Shihan Jacques Payet is making his way to Canada.

I cannot tell you how excited I am for this event.

For those of you that read this blog on  a regular basis you will know that my love of Aikido and in particular the teachings and principles of Yoshinkan Aikido.

We are fortunate to have many great and world renowned Yoshinkan resources right here (Mustard Sensei for one) but when we get a chance to absorb the knowledge from an Aikidoka such as Jacques Payet who does not normally visit our country we must consider ourselves fortunate.

When we are struggling to find our way up the path we must be open to the styles and ideals of the Great Ones that have gone before us.  Payet Shihan has a very distinct style, his movements are subtle yet direct and highly effective.

To the untrained observer they may appear understated.  Just as Shihan Mustard is able to make the smallest of movements resulting in Uke being buried in the mats, Shihan Payet seems to be able to control anyone and everyone with what appears to be little to know effort what so ever.  Such is the beauty of Aikido at the hands of a Master!!!  From the moment of attack – the Intent- the attacker is under the Aikidoka’s control to drop, throw or pin as they see fit.

Shihan Payet will be instructing a 3 day seminar at Seishukan dojo (Aikido Network) in London Ontario.  Lucky me, that is my dojo!  If you don’t  have your ticket yet contact Bindner Sensei to secure your spot.

Shihan Payet has a depth of knowledge that lets him control his attacker on the most rudimentary of levels.  To an untrained observer the movements of Shihan Payet may seem seem simple and unimposing but that is where the true mystery and “magic” of Aikido lies.  It is Shihan Payet’s understanding of keneseiology and bio mechanics that allow him to control his attackers with such efficacy.

To be able to control a much larger attacker with such ease should be the goal of every Aikdika and Shihan Payet makes it look like it pie.

From my point of view I cannot wait to experience how Shihan Payet breaks down the basic and simple movements that we all take for granite.  Being able to control your aggressor at the moment they first commit and being an entire step ahead (ADOODA LOOP) is crucial in deciding the outcome of the confrontation.

Aikdido is about controlling the conflict from the very start.

SIMPLE COMPLEXITY

Life can be get so busy. I am sure I am “preaching to the choir” in this respect. For those who have taken time out read this blog I want to first say thank-you and secondly say that I am sorry that I have been so lax in writing.

My intent was for this to be a place to chronicle my journey through Aikido. Like all journeys it is amazing how points view change along the way, especially as our understanding grows.

The more I train Aikido, the more I discover that it is really a way of life as opposed to simply a “martial art”.

It is amazing at how many ways Aikido can impact your every day life.

So, what have I have been doing for SO long? Where do I begin?

I was discussing this very topic with my Sensei Derek Bindner just the other day. He asked how Ichitaita was evolving. The flood gates opened.

I have been swamped with family, work and training – my response was that I had so much that I wanted to write about was that I did not know where I wanted to begin (so get a coffee the flood gates are open).

I have been training and studying Aikido so much I didn’t know where to begin. This brings up, I am guessing a common challenge, for Senseis (and instructors) the world over – what do you do when a student’s course of study and training veers off the “normal” curriculum?

Again (leading to another post) I have been rather taken with the roots of Aikido and their application in today’s world? Ask yourself “Why do you study or train Aikido”? Everyone’s answer will be different and not only that if we were to trace these answers back to the origins of aikido.

I find it fascinating how various “Martial Arts” (another subject for discussion – you can now see where my dilemma is) do not seem to be able to adapt to this concept.

Just because something was done things “this way” for 100 or even 1000 years ago does not mean it needs to be done the exact same way nor does the application of that technique have the same implication in the modern world – enter Aikdo and my understanding and application of aikido.

I can’t help but see the correlations of the intents of Aikido and how they apply to modern day. No one, walks around going heels with a razor sharp sword and as such it is profoundly interesting how aikido principles and techniques play out when people become aggressive.

ASIDE: I believe to understand where you are headed you need to understand where you have come from. Look back to “ancient” Japan, a feudal society – in order to protect lands Lords/Kings/Patriarchs would rely on armies of loyal soldiers to protect their people and holdings. This is a common theme through history and the world. These soldiers took pride in their profession and most certainly wanted to walk off the battle field so they trained. The trained and they adapted. If they encountered a technique or principle they they could use to their advantage they assimilated it into their current style. In short they were NOT stagnant.

