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Morihei Ueshiba and Jigoro Kano: The Resonance of Two Great Masters
Morihei Ueshiba 植芝 盛平, the founder of Aikido, and Jigoro Kano 嘉納治五郎, the creator of Judo, were two of the most influential martial artists of the 20th century. While their approaches to martial arts differed significantly, they shared a deep mutual respect for each other and for the values of traditional Japanese Budo. Their interactions reflect an intriguing dialogue between the preservation of martial tradition and the evolution of combat into a modern sport. Jigoro Kano (1860–1938) was a visionary who sought to modernize traditional Jujutsu into a structured discipline suitable for education and competition. He mastered both Kito Ryu 起倒流 and Tenjin Shinyo Ryu 天神真楊流 Jujutsu 柔術. In 1882,…
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Kenji Tomiki and his Vision of Competitive Aikido
Kenji Tomiki 富木 謙治 was a scholar and a prominent martial artist who held an 8th dan in both Judo and Aikido. He was an early student of Morihei Ueshiba and played a crucial role in the development of Aikido and the establishment of Shodokan Aikido 昭道館合気道, also known as Tomiki Aikido. Born on March 15, 1900, in Kakunodate 角館町, Akita Prefecture 秋田県, Japan, Tomiki started training in Judo when he was about 10 years old and obtained his shodan rank in 1919. He continued to practice Judo and only in 1926, he was introduced to Morihei Ueshiba by his friend Hidetaro Mishimura, and started training in Aikido (still known…
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Development of Dan Ranking System in Japanese Martial Arts and its Adoption in Aikido
Martial arts have been an integral part of Japanese culture for centuries. One of the most significant aspects in their development is the introduction of the dan ranking system. The term “dan” 段, which literally means “stage”, was first used by Sansa Honinbo 本因坊 算砂, the founder of the Honinbo Go school in the late 16th century. Go 囲碁 is a traditional strategy board game originated from China and introduced to Japan around the 7th century. The game is played by two players who take turns placing black and white stones on a square grid board. The objective is to gain more territory on the board than your opponent by…
