UGA i th e riley Morihei Ueshiba Exclusive Interview with Aikido FounderWORLD PUBLICATIONS Box 366, Mountain View, CA 94040 EDITORIAL STAFF Eaitor: Pamela Goforth Mil “Technical Editor: Donald Mon PRODUCTION STAFF ‘Art Director: Jeff Loughrisge Production Manager: Paul But Production Asistants: Virginia Bennet, Mary Cummings, Oarv! Kenyon, oho Rafferty EXECUTIVE STAFF Publisher: Bob Anderson Creative Director: Mark Cowans ‘Marketing Director: Tim Davis ‘Advertising Mangger: J. Maden Magruder ‘Advertsing Soles Director: Roger Leen ‘Subserption Manager: Rhonda Swan Circulation Director: Debbie Jenking ‘Shipping Manager: Tom Alton SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS on Ansier si Mather “Tony Annesi Ken Min Andre Cadet Gloria Newman “Ted Macuch John Newman | Tom Lang Tm Raynor CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Bruce & Mona Greer Poul Koby abril Lorraine Rorke Tony Dutty Vince Cantelmo. ‘Steve DeWitt ‘Mile Crosson ‘SellDefense World ie publined bi monthiy-January, March, Mey, July, September, Nowernber~by World Publ: cations, editorial and executive offices Mountain View, CA. European Office: Box "247, Croydon, Surey, CREBAQ, England ‘Second class postage pold at Mountain View, CA 84080, and st adetionsl mail: ing office (Burlingame, CA 94010}, Post: masters: send form 3579 to Mk. View Adress. US and foreign subscription rates: $4.80 per year, $8.50 two Years Single copies 75c, beck issues, $1.00. (© World Publications. 1976. No ma: terial in his magazine may be reproduced in any Yorm without written permision cover: Aikido's founder, Morinei Ushio, stylized here by staf tit Jet Loughvid te. Tur to page 6 {or the intarview. September 1976 Contents ARTICLES 6 Kempo nen a.ooo Don Monkerud PART I: THE GREAT GIANT AIKIDO DEPARTMENTS. A rocus powr 12 verenome vourseir We ase very pron to present here the fit of a tworpartinerviw with Moritel Ueshiba, The aikido. master sro was a legend in his own tne hed {he reputation ofa skilful and power: {al man. His words ae bumbling yet ex ‘iarting in ther content, amazing but tot proud We eat Ieam much from this man who started in jvjtsu and developed SIkijitu then alkido, He taught that power and style are relate terms. He never condemned other ars, butted to sow the greatness of his own, How petty we would lok if he coud sce Schools and styles arguing traditional or non-radtional, pure or combined, ined or allwomen, asthe or pra: tal. Tam sure O'Sensi could fin value in all aspects of the martial art, lear. ing something from each While realing, the interview try to remember that the things tate let onside at important at what he did Say O'Senel gave guidelines that pro Nided space for petsonal growth and individual exploration. He taught mich ikea parent who aies a puzled child hints to elp him anower his questions without disclosing the actual answer, 1 fémit that T found. working with O'Senel's words both excting and en lightening You'd another exciting marta autit in this isue Alyn Harar Women World Kendo Champlon. Me Hazar's a ther it welrcow! for his own kendo and. Kyudo. expertise, whe her sister -3. ‘Volume Three-September 1976—-Number Five Self-Defense World 1 JAPANESE SWORD FUNDAMENTALS Fredrick J. Lovret 1A. veormcan nes 15 eaoens cowents From the Editor also was the women’s world kendo cham- pion three years ago. The title, “Kendo in Her Blood” is ‘more than appropriate since Alyne has never lived without the martial arts as part of her daily life. Don Monkerud ‘was amused to find Alyne puzzled at times during their interview. Some of his questions on her background and training caught her unprepared~“Do you have any special feelings about kendo?” She replies: “I don’t think about it much because it is so much a part of me.” It would be similar to ask- ing if you had any special fecling about brushing your teeth. This, ike Alyne's kendo, is something you do every day as part of your daily routine. You don’t think about having done it for 10, 20 for 30 years. The martial artists who, hhave begun an art in their teens or later ‘years remember what it was like before this undertaking. Compare your feelings to Alyne’s impressions of never being without kendo. For those of you who like trying new ‘things, read Fredrick J. Lovret’s “Japan- ese Sword Fundamentals.” He takes you step by step through the basic sword technique. It requires more than one les- son, however, to even make a start at this exacting art. Don't forget that we'll have the second hhalf of the Ueshiba interview which ‘emphasizes technique in our November issue. In addition, we'll have our regular columns and more exciting feature. Pamela Goforth-MillerThe Great Giant Aikido An Interview with Morihei Ueshiba In 1958 Morihei Ueshiba granted an interview to Japanese journalists of the ‘Asahi Newspaper. While the master's son, Kisshomaru Ueshiba (also known as Dosh), has included quotes from his father in his books, an interview such as this has