“Use your greatest strength against your opponent’s greatest weakness at his weakest moment”

Following this ideal why would would you fight with an enemy when you could quickly strike him down with a sword? You wouldn’t. Daito-Ryu Jiu Jitsu evolved to fill these needs encompassing an “Art” of killing quickly and decidedly. “All encompassing” means that you use your greatest weapon first, so in feudal Japan that would be the Katana. If you dropped or lost your sword it stands to reason that you MUST be capable of taking away your opponent’s as to use it against them.
Aikido is drawn from this concept. How do you handle an armed attacker while unarmed? How do you disarm your attacker and mitigate his threat?

This leads me to my first topic – INTENT.

A short time ago I found myself trying to explain Aikido to a friend who trains in Karate. Whenever he saw a technique or took uke for a technique, like any good martial artist would do, he applied his own art’s principles and techniques to counter what was being explained or taught. The problem was that in the course of trying to explain a movement I would have to be careful to go slow to not only prevent injury but to show the simple complexity of Aikido. Instinctively my friend would adjust to regain his balance.

It seemed as if he was becoming skeptical. It was at this moment that. I realized that Aikido lies in Intent. It is the intent of the attacker. Aikido does not live in a wrist grab, it lives in the commitment of the attacker to grab your wrist.

I found that in trying explain to my friend why a technique works even though it seems so simple was to explain that it lies in the Intent. When he would grab my wrist or gi and ask for a demonstration of the “defense” for that type of attack he was confounded when I said none.

That is not an attack. The attack is not a stationary grab, the attack is what is about to follow: the looping right hand, headbutt, pull forward into a knife, driving push backwards, you get the point. The attack is in the intent. In this example the grab is not the intent, the intent is the subsequent strike. The moment your attacker commits to his attack Aikido comes to life. It is at the moment of attack that an Aikidoka can capitalize on his attacker’s energy and momentum. It is this intent that breathes life into your Aikido. The manner of attack is irrelevant, it is the intent that Aikidoka must recognize.

This is where Aikido differs from other arts. Aikido harnesses this intent to utilize it control the aggressor. As I have heard Mustard Sensei state on several occasions, “Steal their heart”.

Sound simple? Look deeper and you will start to see the complexities. Take your aikido training into a different dojo and experiment. It will open your eyes to this intent. When we practice our techniques we want to make sure no one gets hurt and we train to fall and roll for our own safety. Unconsciously we are training ourselves to attack in a certain way (next article will be Operant Conditioning and I will expand in this in more detail) and by default our techniques are being conditioned in the same manner – off specific cues. It is important to make sure that we do everything we can to avoid this pitfall. It is important to make sure that Aikido does not stagnate.

Experience attacks from people who don’t how to feed you the attack cues you are used to seeing in your dojo and you will start to see how the power of aikido is all in the intent. The moment the attack is initiated. If you act to soon you alert your attacker and they change their course and shift their attack, wait to long and you risk loosing your attacker’s momentum and you will have lost your moment.

Aikido is such a powerful and beautiful art in its simple complexity.

In Japanese martial arts, the term atemi (当て身, atemi?) designates blows to the body, as opposed to twisting of joints, strangleholds, holding techniques and throws. Atemi can be delivered by any part of the body to any part of the opponents body. They can be percussive or use ‘soft’ power. Karate is a typical martial art focusing on percussive atemi. The location of nerve and pressure points, such as might be used for certain acupressure methods, also often informs the choice of targets for atemi (see kyusho-jitsu).

Some strikes against vital parts of the body can kill or incapacitate the opponent: on the solar plexus, at the temple, under the nose, in the eyes, genitals, or under the chin. Traditional Japanese martial arts (the ancestors of judo, jujutsu and aikido) do not commonly practice atemi, since they were supposed to be used on the battlefield against armoured opponents. However, there are certain exceptions.

Atemi can be complete techniques in and of themselves, but are also often used to briefly break an opponent’s balance (see kuzushi) or resolve. (For example, this is the predominant usage of atemi in aikido.)  A painful but non-fatal blow to an area such as the eyes, face, or some vulnerable part of the abdomen can open the way for a more damaging technique, such as a throw or joint lock. Even if the blow does not land, the opponent can be distracted, and may instinctively contort their body (e.g., jerking their head back from a face strike) in such a way that they lose their balance.

The development of atemi techniques arises from the evolution of the Japanese martial arts, in particular jujutsu. Early styles of jujutsu from Sengoku-era Japan were created as a means of unarmed combat for a samurai who had lost his weapons on the battlefield. The purpose of jujutsu was to disarm the opponent and use their own weapon against them. As such, strikes to the body were limited as the intended victim would have been wearing extensive body armour. However, in later styles of jujutsu from Edo-period Japan empty-handed strikes to the body became more common as full-scale military engagement began to decline. This meant that the jujutsu practitioner’s opponent would not have been wearing armour and the vital points that form the crux of atemi-waza were more exposed. Thus atemi began to play a pivotal role in unarmed killing and restraining techniques.

