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Kenji Tomiki

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Kenji Tomiki
Born(1900-03-15)March 15, 1900
DiedDecember 25, 1979(1979-12-25) (aged 79)
Native name富木 謙治 Tomiki Kenji
NationalityJapan Japanese
StyleShodokan Aikido (founder)
Aikido, Judo
Teacher(s)Jigoro Kano, Morihei Ueshiba
Rank8th dan Judo
8th dan Aikido

Kenji Tomiki (富木 謙治, Tomiki Kenji, March 15, 1900 – December 25, 1979) was a Japanese martial artist who specialized in aikido and judo family of martial arts.[1][2] He was a pedagogue of martial arts theory (武道論, Budo-ron).[3] He is the founder of Japan Aikido Association and the competitive aikido (aikido kyogi) style.[4]

Tomiki was a professor at Kenkoku University in Manchuria and later at the Faculty of Education at Waseda University. Tomiki is credited in devising and introducing new forms of Randori practice in Aikido. He founded his own Aikido system, which has many differences from other Aikido styles, mainly in randori training, and is referred by several names including Tomiki Aikido, Shodokan Aikido and Sport Aikido.[2]

History

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Early life and World War II

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Kenji Tomiki was born on March 15, 1900 (Meiji 33) in Yokomachi, Semboku, Akita.He was the as the eldest son of the Shosuke Tomiki - a landholder. Japanese-style painter Hoan Hirafuku was his maternal grandfather.[5][additional citation(s) needed]

Circa 1909, Tomiki began practising Judo. In 1914, he entered Akita Prefectural Yokote Junior High School (predecessor of the current Akita Prefectural Yokote High School). He was active in the judo club while he was in school. In 1919, he obtained the first dan level of judo.[citation needed]

Before 1924, he began a practising at the Kodokan, under Judo founder Jigoro Kano. He actively practised Judo, despite Jigoro Kano's advanced age and declining health. Despite Tomiki himself being in good health, he contracted tuberculosis and was bedridden for three years before recovering. In 1924, he enrolls at the Faculty of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University and would continue training Judo, both at Waseda Judo Club and the Kodokan, reaching the rank of 4th Dan in Judo by the end of his senior year.[6]

In early 1926, he encountered the founder of aikido Morihei Ueshiba. Fascinated by Ueshiba's technique, Tomiki introduced himself and became one Ueshiba's early students.[7][8]

In 1927, he went on to graduate school and was promoted to Judo 5th Dan.[7] In 1929, got a job at Miyagi Prefecture Electricity Bureau.[7] In same year, he represented Miyagi Prefecture in the first judo tournament held in front of the Emperor—this tournament became the All Japan Tournament the following year. In 1931, he was assigned to Akita Prefectural Kakunodate Junior High School (predecessor of the current Akita Prefectural Kakunodate High School), in his birth town.

From 1936 or 1937 till the end of the Second World War, under orders of General Hideki Tojo, Tomiki lived in Manchukuo (Manchuria) where he taught aikibudo (an early name for aikido) to the Kempeitai of the Kwantung Army. In 1938 he became an assistant professor at Kenkoku University in Manchukuo.[9][10] In 1940, he was the first 8th dan black belt to be awarded by Morihei Ueshiba in Aikido history.[7][11] In 1941, became a professor at Kenkoku University. Following the surrender of Imperial Japan in 1945, Tomiki was detained by Soviet Red Army troops and was held in a three-year internment by the Soviet Union. It is there that Tomiki developed the unsoku and tegatana exercises to stay physically able for Aikido.[12][13]

Post-war

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Tomiki was released from internment in 1948 and subsequently returned to Japan. In 1949, he became a part-time lecturer at Waseda University's Physical Education Department.[7] He would teach Judo and Aikido for many years at Waseda University. It was there[when?] that he formulated and expanded his theories concerning both kata based training methods and a particular form of free-style fighting which would put him at odds with much, but not all, of the aikido world.[citation needed]

