Osensei Memorial Class 2021

 

Monday was the anniversary of Osensei's passing. The whole weekend before was quite action filled. I notice that every year around  April 26th(He passed in 1969 on this date) the pace of things picks up quite a bit. On Saturday I was invited to teach both a Tai Chi class and an Aikido class for Bob Noha sensei's Aikido of Petaluma dojo. And on Sunday the 25th Linda Holiday sensei and Aikido of Santa Cruz sponsored an online Zoom celebration including Mariye Takahashi and Robert Frager senseis, both direct students of Osensei. And on Monday the 26th during our noon Zoom class we scheduled a formal ceremony including the amatsu norito and kamigoto chants. And to my delight and surprised we were joined by my dear friend Linda Holiday sensei. So quite a weekend plus.

First the Petaluma weekend. Robert Noha and I go back a long ways. When I first began training in 1969 he was already a black belt as a teenager. He is a longtime student and teacher of the art and has a long connection with Robert Nadeau shihan. And he is also a Tai Chi instructor. He studied with Master Cheng Man Ching. I studied with Master Choy Kam Man. It was interesting to lead a class with his students. I was able to share some of my personal experiences as well as lead a group practice through our 30 movement form. Following that was a class I led in our 30 movement spear staff misogi/gyo. And finally we as a group went out and dined at Petaluma's Riverfront Cafe. It's been so long since Elle and myself have travelled and dined out that it was a true delight. David Eves sensei from our dojo made the trip and trained in both classes.

Sunday the 25th was Linda Holiday's Aikido of Santa Cruz Online Zoom Osensei Memorial Celebration. I have heard 200 attendees across the world. Impressive. My thanks to Linda sensei for having the vision, patience, and energy to organize such an event!! 2 exclamation points.......I really enjoyed her special guests, Mariye Takahashi sensei and Robert Frager sensei, who was my home dojo teacher when I started in October of 1969. We go a long ways back. And I thought both instructors were able to present their memories of Osensei in a way that can round out our impression of him. Takahashi sensei recounted that when Osensei walked, others in his company had to run to keep up with him. And that he could glide through thick crowds at the subway stations. She also recounted how humble he was with the students, but that he could be very strict with the uchi deshi or live in students. Frager sensei recounted what it was like to travel with Osensei, and what from his perspective as a psychologist how developped he was as a human being. Many of his stories I had heard before, but it seemed as if I was hearing them for the first time.

And finally our class on Monday. Hearing the norito and kamigoto was a daily occurence when Linda sensei and I were in Shingu in 1973. I realize that most people these days probably don't relate well to this. But in the 1970's to early eighties we all as an area used to gather at the earlier Aikido West location for an area training, and Linda sensei and I would lead the formal ceremony. This was done on April 26th to honor the Founder. I am thinking that maybe I should at least once a week do the formal ceremony, probably at the end of the Friday noon Zoom class, and give it more exposure. The chanting is an important part of my Aikido practice. And Linda sensei shared that one way she has dealt with the stress of the pandemic is that she is learining the kamigoto. Both the norito and kamigoto that Osensei chanted are from the Omoto kyo sect and therefore from Deguchi sensei.

So we move onward, but next year's April 26th will hopefully see us alive and well and back able to train with each other.

    

This poster is from Hikitsuchi sensei's 1978 tour of the United States. His uke is none other than me. It was taken at the All Japan Aikido Demonstrations at the Budokan in Tokyo in May of 1977. I had some lift in my legs then. Maybe I should have tried out for the Warriors.