The Use of Atemi (Striking) in Aikido
by George S. Ledyard

The use of striking in the performance of Aikido waza or applied technique is not well documented and is even the source of quite a bit of conflicting information. Saotome Sensei has made it quite clear that O-Sensei taught that atemi in Aikido was at the heart of the practice. Yet other instructors have been known to say there are no strikes in Aikido. A number of practitioners believe that Aikido’s peaceful intent is lost when atemi is used yet those who have worked to preserve the martial integrity of the art know from experience that any experienced attacker will defeat Aikido techniques if there is no use of atemi. Even those who feel that use of atemi is perfectly appropriate in Aikido waza may not have considered in any systematic manner the various ways in which it is actually utilized in the art.

The use of strikes in Aikido manifests itself in three main ways (Each of these can be further broken down into more precise description.)

A Strike as a Technique in Itself

A Strike as a Means to Facilitate Another Technique

The “Not Striking of Striking”

The use of atemi as techniques in themselves, in other words to end the confrontation without need for any other additional application, is as a means of creating physical dysfunction. This can range from strikes which attack the vital organs and are designed to kill to strikes which are targeted at specific limbs and can end an attack by making it impossible for the attacker to continue. This could include crippling blows or strikes which are meant to deliver enough impact to render an attacker unconscious. The use of atemi alone to end a confrontation is not generally studied by aikidoka of the post-war styles and most of the practitioners who have a working knowledge of this aspect of the art acquired their knowledge by way of training in some other striking oriented art. The use of strikes in this manner is generally considered the option of last resort in Aikido because of the emphasis on non-violence. The Aikido ideal is to end a confrontation without inflicting serious injury on the attacker. So this area of study is, for better or for worse, de-emphasized in most Aikido training.

When strikes are used as a means to accomplish a different non-impact technique it can be executed in two different manners. In the first case an atemi can be applied in order to cause intense pain and therefore create a shift in the resistive energy of the attacker (this could be accomplished with or without injury based on what type of strike were used and at which of the above targets). The moment the attacker shifts his attention and therefore his Ki to the site of the pain his resistance to the main technique being attempted tends to diminish drastically. This use of atemi is generally considered by most Aikido practitioners to be the proper one if strikes will be used at all. The drawback is that techniques that rely solely on pain are quite unreliable. A seriously motivated attacker simply doesn’t notice and that means that there is no shift of attention. So choosing to target atemi to non-injurious vital points can increase the risk of failure in a self-defense situation.

Another way in which impact can be used as a means to accomplish a different technique is by using strikes not for injury or pain, although those might possibly be a by-product, but to change the physical alignment of a resistant attacker. Frequently when an opponent has stopped a technique, it is close enough to success that switching to a variation is not necessary. The simple application of impact, such as a knee strike to the back of the upper thigh when an attacker resists a kokyunage, can change the alignment of the attacker sufficiently to free up the blocked energy of the technique. No pain or dysfunction is necessary in this type of impact delivery. It simply alters the structure.

The final aspect of the use of atemi in Aikido falls within what I call the “not striking of striking”. This is the use of a strike with no necessity or expectation (on the part of the person delivering the atemi) that the strike actually make contact. This is the type of atemi which many Aikidoka favor while not understanding that for effective use of this atemi to be made, mastery of the actual impact techniques previously described needs to be attained. This is the “energetic ” use of atemi and the attacker must really believe that the true strike were being delivered and feel the necessity of putting his attention on it.

Imagine that you are standing behind a perfectly clear sheet of Plexiglas and someone throws a baseball at your head. If the throw were done powerfully, with speed you would cringe and duck even if you knew the Plexiglas were there. If the throw were done by simply lofting the ball you would probably not react at all. The “not striking” use of atemi must have all the energy and potential of a real strike or it will not create the effect on the partner, which it is designed to accomplish. The weak atemi thrown by many Aikido practitioners will simply have no effect on a motivated and trained attacker.

The “not striking of striking” atemi can be used as a distraction technique in the manner described previously. To accomplish distraction and its attendant shift in resistive energy it is only necessary that the attacker shift his attention. This might come about because the strike connected and caused pain enough to register in his consciousness or it might occur when the attacker uses a block to deal with the strike and prevent impact.