It was this action on the part of Tomiki of attempting to convert aikido into a sport that led to a schism with the founder Morihei Ueshiba and the Aikikai. Tomiki was urged by the Aikikai to adopt a different name for his art other than "aikido" if he intended to introduce such a system of competition. Convinced of the need to modernize aikido, he stood his ground and persisted in his efforts to evolve a viable form of competition.[14]

In 1952, he was selected as one of the members of the Kodokan Goshinjutsu Enactment Committee. Tomiki is perhaps best known in the judo world for his influence in the developing of Kodokan Goshin Jutsu kata. His work Judo is considered a classic.[15] The aikido appendix to the book is thought to be the earliest English language text on aikido.[16]

In 1953, Tomiki along with 9 other martial art instructors were selected to tour US Air Force bases in the United States[17] and was thus the first aikido instructor to visit the US. In 1954, he became a economics professor at Waseda University.[2]

Between 1955 and 1959, he helped formalize the Self-Defense Forces unarmed fighting system (Jieitaikakutojutsu).[18][19]

In 1958, Waseda University Aikido Club was established and became the first director. This is also considered the de facto start of his own style of Aikido, called Tomiki-Ryu, which was later renamed to Shodokan Aikido.[20]

Also in 1958, he published two major books on Aikido and Judo, them being "Aikidō nyūmon" (『合気道入門』 - Eng. "Introduction to Aikido").[citation needed] and the Kodokan Goshin-jutsu, which would serve as the most important book on the Kodokan Goshin Jutsu Judo kata.[21]

In 1961, Tomiki almost formalized aikidō kyōgi/competitive Aikido. In 1964, he established "Physical Education Specialization" in the Department of Education, Faculty of Education, Waseda University, and became the chief professor.[7]

In 1967, Tomiki opened his Shodokan honbu Dojo which he used as a testing ground for his theories on aikido and competition.[2][22] Tomiki followed Ueshiba as the Aikido division head of the Kokusai Budoin-International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF Japan). In 1970, Tomiki retired from Waseda University and, in the same year, presided over the first All-Japan Student Aikido Tournament. The basic rules for the holding of aikido tournaments had been worked out by this time in what would become an ongoing experiment to develop a viable form of competitive aikido.[23]

In 1971, Kodokan awarded Tomiki with the 8th Dan blackbelt. Then, in 1974, he founded the Japan Aikido Association (JAA)[24] from an earlier organization of the same name to promote his theories. In 1975, he became Vice Chairman of the Japanese Academy of Budo.

Tomiki set up a new dojo for the Shodokan in Osaka on March 28, 1976, with the support of Masaharu Uchiyama, Vice-chairman of the J.A.A. This dojo was intended to function as the headquarters of the Japan Aikido Association and Tomiki served as its first director. The current head of the dojo and chief instructor of the Shodokan Aikido Federation is Tetsuro Nariyama.[25]

Professor Tomiki died from complications of colorectal cancer[citation needed] on December 25, 1979.[2]

Known martial arts disciples

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Writing

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  • Chosaku jūdō taisō (1954 - 柔道体操 - Judo gymnastics)
  • Aikidō nyūmon (1958 - 合気道入門 - Introduction to Aikido )
  • Shin aikidō tekisuto (1964 - 新合気道テキスト - New Aikido Textbook)

See also

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References

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Sources

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  • Stevens, John (2013). The Way of Judo: A Portrait of Jigoro Kano and His Students. Shambhala Publications. p. 166-167. ISBN 9780834829015.

