Gozo Shioda: The “Unworldly Budoka” and his Yoshinkan Aikido

Gozo Shioda 塩田 剛三 was a prominent aikido master and the founder of the Yoshinkan style of aikido. Despite his small stature, standing at 154cm and weighing 46 kg, he is known as the “Unworldly Budoka” 不世出の武道家 in Japan.

Shioda was born on September 9, 1915, in Tokyo, Japan. His early exposure to martial arts included Kendo and Judo, in which he excelled, achieving a 3rd dan in Judo during secondary school. His proficiency instilled confidence in his martial art skills. In 1932, doubts arose as he observed Ueshiba and his disciples practicing Aikido, questioning its authenticity. Ueshiba himself noticed Shioda’s uncertainty and invited him for a personal practice session. In a pivotal moment, Shioda initiated a front kick towards Ueshiba, who effortlessly countered by throwing him against the wall, leaving Shioda astounded. This incident led Shioda to swiftly decide to become Ueshiba’s disciple. He dedicated eight years as an uchi deshi (live-in student) under Ueshiba, rising to prominence as one of his top and most renowned students.

During World War II, Shioda served in the Japanese military and was stationed in China. It was during this time in Shanghai that he found himself in a bar with a friend from the army. An altercation between his friend and a local gang member escalated, drawing in three more gang members who cornered Shioda and his friend. Drawing upon his aikido skills, Shioda broke one gang member’s leg, another’s arm, and incapacitated a third with a punch to the stomach. In later reflection, Shioda referred to this episode as his “Aikido Enlightenment”, emphasizing that genuine comprehension of aikido’s essence is truly unveiled when applied in life-or-death scenarios.

After the war, Shioda returned to Japan in 1946 and continued training in aikido under Ueshiba. He began teaching aikido in 1950. In 1954, he famously demonstrated a series of aikido techniques in the All Japan Kobudo Demonstration 日本総合古武道大会. The demonstration was so impressive that it won him the best performance award 最優秀賞. The following year, he founded the Yoshinkan 養神館 dojo in Tokyo, with the goal of spreading aikido to a wider audience and promoting it as a practical self-defense system. His style of aikido emphasizes strong, precise movements and practical techniques that can be used in self-defense situations.

Shioda pinning down US President John F. Kennedy’s bodyguard during the demonstration in 1961

In 1957, Shioda developed the Senshusei 専修生 course, an intensive aikido training program for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He developed a unique method of teaching aikido that was based on a step-by-step progression of techniques, which allowed students to gradually build their skills and knowledge of the art. Under Shioda’s leadership, the Yoshinkan style continued to gain popularity in Japan. He was promoted to 9th dan by Ueshiba in 1961. In the same year, Shioda had the honor of performing an aikido demonstration for the United States President John F. Kennedy during his visit to Japan. President Kennedy was impressed by Shioda’s effortless pinning down of his bodyguard. This had helped to raise the profile of aikido in the United States and around the world.

In addition to his work as a teacher, Shioda was also a prolific author, writing several books on aikido and martial arts philosophy. Shioda continued to teach and train until his death on July 17, 1994, at the age of 78. Today, his legacy as an aikido pioneer lives on and Yoshinkan remains one of the most prominent styles of aikido.

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