Anyone who has had occasion to apply Aikido techniques on a really resistant subject as in police application knows how hard it actually is to get a technique on someone intent on countering it. We train to maintain connection but a real attacker will attempt to break with you the instant that he doesn’t feel things are going his way. It is necessary to get the attacker to create an opening for establishing connection by delivering an atemi, which forces the attacker to block. The Aikido technique can then possibly be run on the blocking arm rather than on the arm or leg, which had delivered the primary attack. Once again, it is possible that the atemi will hit but it is often not required, as it is much easier to get a connection with some part of an attacker’s body when they commit to defense than when they are throwing an attack.

Finally, the aspect of striking, which is most misunderstood outside of Aikido circles, is the so-called “touchless throw”. Every interaction in Aikido contains many different possibilities. Most of the time in Aikido practice the strikes are implicit rather than explicit. One can do a whole class and not see any overt strikes. This is because, if well trained, both partners know where the strikes could be and do not do anything within the interaction, which would require that, the hidden strikes become manifest. But in the “touchless throw” we see the “not striking of striking” used in its most artful guise. This is accomplished by subtly changing the timing of a strike. The strike needs to be just fast enough that the attacker can not avoid or block it but is just slow enough that the attacker can respond to it by breaking his posture and taking a fall in order not to be hit. The emphasis on this type of interaction is unique to Aikido. It is actually a valid martial interaction in a type of coded form. An uke trained in the use of strikes as throws will be airborne the instant the strike is perceived.

This can give an onlooker the impression that the attacker is throwing him self. At that point he either decides what he is seeing is bogus and involves the cooperation of both partners or, if mystically inclined, he believes that he is seeing people being thrown energetically, without the need for actual physical contact or force. In fact on one level each of these points of view is true but not for the reasons they would think. The point is that here we are looking at a form of Aikido interaction which doesn’t normally exist outside of the dojo. If one tried to throw an untrained partner without touching him it would merely manifest itself as a strike which hit. The partner would not understand that the agreement exists that I run the strike in just such a way that there is just one “out”, to take the fall.

There are probably other, more subtle ways in which Aikido utilizes atemi but the main ones are covered here. If one expands the definition of atemi from striking to include anything which nage does to catch the mind of the partner for a split second, then a whole new area of discussion opens up. One of my dear Aikido friends was fond of planting a big kiss on your cheek just before hurling you with her iriminage. It is indicative of the varied approaches to Aikido practice that many students seem to pick only certain of these aspects to incorporate in their technical repertoire. But as soon as one is interested in application of the Aikido techniques outside the controlled environment of the dojo it is necessary to put some emphasis on understanding each of these applications.

Steven Segal began studying Aikido in the Ki Society but since then has formed his own unique take on this art.  It is interesting to see how he has made it his own.  In that same spirit Anderson “The Spider” Silva sought out Segal for instruction.  Silva is at the top of his game in a very competitive and rapidly changing sport.  His interest in Aikido shows Anderson’s commitment to being the best and showcases the power and versitlity of Aikido.

In this video Segal shows Anderson Silva how Aikido can be used to control your opponent.

Innoue Sensei is well into his seventies and his aikido is incredibly fluid and powerful. This is another facinafing aspect to Yoshinkan Aikido. As I have said before, and to quote Robert Mustard, if you want power then don’t use power. This is how it possible forthe aikidoka to grow stronger as he grows older.

While the karate guy or MMA fighter gets older he gets weaker and his power wanes. His technique and strikes become weaker. In the Yoshinkan world the opposite is true.

As one gets older their experience makes them even more dangerous. A calmness and stillness to their being blends with the execution of techniques that require one not to try and use strength. This translates into an art that can be practiced for life. You can even take it one step further to say that there is truely no end as to how enlightened one may become from practicing Yoshinkan Aikido as there is no end to the journey.

I can attest to this first hand with Nikajo (my white wale). The harder I try and more effort I put into the technique the less effective it is. Sure I can put nikajo on friends and coworkers with great ease but when faced with my sensei it is a completely different feeling. Nikajo cannot be forced and I feel that this is a good representation of Aikido as a whole. When I relax and “just do” the technique it is effective – and easy. Almost tauntigly easy.

It is not an easy feet to switch of your conscious mind and just allow yourself to flow. This is how experience trumps strength when it comes to Yoshinkan Aikido and this is how such a small and humble looking man like Innoue Sensei can weild such power.

7th Dan Yoshinkan Aikido

In 1972, Joe Thambu Shihan began his Aikido training at the age of 11, under the tutelage of his Uncle, Thamby Rajah Sensei, the father of Yoshinkan Aikido in Malaysia. As a teenager, Thambu Shihan studied some Kendo and Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo. In 1978, Thambu Shihan tested for his Shodan and soon after at the age of nineteen, he travelled to Australia where he began training in Aiki-Kai, whilst studying at university. After deciding he was unsuited to this, Thambu Shihan took up Ju-jitsu before beginning the first Yoshinkan Aikido dojo in Australia.

