn't.
He was using his elbows and shoulders as pivots.
He was indeed using the power of his hara,
not just his arms...
Therefore, being on his toes or not wasn't a problem: he would have pinned you down before that stage anyway...
Back in those days, Tanaka Bansen Sensei, Abe Seiseki Sensei and Kobayashi Sensei
were very influential in the Kansai area.
Tanaka Sensei passed away, but his foundation, the Osaka Aikikai,
is still powerful nowadays.
Houn Sensei, the son of Abe Sensei, succeeded his father
and is now working hard to spread his own style.
The Buikukai evolved into a federation after the death of Kobayashi Sensei
but it has now a very large membership.
It is probably second in number after the Osaka Aikikai.
People used to say: "because the Aikikai, Abe Sensei and the Buikukai are in bad terms
they will never be able to create a federation in Osaka, never!"
Well, we talked about it and were able to create it right away!
We all thought that old quarrels were water under the bridge then.
We knew it was time to unite and support Ueshiba Sensei.
There haven't been any problems since. [Osaka Aikido Federation current president: Shimamoto Katsuyuki, 8th Dan]
Not at all!
It is a contraction of Buiku Center and Yudansha-Kai --> Buikukai.
So we officially called it Buikukai.
Behind the place where you stayed last night in Tennoji,
was a big sports and martial art center.
The Dojo was called Osaka Buiku Center.
The Aikido black belt committee took the the name of the Dojo and made up Buikukai
and started to use it in Tokyo during Dan examinations.
There is thus no special meaning to it.
Sorry, I am evading the question:
What do you think? How do you see it?
That is my answer.
Am I doing my true Aikido or am I not?
I let you judge.
We trained together during the past 2 days...
Don't you think that my techniques were somehow different from what I do during demonstrations?
For 2 or 3 minutes, you must be ready to show your personality and your Aikido.
A demonstration is not a performance.
It is often misunderstood.
Those are two different things.
This isn't an act.
Every single instant of it must be real, powerful, with Zanshin
Of course there may be moments were you relax a bit, but...
A demonstration allows me to express the Aikido I've mastered so far and the Aikido I am now working on.
I want to show that I am alive thanks to Aikido.
I have done a lot of demonstrations. Yet I feel that the Budokan is a special place.
There, I always have the jitters...
I normally do not feel "stage fright", but I am always nervous at the Budokan, for some reason.
I admire the Doshu who always seems unaffected by the atmosphere.
Well, everybody is different!
[I consider the Budokan a sacred place and doing demonstration there must be an expression of gratitude. ]
I do not know if other people have the same reasoning,
but I try to use those minutes to show who I am and how Aikido makes me alive.
I do not know if I look good, but I sure give all I have when I do a demonstration.
[Jordy] "People's expectations certainly increase when you reach 8 Dan..." [Sensei] "Indeed"
[Jordy] "High-ranking sensei must feel a lot of pressure..." [Sensei] "Naturally"
In my opinion, the simplest techniques are the best to demonstrate.
Because the most effective martial art techniques are always the simplest ones.
For example in Aikido, Ikkyo or Irimi.
Things like kote-gaeshi, etc. are actually quite difficult.
Pinning down techniques are simple and very effective.
8-dan senseis generally focus on a particular aspect of Aikido during their demonstrations.
I think that Takenaka Sensei and me make a good contrast.
Takenaka Sensei endeavours to express his style.
[Guillaume] "Takenaka from Kyoto?"
No, 'the' Takenaka from Wakayama.
This year, I did my demonstration at the same time as Takenaka Sensei,
but I also wanted to express my personality through
my concept of "instantaneous contact". [One must not only react but engage the opponent and lead him to attack or grab the way he wants.]
This is something that is also connected to my way of life.
I am not interested in performance.
I am afraid of failing, of course, but at the same time I like to do demonstrations.
In any case, it is not about performance but how you express your true self...
How do people see my demonstrations? This not something for me to say.
On the contrary, this is something for me to ask.
It is probably a coincidence.
The thing is, I consider women and men equally.
I don't alter my teaching because she is a woman or he is a child...
The most important in martial arts is enthusiasm and devotion,
in my opinion.
I don't accept comments such as "I am strong, I don't wanna train with a girl".
I instead gladly welcome people who show enthusiasm and understanding.
Needless to say, I deeply respect Okamoto Sensei,
because she is having amazing results as a female instructor.
There are very few professional Japanese women.
I wish the girls who come to my Dojo now
have a successful Aikido life like Okamoto Sensei.
Yes, I really admire Okamoto Sensei.
Despite her position, everybody loves her,
And she has reached a very high position.
I think she is amazing.
Anyway...
I am not exactly sure why there are so many young people in the Buikukai,
but when I think about its future, that makes me very happy.
Seniors can of course enjoy Aikido as well
but there would be no future without children.
So I am very thankful.
Again, I don't know why they are so many
but anyway, I treat everybody equally.
My students face me with enthusiasm,
even frail women;
they all practice very seriously.
They are great!
Anyway, to answer your question in short, I think it is just a coincidence...
I hope it is the case...
Teachers must be impeccable
and the 8-dan even more.
They must become a model.
When you get older you tend to "enforce" your own views;
that must be annoying for younger practitioners...
Martial arts must be severe nevertheless.
Discipline is necessary.
Hierarchical relationships also.
The way we address each other is also important.
Power harassment has become a social issue nowadays.
In the past, teachers tended to be very harsh, like:
"You bunch of idiots suck!", etc.
We now call that "power harassment".
Personally, I don't think harassing people is a good method
but one must be strict while showing empathy.
[Jordy] "In Tokyo people are quite cold..."
You are exaggerating a bit!
When I meet them they are quite friendly.
But the way people talk in Tokyo may feel a bit colder indeed
I find them all very kind in fact.
In Osaka, the tone of language can be different...
Tokyo people are probably conversely surprised when they come here.
[Jordy] "French people get along better with Osaka people..."
I seems so!
In any case, I am very glad that you came here to train with me.
I am also glad that my students could practice with high-ranking foreigners like you
Thank you very much for training with them.
I met many people thanks to Aikido.
Thanks to Aikido, I could go abroad and make many friends.
And because of *that*..., no, sorry *that* is a disrespectful way of saying it.
[reformulates] And Thanks to Aikido, I was able to meet you.
Aikido is part of my life.
I don't know how many years I have left,
but I intend to do Aikido until the day I die.
I hope I answered your questions accurately.
Forgive me if I did not.
Aikido is a subtle martial art, with no end goal to it.
We Japanese see it as a "Way".
It is up to each practitioner
to discover its attraction
and find how to keep progressing.
Whatever happens on the way, this path is endless.
"It is long and thin", I used to say.
Now I say: "continue as long as you can, whatever may happen".
"You can take a break if you need
but come back later and continue as long as you can".
You will find wonderful things in Aikido.
Many times...
You will find yourself thinking: "I am glad to have Aikido in my life".
I cannot give you all the keys...
All I can say is: "please keep on training".
Thank you very much.
For more infomation >> A Christmas to change it all | #BarçaNewRules - Duration: 1:37. 
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét