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phil
17th December 2000, 21:23
I would like to clear up a few things about Yoseikan Budo. First, the easy one, Minoru Mochizuki Sensei is not dead. He was gravely ill about a year ago but has since moved to live with his son, Hiroo Mochizuki in France. His health has in fact improved to the point where he demonstrated technique at the international camp last July. He does indeed possess the 59 dan rankings referred to in such wide ranging areas as Aikido _ 10th dan, Judo 8 th dan, Shotokan 5 th dan, etc. Another question that I noticed was about Gokyushinryu (please forgive spelling). The sutemi done in our style is from this art and Mochizuki Sensei has dan ranking and a teaching certificate in this now dead style. A third question I saw was related to Norm Belsterling. He does in fact hold a shodan ranking in Yoseikan and this is why many of his techniques and sutemi look familiar.

I would also like to address Mr. Williamson's note. I am one of the instructors in Texas and would like to assure you that he never visited my dojo. For one thing, I do not advertise in the newspaper and, until this past October, I was the only black belt in our style in East Texas. I would also like to point out that our other dojo in Texas is in Waco, Texas and I can assure you that Mr. Williamson did not visit that dojo either. The chief instructor there is Dr. Glen Pack, 6th Dan, Renshi, and the U.S. Technical Director. He is also a vice president of the Yoseikan World Federation. Unless it has changed in the last two months, that dojo does not advertise in the local newspaper either. It is a club and continuing education program of Baylor University. The other black belt at that dojo is Pat Saiz. She is 5th Dan and an excellent teacher in her own right. The only other dojo in Texas is headed up by a Brown belt (ikkyu) assistant instructor in Houston. This brown belt is a direct student of Dr. Pack and there are no other black belts there. I find it interesting that the gentleman was introduced to a "shihan" in Yoseikan when the only two people in the entire style that utilize that title are Minoru Mochizuki and Hiroo Mochizuki.

These type of attacks, quite frankly, are why I tend to avoid ebudo. I have no desire to question another person's style, but if I do, I will only base that criticism on solid, first-hand knowledge. I have some concerns that Master Minoru Mochizuki has never gotten the recognition of his role in martial arts that he deserves, though he is the first to eschew any such recognition. If anyone would like to visit our Texas dojos, please let me know and I will contact that instructor. We have dojo in Alabama, Pennsylvania, and soon in Maine.

Finally, a small piece of history. The control of the Yoseikan name was passed from father to son in 1995 and Hiroo Mochizuki is now the worldwide head of the organization. Many Yoseikan dojo in the U.S. are part of Yoseikan international and this group is lead by Patrick Auge Sensei in California. Please feel free to email me with Yoseikan questions and I will try to answer as accurately as possible.

Dr. Phil Farmer
U.S.Y.B.A.
Instructor

Neil Hawkins
18th December 2000, 01:49
Phil

Thanks for you comments and welcome.

Again I apologise for mistakenly saying that Mochizuki Sensei had died, I am sure that I had read it somewhere and as I mentioned a Japanese Aikido instructor seemed to confirm it to me recently. I am glad that his health is improving and that he is still practicing.

I agree that Mochizuki Sensei has been overlooked in the world of Budo and now-a-days there are few who have any knowledge of him or Yoseikan, I hope that you will stay around for awhile and improve that by perhaps discussing the style and it's origins with us here.

There are definitely people here that have a genuine interest in learning more. My instructor (Jan De Jong of Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu), spent some time with Mochizuki Sensei in the 70's and holds him in high esteem. I will contact you off-line with some questions, but please help us in eliminating the miss-conceptions that some people hold about budo today.

Regards

Neil

phil
18th December 2000, 05:34
Thank you, Neil, for a friendly response. I may know of how someone could be mistaken on responding to Yoseikan. During those early years, another student of Ueshiba created Yoshinkan. The two arts are often interchanged, quite erroneously. In our small town here in East Texas, a rather dubious martial artist has professed to be a practitioner of this style. I contacted Japan for verification of this and learned that there was no connection. I have a passion for my art and all things related to legitimate martial arts. However,until we follow the lead of those who practice martial arts in Europe and begin to demand a license for each instructor and regulate the whole area of martial arts, these sorts of mistakes will continue.

Minoru Mochizuki is quite a radical for being Japanese. He is reportedly one of the very few people ever to disagree with or question Ueshiba Sensei. That may explain his development of an art that includes judo, jiujitsu,aikido, shotokan, and the weapons elements of katori shinto ryu. What has happened in more recent history is that his son, Hiroo Mochizuki, has taken his father's work and in typical Japanese fashion has "tweeked" it up to include modern fighting skills. Hiroo Sensei has some definite ideas about punching and using the human body that are unique. He spends much time on the idea of a wave. So much so that our international gi is a blue top, white pants with a blue stripe and a blue and white obi. All students in international wear the same belt.

In the Yoseikan World Federation, Yoseikan Budo consists of aiki, nihon jiujutsu,kempo, iaido, kenjutsu, karate and even batjutsu. These are all considered to be elements of one art (this is Hiroo Sensei's explanation)called Yoseikan Budo. The Batjutsu is not a required element but does incorporate the skills of kyudo, throwing the lance (I dont know the Japanese name off-hand) and kenjutsu all from horseback. Master Hiroo and his sons practice this in France and there are even competitions. In talking with Master Hiroo, I explained that it seemed like a good way to fall off of a horse. His response was to laugh and explain that it was indeed a good way to practice one's ukemi skills. Somehow, I don't find that as funny as he did.

There is much history and philosophy that I would be glad to fill in as best I can. I get excited, as you can tell, whenever I get the chance to clear up issues and talk about Yoseikan.

Phil Farmer