In 1983, Thambu Shihan travelled to Japan to further his Aikido training. Whilst in Japan, he lived and trained at the principle Yoshinkan Honbu dojo in Tokyo. On his return, Thambu Shihan established his first premises at St Georges Road and set in motion the first home for the ‘Aikido Shudokan.’ This was to be the first permanent Yoshinkan dojo to be started in Australia.

Since 1983, Thambu Shihan has returned to Japan many times, the most memorable being in 1993, when he tested for his fifth dan by Soke Shioda Gozo, the founder of Yoshinkan Aikido. At the time, Thambu Shihan was the youngest non-Japanese student of Aikido to be graded to this rank and was also privileged in being the last student to be tested by Soke Shioda Gozo before his death in 1994.

Thambu Shihan, the Chief Instructor of Aikido Shudokan, has been a practitioner of Aikido for over 36 years. During this time, he has trained under many great Instructors, including; Soke Shioda Gozo, the founder of Yoshinkan Aikido, Inoue Kyoichi Hanshi, Chida Tsutomu Shihan and Takeno Takefumi Shihan, all influential in Yoshinkan Aikido, Thamby Rajah Sensei, Don Draeger Sensei, Soke Obata Toshishiro, the founder of Shinkendo and Shihan Nariyama Tetsuro, the Chief Instructor of Tomiki Aikido. All of these instructors are world-renowned Martial Artists.

Thambu Shihan has continually dedicated himself to making a name for the Aikido Shudokan in the martial arts community both locally and overseas. In 1997, Thambu Shihan received the Blitz (martial arts magazine) “Hall of Fame Aikido Instructor of the Year” award, in recognition for his outstanding achievement and soon after in 2001, Thambu Shihan tested and received his sixth dan.

Every year the Aikido Shudokan receives a constant stream of international visitors and Thambu Shihan continues to teach, train and demonstrate his aikido worldwide. During one of these memorable visits in 2005, Thambu Shihan was presented with the Tokubetsu Embu Sho (an award given for the best demonstration), at the 50th All Japan Yoshinkan Aikido Demonstration.

Through his wealth of experience, Thambu Shihan has made aikido accessible to the security industry, where he has combined his martial training with years of security and crowd control experience in a very unique manner. In addition, Thambu Shihan’s ability to apply his aikido training in a variety of ways has made him a much sought after public speaker at training seminars for corporate and local government sectors.

In acknowledgment for his dedication to Aikido, Thambu Shihan was awarded his seventh dan by Shioda Yasuhisa Kancho, the current head of Yoshinkan Aikido in December 2007 and was promoted to the rank of “Shihan” in October 2008. Joe Thambu Shihan is the first non-Japanese person ever to receive this title from the Yoshinkan Hombu dojo. It is a very apt and well-deserved title.

To this present day, Thambu Shihan continues to spread the art of Aikido worldwide and has been instrumental in the development of Yoshinkan Aikido throughout South-east Asia, the UK, Poland, Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

Joe Thambu has also created a fantastic set of videos, his two newest being:

Self Defense: The Aiki Concept DVD with Joe Thambu
CLICK HERE TO ORDER

I am awaiting delivery of this video and will be sure to post a thorough review.

Aikido Dynamic Variations DVD with Joe Thambu
CLICK HERE TO ORDER

Beware The Man In The Angry White Pyjamas

The following is an article from the Vancouver Sun, September 18, 2009 (yzacharias@vancouversun.com):

From the outside, the dojo in Burnaby looks like a pretty ordinary place.

Step inside and you will see bodies flying everywhere and hear a portly but powerful looking sensei by the name of Robert Mustard shouting instructions.

Nothing unusual about that.

What is practised here at Aikido Yoshinkai Burnaby is yoshinkan aikido, a particularly physical martial art that is deemed mandatory for Tokyo riot police and all female police officers there.

Check further into the dojo, however, and you will find that it offers a curiously named intensive course called Angry White Pyjamas.

That is your first clue that this dojo has an unusual story.

Few here know that the controversial Mustard was once the chief foreign instructor at the martial art’s headquarters in Japan and is considered by many to be the best non-Japanese instructor of yoshinkan aikido in the world.

What’s more, he is a central figure in the book Angry White Pyjamas. It was written by Oxford poet Robert Twigger, who took an 11-month, brutally demanding course of training at the dojo in Japan under Mustard and other instructors in the mid-1990s.

