Please carry out the Dedication Embu as usual; this is an opportunity to showcase your daily accomplishments and to feel entrusted as if the divine spirits were present. Remember to keep your goals for this year in your hearts while performing the Embu.
Yesterday, I wrote a hanging scroll with the characters “TenYu ShinJo” 「天佑神助, which means “With the help of heaven or God”. This year is the year of the dragon, and Morihiro sensei was also born in the year of the dragon. My mother was one year older than Morihiro sensei.
I wrote this because this year marks the 20th anniversary of Iwama Shinshin’s independence, and at the same time, my dear friend, Shihan Alessandro Tittarelli, parted ways with his master. We met at a seminar in Sweden with the intention of following the same path together. At that time, he passionately explained to me why he had decided to leave his teacher. Even though I didn’t understand much English, he also tried his best to communicate in some Japanese.
His teacher arranged a seminar in Italy and expected everyone to attend. However, it would be difficult for him to attend due to work obligations as he lived in a rural area. He felt terrible for not being able to attend and kindly suggested going to seminars in other regions instead. Unfortunately, his teacher disagreed with him, which caused him some trouble.
Morihiro Sensei, who learned how to use the ken and the jo in Iwama from O-sensei, used to hold a weekly practice on Sundays at the Honbu Dojo in Tokyo, which was always filled with people; this is because he used a style with a lot of Kiai that others didn’t normally do, including the sword and the jo in his pracrtice. O-Sensei usually got upset when someone swung their ken at Honbu Dojo.
As a culmination of his training in Iwama, O-sensei was particularly passionate about the bukiwaza practice with the ken and the jo.
The Founder intensely studied many things and created something unique. Morihiro sensei began his training in the dojo while O-sensei taught him step-by-step in Iwama. They practiced one-on-one while working on the farm.
Honbu Dojo finally ceased using the ken and jo, although they are still displayed as decoration.
When Morihiro Sensei suggested practicing weapon techniques, some of the other students didn’t follow through because they believed the Founder had instructed them not to. Whenever Morihiro Sensei traveled to Europe or America, he always brought a sword and a jo with him, and his disciples would also bring them along.
Morihiro sensei was the only one who did bukiwaza keiko at that time.
Tohei Sensei was also involved in the bukiwaza training, but since he was not there when O-sensei solidified the foundation, it became a practice with unique characteristics.
Morihiro sensei served O-sensei from morning till night, so he understood the spirit of the Founder from beginning to end.
If you were unable to properly perform Suburi, O’Sensei would not teach you Kumi-tachi or Kumi-jo. This practice led to people around the world referring to it as the Iwama style, which involves rigorous training, including ken and jo training. This differs from the Aikikai style; thus, it was divided into the Honbu and Iwama styles.
Iwama style stayed faithful to the teachings of the Founder, while Tokyo followed the style that the second Doshu performed.
In Budo, like in Japanese calligraphy, there is a Kai-sho (Square), Gyo-sho (Cursive), and So-sho (Semicursive) style, which involves hard keiko, fluid keiko, and keiko that integrates the concepts of spirituality, this refers to the fundamental training (Kihon keiko) which seamlessly adjusts to any attacker who tries to grab you. As a result, it becomes intertwined with the spiritual aspect. Only one person out of a thousand or ten thousand can attain this level of mastery.
It is essential to focus on kihon keiko and weapon techniques. In Japanese Budo, the sword is an essential component; without it, it cannot be considered a Budo.
To ensure the preservation of Morihei Ueshiba sensei’s teachings, the Iwama style was created with the Ken and Jo scrolls. My father taught the style only to recognized shihan, but this became a problem at Aikikai.
They asked me if I was also giving certificates to other students, but since I don’t accept them directly and only receive them from my father, I had no right to do so.
However, It started to become an issue for me. After my father passed away, I had to become independent to continue the Iwama-Ryu without my father.
During that time, Alessandro Shihan from Italy,
with his kind heart, he increased the number of disciples, going north, south, west, and east, and traveled as far as South America to teach them.
He happily taught the Aikido’s foundations, including to those in need. Thus, they became a strong circle and a large group.
I understand it was natural for people to want to receive a certificate recognized by Shihan Alessandro, but this started to become a concern around late last year.
Since he has already passed away, I will not bring up the issue now. Instead, the Sensei in Italy, who he entrusted, told me that it was okay to suspend the emission of these certificates. I suggest we should advance forward and be unified under the certificates from Iwama.
I am bringing this up to understand that some of our members from Italy seem to be experiencing some difficult emotions about this. I can empathize with how the kindness shown by him may have led to the current situation. However, I believe this issue has been resolved, and I won’t discuss it further to avoid spreading it.
I believe he is now in heaven, having keiko with the Founder and my teacher. To not disturb their peaceful practice, we have decided to start fresh with the Italian Sensei. Additionally, I would like to foster good relationships with the people of Europe. Instead of focusing on expanding our organization, I prefer for each individual to have a fulfilling experience in the practice of Aikido.
The Founder came up with the name of Aikido and spread it because he was the only one to express a seemingly impossible idea in the world of martial arts: “Budo is Love”. This concept compares the love of a mother for her children, whom she raises with strictness and tenderness, similar to the love embodied in the practice of Aikido.
For that to happen, there must be a solid footing with a strong underlying spirit. Do not deviate to the right or the left.
There must be proper practice and with that feeling in everything we do. This year marks the 20th anniversary, and we will continue to move forward with the sense that we are starting from scratch.
First of all, the remarkable story of the Founder and Morihiro Sensei practicing martial arts while drinking tea and helping with farming was a great source of inspiration for us.
Since I was born, I have been raised alongside the Founder and I have been practicing Aikido since I was 6 years old. This year, I am becoming 67 years old.
This year, please convey to as many people as possible that the martial arts left behind by our Founder is love.
When it comes to martial arts, you can’t protect others or even your own life if you aren’t strong, so you must practice hard.
For that reason, we must not neglect the basics.
I would like you to keep this in mind as you practice.
Today, Priest Takahashi, whom I always call, will not be able to come this year due to work commitments, so I would like to join everyone in offering prayers to God, and with God’s permission, we will begin this year. I am thinking of doing so.
Now, I would like to offer my blessings.