The Cult of Aikido - Bob Brebner
Recently, on one of my inspections of Paul Mitton's Hayesfield Dojo to make sure
that the Aiki was up to scratch, I was surprised to see in the shrine area, a picture
of someone bearing more than a passing resemblance to myself. (As a matter of fact we
were bowing to a rather unclear photocopy of O'sensei but have never had the heart
to break it to him Ed.)
While I find this sort of thing extremely flattering, it can in no way influence my report to
Mike Narey and furthermore brings home to me with terrifying intensity, the conclusion that
Aikido has become a cult of personality. Furthermore, it is not just the Cult of Ueshiba
because some people are replacing O Sensei's image with pictures of themselves.
I would suspect that this picture business sits uneasily with many people; not least because
of its association not only with exemplary personalities, but nasty dictators as well.
However, I would be the first to admit that many Dojo-cho* find the process of deification
irresistibly seductive, involved as they are, not only in teaching but also the most intimate
concerns of their students. Indeed, I was myself once seduced by this way of thinking and in
an attempt to boost membership, put up a picture of myself on the wall of the Gt. Cheverell dojo.
This was a rather nice picture taken from a 1959 passport photograph. However, it had no effect
on my membership and I was eventually forced to take it down when students complained that it
reminded them of nobody they knew.
A propos this, I am reminded of an amusing incident concerning Minoru Kanetsuka of the Aikikai.
He was coming to take a course at the Trowbridge Dojo, and knowing the Aikikai's penchant for
such things, I realised that I would have to come up with a picture of O-Sensei and a vase of
flowers. The flowers presented no problem and I cut from a magazine a picture of a youngish,
vigorous Ueshiba when he was going through his terrifying Aiki-Budo phase. These were placed
in the shrine area and the course got underway. However, I soon realised that all was not well
as Sensei was casting increasingly uncomfortably glances at our picture. In the end, it was
all too much for him and he took it down, producing from his bag the standard version of
O-Sensei aged 125.
The more I write this article, the more worried I get, especially when I realise that my
hero, Koichi Tohei is involved in all this. I have just read in 'Aiki Journal' an article
by David Lynch in which he compares Tohei's organization with a Doomsday Cult waiting to happen.
Apparently, before practice, student's are subjected to Sensei's thoughts from a little black book!
Little black books, little red books. . . ?
If you ask people why they bow to a picture of O-Sensei, they will often tell you that they
are not necessarily bowing to the man but rather to what he represented. While he deserves
respect and gratitude for instituting the intriguing path which many of us follow, what he
stood for in a moral and philosophical sense is wide open to question. Even the 'Budo of Love'
concept, so admired by foreigners is considered by many sources to be quite other than what
many people are led to believe.
As a matter of interest, does anyone know if Ueshiba, had pictures of himself, Sokaku Takeda
or more significantly Onisaburo Deguchi on the walls of his dojo?
The longer I practice Aiki, the more convinced I become that we should divest ourselves of
Japanese cultural encumbrances; strange garments, grades, associations etc., which serve
only to make more difficult the study of the intriguing hypotheses presented by this art.
Over here at the Gt. Cheverell Dojo, we only use mats and wear gi on state occasions, which
enables us to divest ourselves psychologically of the baggage and get down to the nitty
gritty of the art. Also, we always have a cup of tea before practice, another one at half-time
and sometimes another at the end of the session and in the cold weather we always have a long
warm up session by the radiator. All this has a sort of humanising effect and induces a state
of deep relaxation which is of course essential to the practice. If, as sometimes happens,
people become so relaxed that they no longer feel the need for Aikido, we all go to one of
the car boot sales which are to be found everywhere in this area on Sunday mornings.
I was introduced to the link between tea drinking and Aikido at a Ken Williams course many
years ago and must confess that I found the practice decadent on that occasion though with
increasing maturity I have come to appreciate its intrinsic benefits.
I must admit that until recently I was plagued by thoughts of increasing eccentricity etc.,
that was until I read an article by the redoubtably Okinawan Kobudo exponent, Takashi Kinjo
in the French publication, 'arts martiaux et es traditions d'extreme-orient'.
He writes :'Le contrast entre les dojos Japonais et Okinawaiens est trappant. Alors que dans
les premiers regne, une discipline stricte quasi-militaire, les dojo's d'Okinawa semblent
jouir d'une ambience plus detendue ou la pratique martiale semble integue a
la vie quotidienne...il n'est pas rare entre deux katas de prendre une tasse de the en
devisant tranquillement!
(Ed. For people like myself who 'do not have the French' a rough translation is provided:
The contrast between the Japanese and the Okinawan dojo is striking. In the former there
is almost a military discipline where as the Okinawa dojos seem to enjoy a much more
relaxed atmosphere where the martial arts practise is integrated into daily life. It
is not rare to have a cup of tea between katas in a relaxed manner!)
I apologize if the iconoclastic sentiments expressed in this article have offended
anyone, however, persons wishing to discuss the present distressing cultist tendencies
in Aikido can reach me on 01380 724086.