Twigger, hailed by the New York Times as a deliriously clever writer, didn’t paint an entirely flattering portrait of Mustard. He called the towering man unstable, impatient, warped, a masochist and possibly brain damaged. At one point, Mustard’s seemingly insensitive ways had Twigger considering ways to kill him.

Curiously, few around Vancouver seem to know this story, which has become legend in other parts of the world.

Having read the book, I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet a man who was so reviled in print and who had stirred up such loathing. But I called the dojo anyway, Mustard answered and immediately invited me to meet with him. With a crusty laugh, he said he’d be happy to talk about Twigger, Angry White Pyjamas and yoshinkan aikido.

Stepping inside the Burnaby dojo is like stepping into another world. The atmosphere is a curious mix, religious yet militaristic. Students wearing stark white gis prostrate themselves, before entering the large matted area, in front of a portrait of yoshinkan aikido founder Gozo Shioda or, as he is known in Japan, Kancho Sensei.

They then proceed to throw each other in every direction using deft body positioning and wrist movements as their tools.

In this arcane world, there is the steady bark of orders in Japanese, the steady thump of bodies being thrown to the mat — and an awful lot of bowing, exaggerated politeness and repetition of the hissing word “oss,” a kind of all-purpose greeting.

Mustard has blue eyes that seem to bore into your soul. Before our interview, he teaches a children’s class that is both playful and structured. He makes it fun, while reining in the kids when they become too wild.

He says afterwards he likes to teach the kids to respect him as a teacher, but he doesn’t want them to be afraid of him. Perhaps he knows that without his smile and his easy way of speaking, he could instil fear.

The children certainly don’t seem to be afraid of him. He fits little contests into the class, games that resemble dodge ball, and sword fights using big orange “swords” made of soft material.

In the adult class that follows, Mustard welcomes a new student and explains that yoshinkan aikido is the power of the body and mind working together. It involves using your opponent’s energy against him, which Mustard easily demonstrates with Farshad Ardestani, a slim eager student with facile quickness and absolute dedication to Mustard.

After the demonstration, students divide into groups so they can practice the art of flipping and throwing each other to the mat. (It’s no doubt more complicated than that, but to the uninitiated, that’s how it appears.)

Every now and then, someone calls “seiza chumoku” and everyone scrambles to form lines on their knees in front of Mustard, giving him their entire attention.

There is something oddly comforting about being in a black-and-white place of strict rules and no coddling.

There is no doubt that Mustard’s students, including several women, are devoted to him.

Vicki Smart, who can beat the crap out of most of the guys here, doubles as Mustard’s administrative assistant. Michelle Unrau, who has a PhD in pharmacology, is an ardent fan of Mustard’s who trains in the adult class and in the kids’ class with her son. Mustard says he is always quick to heed Unrau’s advice.

He hardly seems angry.

But still you wonder …

Mustard recounts how after one class, a student came up to him and said, “You’re not a bastard at all.”

In any other dojo, the remark would seem odd, but since Twigger’s book was published in 1997, that is the burning question. Is Mustard really the monster he was made out to be in Angry White Pyjamas?

Twigger, who has won awards and prizes for his writing — including the William Hill sports book of the year in 1998 for Angry White Pyjamas — said Mustard threatened to punch him in the face and kick him out of the dojo in Japan if Twigger didn’t show him more respect.

“He kept up an atmosphere of insecurity,” Twigger wrote of Mustard. “A momentary lapse would result in a sweeping denigration of all efforts.”

Mustard “was so much on my case that when I made one mistake at the beginning of a session, he barked, ‘No good.’” wrote Twigger.

After the book was published, Twigger sent Mustard a copy along with the message, “Sensei, here is the book that you probably haven’t been waiting for.”

Mustard read it cover to cover in one sitting.

“It was bizarre to see my name in ink. I didn’t even care that he called me crazy and unbalanced. Who knows, maybe I was. Basically, he loved me, then he hated me, and then he loved me again. So he had come full circle.”

Twigger does seem warmer to Mustard at the two book ends than he does in the middle. But, I asked Mustard, was it really like he portrayed it? He answered with an unequivocal Yes.

Twigger’s descriptions of the yoshinkan aikido practiced in the Japanese dojo weren’t exaggerated.

You do knee walking around the dojo until your knees bleed. You work so hard that you sweat and vomit and faint. There’s plenty of screaming, yelling, bleeding and smashing.

But, Mustard said, “I let them smash me, too. I let them hit me really hard.”

That is just the reality.

“My job was to kill them or make them strong.”

He had to do whatever it took, he said, to get the poet through the brutal 11-month course.