never been translated in toto for the benefit of English-speaking martial artists, Ichiro Haraguchi and Walter Foster ‘translated the interview. Mr. Haraguchi is an English interpreter employed by the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo. He hholds a balck belt in aikido, tai chi and karate, Walter Foster holds black belts in aikido and iaido, So that the interview with O'Sensei could be reproduced in its entire form, SelfDefense World has spit it into two arts. Part I deals with the origins and background of aikido. Part IT includes the technique of aikido and will appear in the November issu, Q; When did you begin your martial arts training? O’Sensei: At the age of 14 or 15. At first I studied Tenjin-Shinyo Ryu jiujitsu under Professor Tokusaburo Tozawa, then Kito Ryu, Yagyu Ryu, Sosei Ryu, Shinkage Ryu and so on of jitsu ‘Thinking that there were other authentic- ally strong martial ats, I also studied the Hozo-in Ryu of sojtsu {spear] and kendo, | vasn't content, however, because they all match one against one. So I traveled every where to pursue the Way, but it was no use. Q: Do you refer to traveling and chat- Tenging opponents for your training? O’Sensei: Yes, to pursue the real ‘martial arts. 1 did not challenge the mas- ter of a dojo when I went there. A re- sponsible dojo master is always much ‘occupied with various matters and cannot Put forth his real strength. I humbly ask- ed to be taught. IF I defeated the master | departed with courteous salutations. Q: When did you begin aikido? O’Sensei: We couldn’t call it “aikido” from the frst. ‘As Isay, I traveled in every province and about the age of 30 1 went to Engara in Hokkaido, There I met Professor So- aku Takeda of Aizu, teacher of Daito Ryu who taught me for 30 days. While I studied I felt something like inspiration, After inviting the professor to my house, I very earnestly pursued the real truth of the martial arts with 15 or 16 of my servants and disciples. Professor Takeda had opened my eyes to the real martial arts, Q: Your wife is a Takeda. Doesn't her family also have close connections with the martial arts? ‘O'Sensei: Yes, o I found. From the old- est times my own family has supported the Imperial house very earnestly. It is Said we hopped around from place to place, abandoning houses and fortunes. Q: Was your wife troubled with your ‘constant traveling? Sensei home. Doshu: We were financially well off nd this enabled him to be absorbed in ‘martial arts training. In any case, he was completely indifferent to money. They tell a story about this when my father set- ted in Tokyo about 1925. It wasn’t um til 1927 that we came up from Tanba ‘and settled at Shibs-Shirogane-Saru-cho. Before we came, his house was borrow- ced from Mr. Kiyoshi, the son of General Gonnokyoe Yamamoto. At that time we hhad much farmland and mountain land at home. But my fat ready money and was obliggea to ive in debt. Even under these circumstances it never occured to him to sell the land. Once when his disciples offered the school tuition, he threw it in front of them, saying, “I don’t need such stuff. Conseerate it to the god.” When he Twas too busy to stay at oe needed some money, he took it from the family altar with a respectful attitude and said, “The god presented me with this." He never had an inclination of ‘making money from the martial arts, He used a billiard room in the town premises of Shimazu, Duke of Satsuma, ashis gymnasium. Many distinguished people, such as general officers and noble- ‘men, as well as General Isamu Takeshita went there for training. ‘The art was called aikijitsu or Ueshiba-Ryu aikijitsu at that time. ‘What caused you to adopt aikido? O'Sensei: In 1918 my father fell er tically il and T took leave of Professor Takeda to return home, Learning that sick people could be cured miraculously by the priests of the Omotokye religion at Ayabe in Kyoto, I went there to have prayers said, There I also met Dr, Wam- isaburo Deguchi ‘When returned home my father had already died, but with the relationship 1 had formed with Mr. Deguchi—though I ‘had met him only onee-my entire family and I moved to Ayabe. One day as I was bathing at the well 1 had a strange vision. Innumerable rays came down {com the heavens in a dizzy golden line and enwrapped my body. 1 seemed to grow larger and larger and fil the entire cosmos, While I was exalted by this vision I suddenly realized that | should not want to win—2 martial art should resemble the form of love, the position of protection of ancient times. Acknowledging this, I could not help my- self from shedding tears of gratitude. @: You have close connections with Manchuria. Were you there long? O’Sensei: I have been to Manchuria quite often. After several visits I was made Martial Arts Councilor at the Shim- bbuden [Martial Arts Institute]. I was al- so Martial Arts Councilor at Kenkoku University from the frst. spent a long time teaching the armed Self-Defense World