Hideo Ohba the aikido of 'quiet taste'

Articles relating to the study and practice of Competitive Aikido (Aikido Kyogi), also known as Tomiki or Shodokan Aikido, as devised by Professor Kenji Tomiki of Waseda University, a close student of both Morihei Ueshiba and Jigoro Kano, the founders of aikido and judo respectively. Competitive Aikido combines judo methodology with technical forms (kata) derived from aiki-budo as taught by Ueshiba pre-WW2. It is combat sport orientated and offers a unique interpretation of aikido practice.

Revista de Artes Marciales Asiática, 2018

Inoue Shōji (1927-2018) was born in Tokushima prefecture, Japan. As a youngster he took up jūdō. Later, he studied Kitō-ryū jūjutsu for some time with Odaka Shigeru. During his professional career as a prison guard he followed up on an offer to become a jūdō therapist. In a dōjō in the Yamashina-ku ward in Kyōto he taught both jūdō and a limited catalogue of Kitō-ryū that included exercises that were adopted into Kōdōkan jūdō under the name koshiki-no-kata [The Antique Forms]. With Kōdōkan jūdō continuing to deteriorate into an ordinary sport and losing its core values and purpose, Inoue increasingly appreciated the traditional martial arts values preserved in Kitō-ryū jūjutsu. His enthusiasm was reflected in beginning to give public demonstrations at various events in Japan and becoming a representative of Kitō-ryū in the Nihon Kobudō Kyōkai. Inoue’s supreme moment of glory likely was his public demonstration in 2013 at the occasion of the Fifth International Judo Federation (IJF) World Kata Judo Championships held in Kyōto. It was this performance that introduced him to the international jūdō community and brought him certain fame. For most foreign jūdōka this was their first contact with Kitō-ryū. Irrespective of the quality of Inoue’s display, his approach offered a counterweight against the Kōdōkan’s historic reinvention and the IJF sports kata caricature. Several video clips publicly available on YouTube remain as a lasting memory of his art. Inoue Shōji held the rank of Kōdōkan 8th dan, and peacefully died in Kyōto on October 30th, 2018.

Senta Yamada: the father of UK Tomiki Aikido, 2020

A short biography of Senta Yamada 6 Dan Aikido and 6 Dan Judo, who introduced Kenji Tomiki's competitive randori aikido system to the UK. Yamada learnt aikido directly from Ueshiba and judo from Kano before he became a close student of Kenji Tomiki. Tomiki was at one time Ueshiba's highest ranked student and at the same time a close student of Jigoro Kano. Yamada brought Tomiki's system, a modernised budo based on aikido techniques and judo pedagogy to London in the late 1950s, founding his first Tomiki Aikido club at the London Judo Society.

Journal of Combat Sports and Martial Arts, 2013

An overview of the theory and philosophy of Aikido (Hombu style).

Articles relating to the study and practice of Competitive Aikido (Aikido Kyogi), also known as Tomiki or Shodokan Aikido, as devised by Professor Kenji Tomiki of Waseda University, a close student of both Morihei Ueshiba and Jigoro Kano, the founders of aikido and judo respectively. Competitive Aikido combines judo methodology with technical forms (kata) derived from aiki-budo as taught by Ueshiba pre-WW2. It is combat sport orientated and offers a unique interpretation of aikido practice.

2025

**Abstract** Kime-no-kata bridges traditional jujutsu and modern judo, preserving the combat effectiveness of classical techniques while embodying Jigoro Kano’s principles of *seiryoku zenyo* (maximum efficiency) and *jita kyoei* (mutual benefit). This kata showcases practical self-defense applications alongside philosophical ideals, blending martial efficacy with ethical development. By maintaining the essence of jujutsu and adapting it to judo’s educational framework, Kime-no-kata serves as a living link between past and present, exemplifying Kano’s vision of a martial art that fosters personal growth and societal harmony.

SPORT - Science & Practice, 2014

Japanese martial arts have gained immense popularity and have spread all over the world. They are a favored recreation, as well as a profession to millions of practitioners. However, the martial arts considered in the article – Judo, Karate and Aikido, bear within them the tradition and culture of their place of origin. The key question is this: are they liberated from their mystical, in fact religious past and ancient practice, in the form of philosophy and methods of training. The article gives a critical analysis of the ideas of the founders of the stated martial arts: Jigoro Kano, Gichin Funakoshi and Morihei Ueshiba and checks to what extent their very ideas and ultimate goals of martial arts are determined by Eastern mysticism, mainly in the form of Zen Buddhism and Shintoism. Besides that, the literature of distinguished domestic authors has also been analyzed in order to see whether the practice of the founders have been neglected or faithfully preserved. Judo has proved itself to be completely secular while the situation with Karate and Aikido is more complex. Funakoshi has preached modern methods of training, the road which is followed by the majority of Karate masters, while some have gone back to older practices: a mystical, irrational approach to martial art and to everyday training. On the other hand, in its essence, Aikido represents a religion and Morihei Ueshiba is its Prophet. In fact, the martial art is yields to the purpose of its final, completely religious goal. Still, by analyzing some Serbian authors, it is evident that this practice has been given up and that the practical part of Aikido as a martial art is dominant. Still, it is possible to also find Serbian authors who devotedly follow the path of Ueshiba and accept his philosophy in its entirety. This article aims to point out the significance of this problem, which does not only affect the philosophies of these martial arts, primarily in the form of defining the “ultimate goal” of the martial art itself, but also spreads its influence on the training methods. It is important to know for every practitioner whether his trainer or “sensei” views the martial art as a form of recreation, aiming to promote it as such, with modern training methods, or if there is a mystical approach to training with religious elements prevailing.

Ido Movement for Culture. Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology, 2017

Aim. To review the book The Ancient Art of the Japanese Sword. The ancient school of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu along historical, cultural and spiritual path, and to reflect on the state of research in this area. Method. The method of analysing the content of the literature of the subject was used, as well as a deductive and comparative method. In addition, the author of this article used the shugyo method-his own long-term study and observation. Results. The article contains a theoretical introduction, information about the author, reference to the content of the book, reference to the methodological part-sources and bibliographies editorial and aesthetic sides, a discussion with reference to the literature on the subject and a summary with assessment. This rating is very positive. Conclusion. The particular value of the monograph being reviewed is the synthesis of knowledge and the large number of photographs. The conclusion is this book is a valuable addition to the traditional martial arts publications market.

2017

Aim. To review the book The Ancient Art of the Japanese Sword. The ancient school of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu along historical , cultural and spiritual path, and to reflect on the state of research in this area. Method. The method of analysing the content of the literature of the subject was used, as well as a deductive and comparative method. In addition, the author of this article used the shugyo method-his own long-term study and observation. Results. The article contains a theoretical introduction, information about the author, reference to the content of the book, reference to the methodological part-sources and bibliographies editorial and aesthetic sides, a discussion with reference to the literature on the subject and a summary with assessment. This rating is very positive. Conclusion. The particular value of the monograph being reviewed is the synthesis of knowledge and the large number of photographs. The conclusion is this book is a valuable addition to the tradit...