“Basically everything he said was kind of true, although it cut a bit too close to the bone.”

Mustard holds nothing against Twigger for writing about it. He’s a “great guy” who was a bit too stubborn and would sometimes fight the strict code of conduct in a Japanese dojo. One of his weaker students, Mustard gives him credit just for finishing the course.

He didn’t think he’d ever see him again. 

One day while working in the Burnaby dojo — well after the book was published — Mustard looked up; who should be standing there but a slightly nervous Twigger.

“I think he was really scared because he had called me crazy and unbalanced,” Mustard said.

Mustard’s wife, a Japanese-Canadian whom he met in Japan, and their daughter were away on Vancouver Island at the time, so Mustard invited Twigger back to his place.

The two wound up eating pizza, drinking a bottle of whiskey and talking about Japan “and all the crap” until the wee hours of the morning.

By the time Twigger came to town for a second visit, he had written several more books, all of which he dutifully sent to Mustard. Hemingwayesque, Twigger wrote about crossing Western Canada in a birchbark canoe and hunting for lost oases in the Sahara desert and for zombies in Haiti.

Mustard never was able to get through those books. He’d make it about halfway and then put them down. Nevertheless, he went out for Chinese food with Twigger on his second visit and, once again, they talked until the wee hours of the morning.

Mustard knows he’s probably changed since his days as chief foreign instructor at the world headquarters. A friend told him so over lunch a few months ago.

“When I first met you, Mustard, you were a hard, tough, son of a bitch,” said his friend. “You never really smiled. You were martial all the time.”

Mustard thinks the world changed for him when his daughter, Emily, was born 11 years ago.

“I take aikido very, very seriously, but I don’t take myself that seriously,” he said.

He’s a tough taskmaster, but he doesn’t ask his students to do things he has not done. He says he operates a traditional dojo because most people are inherently lazy and need strict structure to keep them going.

“They talk about living under the sword so when you are out there training, you are prepared to die. When you get tired, you want to stop. In a traditional dojo, you have got to push it a bit.”

Mustard’s body isn’t as supple as it used to be, bearing some of the scars of so many years of hard training, but he has quit smoking since Twigger’s book was written. He still likes beer, but he figures that’s okay. “I have a strong spirit. That gets me through.”

As for the book, it’s given him a certain amount of notoriety, drawing e-mail from people all over the world and leading to some interesting friendships. It is particularly popular in Europe and Australia. “When I went to Australia two years ago to teach, everybody brought their copy and asked me to sign it.”

They all ask the same question: Was he a bastard?

“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t think so. Maybe. Most people love me. When I left, a lot of people were quite sad.”

He is so devoted to yoshinkan aikido, he says he will die in his dogi. Maybe they’ll bury a copy of Angry White Pyjamas
with him. Even if, in the end, he wasn’t all that angry.

AIKIDO IN MMA

Why do we not see aikido in MMA?  There are so many misconceptions on this subject that I feel compelled to express my own opinion on this topic. 

Everyone wants to believe that “their” martial art is the be all and end all of martial arts.  Why else would they study it?  I believe that no martial art is absolute.  It is extremely arrogant to believe that one martial art is superior in every way over all others.  I believe that many martial arts blend together and add value to each other.  We must be open to what other martial arts can offer. 

As for Mixed Martial Arts, it has become a sport and as such, techniques and styles are used to meet the needs of soprt.  Aikido, and Yoshinkan Aikido in particular, is still deeply rooted in self defence.  The techniques focused on are about self protection and as such have the ability to cause great physical harm. 

The aikido practioner understands the power that lies in their techniques and uses them accordingly.  It is not in the nature of aikido to cause bodily harm for mere sport.  In MMA an opponent could easily be thrown with iriminage or shihonage but they would simply get up to resume the fight.  In a reality based fight should an assailant might do the same, rise again with the intent of hitting you with a lead pipe, then it may become necessary to break their elbow or dislocate their shoulder to prevent further harm to yourself or them.  It is not the Aikido Way to break an elbow just to win a sporting event.

I believe that the aikidoka is simply not drawn to MMA as there is so much more aikido has to offer than mere fighting.  In the same vain, Randy Couture himself would most likely not fair too well cornered in a back alley by 3 armed thugs.  Everything in context.

 The reason we practice aikido in a specific manner is to prevent serious injury.  Ukemi is extremely important as well.  Imagine the damage that would be inflicted on someone who did not know how to roll or fall properly.  Unfortunately this gives the general public the illusion of choreography.  Everything looks staged. 

