Originally Posted by
Andrew S
From what I have read, I gather that Sokaku was fairly paranoid. Combine this with his samurai lineage (and the notion that a samurai should be prepared for battle at all times) I'm not surprised.
Ueshiba was of merchant lineage, but from a few texts I get the idea that he wanted so be of samurai heritage. Anyway, there are photos showing him performing Daito Ryu / aikibudo / aikido techniques with a fan, so the notion of him being armed with an iron fan says nothing about the effectiveness of his art. I see it more as making the odds a little more even. As Tony says, the expectation would be that assailants would probably not be unarmed.
Andrew,
Morihei Ueshiba's immediate family were moderately wealthy farmers and his father was a member of the local council. Another relative had a business in Tokyo and is thought to have helped to finance M Ueshiba's move to Hokkaido: it is less clear whether he financed his short-lived venture in Tokyo. Ueshiba's wife was of samurai stock and there is some discussion about his work for the imperial family. This has not, so far, been corroborated.
Peter Goldsbury,
Forum Administrator,
Hiroshima, Japan