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O' Sensei Morihei Ueshiba
Shoji Nishio Sensei
Masakazu Tazaki Sensei
Koji Yoshida Sensei
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True Budo is the one that defeats an enemy without sacrificing a single man. Even in war, the taking of a human life is to be avoided as much as possible. Give peace a chance each and every time you are faced with a confrontation. Morihei Ueshiba. Budo Renshu (1933)
Morihei worked behind the scenes to try to head off a war between the United States and Japan, a subversive act in the eyes of the military police that could have led to his arrest for treason. Morihei's message largely fell on deaf ears.
After Japan's crushing defeat, one military man confessed, "If we had really understood what Morihei was teaching us we would never have become embroiled in such a stupid war." In 1942, pleading serious illness, Morihei resigned all his official positions and retired to his farm in Iwama in Ibaraki Prefecture.
It was in this year, one of the darkest in modern history, that Morihei vowed to dedicate himself to what he now called Aikido, "the Way of Harmony and the Art of Peace."
In 1945 the war came to its disastrous conclusion for Japan, and the country was in ruins. Morihei recovered his health and announced the new goal for the warriors of Aikido: "We will train to prevent war, to protect the environment, and to serve society."
Morihei spent much of his time in prayer, meditation,and practice, but he did also manage to travel extensively on instruction tours (including one to Hawaii in 1961). Right to the end of his life, Morihei was constantly refining his technique and expanding his art.
"This old man still has to train and train," he told his students.
Morihei died peacefully on April 26,1969.
His final words of instruction to his students were:
Aikido is for the entire world. It is not for selfish and destructive purposes. Train unceasingly for the welfare of all.
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Shoji Nishio Sensei, a direct student of O'Sensei, was born in Aomori, Japan, December 5,1927. Nishio Sensei started training in Judo at the Senbadojo in Tokyo in 1942, and on September 1st, 1945 began training at the Kodokan in Tokyo. He continued his study of martial arts by beginning to practice Shizenryu Karate in Tokyo and on January 1st, 1979, he was promoted to 8th Dan in Aikido. In addition to his many other accomplishments Nishio Sensei is the founder of Aikido Toho Iaido. This style of Iaido is in direct relationship to Aikido movements and uses the sword to cut a path of non-harming, following in O'Sensei's desire to take the war out of our hearts in training. He is a Japan Iaido Federation Master with the ranking of 7th Dan. He currently holds high levels of Black-belts in many martial arts, such as 6th Dan in Judo, and 5th Dan in Karatedo. In January 2003 in Tokyo Nishio Sensei received the Distinguished Martial Arts Award from the “Budokan” Japanese Martial Arts Organization. |
Shoji Nishio Sensei passed away March 15 th 2005. He will greatly missed, and remembered for his untiring work for a deeper understanding of Budo.
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Koji Yoshida Sensei
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Yoshida Sensei has been a direct student of Shoji Nishio Sensei for over 33 years. He holds the rank of 6th Dan in Aikido, 6th dan Renshi in Iaido, and 7th Dan in Aikido Toho Iai. He has been appointed by Nishio Sensei to represent his work in the United States and Europe. |