I hope that non-aikido people read this and understand that it a way it is staged.  The technique to be performed is know by both partners so that the recipient can prepare for a safe landing.  The strike, grab, kick or push is real, the force that the are thrown or taken down is real, their inability to resist is real.  One simply needs to feel the power of Yoshinkan to become a believer. 

For these reasons alone, I think that you will be hard pressed to ever see aikido used widely in MMA.  Some one aikido’s principles are used with dramatic results but still it would never become a staple.  Aikido is not a sport.

OSU!

A in-depth explanation of the word “Osu!” as given by Robert Mustard Sensei 7th Dan Yoshinkan Instructor (IYAF) of Aikido Yoshinkai Burnaby in an article he wrote for AYI:

All of us who practice Yoshinkan [style] Aikido are familiar with the word “Osu”. We use it when we enter the dojo, when we start class, when the Sensei show us a technique, when we pour beer for each other at parties and especially when [the] Sensei yell at us and we don’t know what they’re talking about! I even use it when I receive my dry cleaning or get my change at the 7-11, which usually results in strange looks from the respective cashiers. But what does “Osu” really mean? Does it have a deeper meaning?

In Japan, the only people who use “Osu” are usually the sports teams of the high schools and universities, and most karate styles. In most companies you will hear “Osu”, but it is usually a lazy man’s way of saying g “Ohayo Gozaimasu” (Good Morning). As far as I know, the only style of Aikido that uses this word is the Yoshinkan style of Gozo Shioda.

Kancho Sensei attended Takushoku University, which has a strong reputation for its hard training in Budo, and it also has a reputation as a stronghold for far right-wing sentiments. My former Kendo teacher was the captain of the Takushoku Kendo team, and he told me training stories that made my hair stand on end. In order to continue the Takudai and old style tradition of hard training (Shugyo), Yoshinkan Aikido continues the use of “Osu” while other styles do not.

If you look at the word “Osu” written in the original Chinese, it is comprised of two characters. The first character is “Osu”, which the dictionary defines as “push”. The second character is “Nin”, which the dictionary defines as “Shinobu”, which means endure, persevere, put up with. If you put them together you get – to push ourselves to endure any hardship, in training or in our daily lives.

Also, in the field of Budo it is used as a greeting or reply with the connotation as a sign of your willingness to follow a particular teacher or way of training.

The most important aspect of the word “Osu” is that we must not let the word, through repeated overuse with no feeling, lose its meaning of reminding ourselves to always train as hard as possible. It must come from our hearts and really have meaning. I have had the experience of showing some people techniques or correcting their techniques and their reply of “Osu” has left me feeling that they are not interested in what I have to say or teach and kind of telling me to go away. Needless to say, I refrained from showing or teaching these people further until they showed me by their actions that they wanted to learn.

Surely there can be no greater misrepresentation of Yoshinkan Aikido, than a person saying they practice Yoshinkan Aikido, but their “Osu” has no conviction or spirit. I don’t want to give the impression that we should always be screaming OSU at each other at the tops of our lungs, but let’s try to find ourselves the conviction to always do our best in our training and also in our daily lives. Kancho Sensei always said, “Aiki soku seikatsu” or “Aikido is life”.

I wish you good luck with your training.

Robert Mustard Sensei 7th Dan Yoshinkan Aikido

In the spirit of controlling the centre line lets take a look at Kokyu Ryoku, or Breath Power.

“Chu Shin Ryoku”, the ‘centre power’, refers to the strength required to maintain your body’s centre line straight. If you don’t develop this you cannot achieve “Shu Chu Ryoku”, Concentrated Power or “Kokyu Ryoku”, Breath Power.

If you don’t develop ‘centre power’ you are just going through the motions of Aikido techniques without achieving true power. If you want strong ‘centre power’ you have to be able to develop correct “Kamae”, Posture. You can feel your ‘centre power’ when you practice correct Kamae. So, at the same time as you practice Kamae, you learn how to strengthen your ‘centre power’.

It is not easy to develop strong ‘centre power’; it depends on how much you try. The key lies in the big toe of the back foot. The power comes up from the big toe of the back foot and is transmitted into the hips and the lower back. You have to develop strong big toes through practicing “suwari waza”, kneeling techniques. You have to develop strong hips through practicing “Kihon Dosa”, the basic movements. The techniques of Yoshinkan Aikido are those achieved by training yourself and making yourself correct.

The essence of Aikido is “Kokyu Ryoku”, Breath Power. It is not important to beat your opponent by throwing or holding them if it makes them feel hateful. Aikido is only Aikido in a true sense when your opponent doesn’t have any bad feelings towards you. When this is achieved you are really winning. It is the real goal of the practice to strengthen your ‘centre power’.