Shoji Nishio & his karate and judo experiences

[slaszysz]

Hi,

I have a question about Shoji Nishio sensei. From different sources I heard that he has 4/5/6 dan in judo and 4/5/6/7 dan in karate.
I would know how long he practiced judo and karate and from who he received his ranks.

This is not troll question.

[szczepan]

Hi Slaszysz,
You forgot to ask if there were any competitions he won...

[MarkF]

As far as I know, he is graded to 4-dan in Kodokan Judo, and 8-dan Aikikai. I don't know his karate grade nor where he learned.


Mark

[Aiki-Wacky]

He has a 7th Dan in Iaido and is the Founder of Aiki-toho, the applacation of the sword as is used in aikido.
as far as Karate goes i´m almost sure he has a 4th Dan. I trained in Straßbourg,France unter him(and about 200 others)(not saying he was there just for me)lol. and my instructor (Gilles De´Chenerilles 6.Dan) has known Master Nishio for atleast 25 years. Gilles is a good friend to a man named Paul Müller. Paul is often a personal guest at Master Nishio´s home in japan. Now Sensei Nishio is gettin older but i have to say as far as i can judge(i´m not worthy)he is like an Aikido God, fast, crisp, just unreal to watch and a joy. and his work with the Jo is unreal, wow!!! If you ever have a chance to study Aikido with the flavor of Nishio, you will be a very happy camper.I have trained with his two senior people as well, Yoshida Sensei, and my favorite Shishiya. they are so good. i´m lucky to live in Europe and am able to train with such great Aikidoka..hand in hand.

[szczepan]

Aiki-Wacky
we know He is great and God-like,

....but...
What we still don't know: how long and where he did judo and karate, who gave him ranks in judo and karate, did he perform any competition in judo and karate?

[slaszysz]

Szczepan, don't pick on the competitions! This is not important!

[Aiki-Wacky]

All this talk about competition and the like, It has its place I'm sure of that! But as so often we get into this Gunslinger from Drygluch mentality. We all train with a Teacher, and we look to this person for guidance and sometimes even off the mat, and for us these people are revered for what they mean to us. Nishio Sensei spent most of his life as an Adult walking in the path of O´Sensei. He had seen him in the good times as well as the bad( O´Sensei had a temper)(who does not??). Think about what you feel about your Teacher? I would say a lifetime and legacy rubbed off on Nishio Sensei, do you think he would maybe secretly runoff every now and then and go to a competition every now and again??? I think not. Please let the people who have earned there keep, and in my case his keep is, with respect to his training three of my lifetimes in fact, he has been training in Aikido, remain what he, is a true Icon in the world of Aikido.

The Greatest UFC Champion will never have the impact on so many lives and reach, touch the heart of so many people as in the Case of Sensei Nishio. Is that not good enough??? For me with out a doubt, it might not be enough for you, and that´s ok......

[szczepan]

So you really know NOTHING about judo and karate background of Nishio sensei?

[Aiki-Wacky]

NO, sorry can´t help ya there.
does his judo and karate background really make a difference?
as far as Aikido goes?

[kokumo]

Originally posted by szczepan
So you really know NOTHING about judo and karate background of Nishio sensei?

Hmmmm....it's not like it's that hard to look these things up:

Shoji Nishio Sensei was born in Aomori Prefecture in 1927. He entered the Aikikai Hombu Dojo at the end of 1955. He practiced judo, karate,
iaido, and jodo prior to beginning in aikido. The skills he acquired through his practice of these martial arts are incorporated seamlessly into his unique aikido. Nishio Sensei makes regular trips abroad to Scandinavia, Europe and the U.S.A. - A.J.

Shoji Nishio Sensei is an 8th dan Shihan, Aikikai Federation, and 7th dan Shihan in the Nihon Zendoku Iaido Federation. He also holds a 4th dan in Kodokan Judo and a 4th dan in Shindo Shizen ryu of Karatedo. He has also studied Shindo Muso ryu - Jodo(staff), and Hozoin ryu - Yari(spear). He has developed a new school of Iaido with forms based upon Aikido techniques, Aiki Toho Iaido.

source: http://www.nerdz.com/aikido/nishio.html

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. January 2003 in Tokyo Nishio Sensei received the Distinguished Martial Arts Award from the Japanese Martial Arts Organization.

source: http://www.manzanitavillage.org/aiki...t_lineage.html

Fred Little

[Ron Tisdale]

So, up to 3rd dan in judo, you do shiai and randori as part of ranking, right? Then he must have done competition (for all that it matters)...

Ron

[Aiki-Wacky]

Thank you for your time on that one. Nishio is just as I say(not that what I say has any weight)an Aikido icon.
I just got the video today Toho 8 it took some time to get here to Germany but it was worth the wait.
I´ll Try in Sept. Oct. time to earn the 1. Dan toho with Shishiya Sensei. He will be staying with us a week long, he is the Uke an most of the vid´s from Nishio. No name dropping here just trying to relate him to something. Thanks again Kokumo for your Help...

[Aiki-Wacky]

the link about lineage:Masakazu Tazaki Sensei not exactly right but close....He might be the highest ranking Nishio stylist in aikido but the fact is that Yoshida Sensei has the Highest rank in Toho and has the 7.Dan. I know its Hair splitting....but wow, places we will never see as we stand in awe....have a nice rest of the week all. Cheers.

[Hanna B]

Originally posted by Aiki-Wacky
Nishio is just as I say(not that what I say has any weight)an Aikido icon.

Of course the head of your style is an icon to you!

And yes, Nishio style certainly is a style - from a technical point of view, not from an organisational.

[Rob Alvelais]

Originally posted by kokumo


... and a 4th dan in Shindo Shizen ryu of Karatedo. <Snip>


Fred Little

Might that actually be Shindo Jinen Ryu karate? I've not ever heard of Shindo Shizen Ryu of karate.

Shindo Jinen Ryu karate was a style developed by Yasuhiro Konishi. Mr. Konishi was a student of Gichin Funakoshi, Choki Motobu, Kenwa Mabuni (Karate patriarchs) as well as Morihei Ueshiba. Might Messr's. Nishio and Konishi have been bud's? That might explain the Yondan in Karate. On another, karate, page Konishi's art is misspelled as Shindo Shizen Ryu.

So, if indeed it's Shindo Jinen Ryu and that Messr's Nishio and Konishi were bud's, then the yondan in karate might not have been earned in the same way that you or I might have earned a similar rank.

Rob

Rob