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korin taky
7th August 2003, 21:33
Dear all,

Once I have already arrived at this forum, the first thing I thought was the amazing knowledgment that most of members have shown about traditional martial arts and gendai budo.

I shot my first message to discuss about it. Most of people knows about Mochizuki Minoru connection to Daito ryu. It is said (and proved) that Ueshiba sensei delivered two Daito ryu scrolls to Mochizuki sensei, one called hiden ogi and another called goshin yo no te. Other way says that Mochizuki Daito ryu credentials are some hiden mokuroku scroll and hiden ogi no koto. So the goshin yo no te, a very advanced techniques, does not apear in Mochizuki currículum.

The fact is that in Yoseikan method, the Daito ryu references are very low, as we see in the book Nihon den Jujutsu, and in many Yoseikan aikido sessions.

What about this two ways of the story? Anyone knows some teacher of Yoseikan Budo that focus more training into Daito techniques? Did Mochizuki Minoru focus and teach this intermediate and advanced techniques someday in th past, or simply adopted what he likes more?

Thanks, and best regards from Spain, :wave:

Phil Farmer
11th August 2003, 04:00
Minoru Sensei was invited back to the Daito Ryu a number of times to correct technique and to help them maintain their course. In 1992, at the friendship demonstration in Japan, Minoru Sensei took daito ryu to task for having unrealistic attacks and techniques that did not work. He was not very popular in some circles for his comments. This story was verified by a daito ryu member in Japan who was at the demonstration.

As to the daito ryu being in Yoseikan, it certainly is, and is incorporated throughout the curriculum but to recognize the techniques you would have to see how daito ryu was done in the 1920's and 1930's when it was a much "harder" art than it is in modern times. The information on the teaching scrolls is accurate and were indeed awarded by Ueshiba.

At the memorial service for Minoru Sensei in France in July, his son reviewed some of that history with those present. Yoseikan has incorporated some daito ryu techniques but has advanced far beyond the early work done by Minoru Sensei. At this time, Yoseikan cannot be considered an aikido style. It is now its own integrated martial art. The spirit of the old martial art styles that looked always to martial effectiveness over ritual is very much alive and well. Hiroo Mochizuki, also an uchi deshi of Ueshiba, has worked tirelessly for many years to refine and improve the art. He continues to view Yoseikan as a means to develop the universal culture exchanges and peace that Ueshiba dreamed of for aikido.

The daito ryu influence is there if you look for it but you must look for the daito ryu of 60 years ago, when Minoru Sensei felt it was effective, not the current level of daito ryu techniques.

I hope this helps and thank you for acknowledging the history of Master Minorue Mochizuki. His death on May 30th of this year was the end of an important era for the old masters of Japanese martial arts.

Phil Farmer
President
United States Yoseikan Budo Association