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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 interesting 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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Randori: The Heart of Aikido’s Dynamic Training
Randori 乱取り is a dynamic training exercise practiced in various Japanese martial arts, including Judo and Aikido. The first character, ran 乱, means “disorder” or “chaos,” while dori 取り means “taking” or “capturing.” The earliest recorded use of the term dates back to the military manual Koyo Gunkan 甲陽軍鑑 during the Edo period, where it referred to raiding an enemy territory to seize goods. In martial arts, randori involves facing one or multiple attackers in an unpredictable and dynamic setting, unlike pre-set attack-defense sequences such as kumite 組手 in Karate or kumijo 組杖 in Aikido. Randori is especially common in Judo. Out of its three technique categories – throwing techniques…