Citations

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  1. ^ Stevens, John (2013)
  2. ^ a b c d e Jones, David (November 24, 2015). Martial Arts Training in Japan: A Guide for Westerners. Tuttle Publishing. p. 67-68. ISBN 9781462918287.
  3. ^ "About Me - ししだふみあき研究室 Shishida Lab".
  4. ^ "On Modern Jujutsu".
  5. ^ "Hirafuku Family Tree" (edited and published by the Heifuku Memorial Museum in Kakunodatemachi, Semboku City, "People who loved Hirafuku Hyakusui", October 2, 2018, pp.118-119)
  6. ^ Stevens, John (2013); Kenji Tomiki (1900-1979) was a student of both judo (under Kano) and aikido (under Ueshiba). Tomiki was born in Akita to a well-off family and started practicing judo at an early age. Tomiki was both academically and physically gifted in school - he was an honor student as well as captain of the judo team. Even though he was robust, Tomiki contracted tuberculosis and was consequently bedridden for more than three years. Luckily, Tomiki recovered fully and proceeded to enter Waseda University in Tokyo in 1924. He trained at both the Waseda Judo Club and the Kodokan. By the end of his senior year, Tomiki was fourth dan.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Tomiki, Kenji (1991). 武道論 (Budō-ron) [Budo Theory] (in Japanese). University of Michigan: Taishukan Publishing. p. 284-285. ISBN 4469262153.
  8. ^ "Aikido Journal Encyclopedia Interview with Kenji Tomiki (Part 1)". Archived from the original on 2014-05-17.
  9. ^ Raul Sanchez Garcia (October 3, 2018). "9. The militarisation of the Japanese population through martial arts in early Shōwa era". The Historical Sociology of Japanese Martial Arts. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781351333795. Kenji Tomiki (originally a Kanō's student) moved to Manchuria in 1937 at the request of Japanese Imperial Army General Hideki Tojo (1884–1948), teaching aikidō at the Kenkoku University and at the Military Police (Kenpeitai) Academy.
  10. ^ Vogt, Ralf, ed. (2024). Transgenerationale Gewalt: Weshalb unbehandelte Traumata in familiäre Tyrannei und sozialen Extremismus münden können [Transgenerational violence: Why untreated trauma can lead to family tyranny and social extremism] (in German). Lehmanns Media. ISBN 9783965434790.
    (In German) Tomiki Kenji war ein zweiter japanischer Gelehrter, der von 1900 bis 1979 lebte. Er war ein bekannter Lehrer der japanischen Kampfkunst Aikido, ein Wissenschaftler und Philosoph, der eine eigene Vision von Ethik und Spiritualität hatte. Tomiki Kenji studierte Jura und Sportwissenschaften an der Waseda Universität in Tokio und trat später in die japanische Armee ein, wo er zur Militärpolizei der Kwantung- Armee in der Mandschurei gehörte. Während dieser Zeit hatte er die Gelegenheit, seine Fähigkeiten im Aikido zu demonstrieren und erhielt Anerkennung von seinen Vorgesetzten. Im Jahr 1939 wurde er Assistenzprofessor an der Reichsgründungsu niversität.
    (In English) Tomiki Kenji was a another Japanese scholar who lived from 1900 to 1979. He was a well-known teacher of the Japanese martial art Aikido, a scientist and philosopher who had his own vision of ethics and spirituality. Tomiki Kenji studied law and sports science at Waseda University in Tokyo and later joined the Japanese army, where he was part of the military police of the Kwantung Army in Manchuria. During this time he had the opportunity to demonstrate his skills in Aikido and received recognition from his superiors. In 1939 he became an assistant professor at the Imperial University.
  11. ^ "Aikido Journal Encyclopedia entry for Kenji Tomiki". Archived from the original on 2006-12-06.
  12. ^ Stevens, John (2013); Tomiki traveled to Manchuria in 1936 to teach budo, and in 1938 assumed a position as martial art instructor at the newly established Kenkoku University, where he taught until 1945. Following his capture by the Soviet Army, he was sent to Siberia, and not repatriated until three years later. Tomiki survived that punishing ordeal, forced to practice judo and aikido movements more in his mind than in his body. Tomiki returned to a completely different Japan in 1948.
  13. ^ C. M. Shifflett (quote from Peter Rehse, Shodokan Aikido) (March 29, 2009). "8. Off the Mat, in Real Life". Aikido Exercises for Teaching and Training: Revised Edition. North Atlantic Books. p. 235. ISBN 9781583942178. Kenji Tomiki was imprisoned for three years after WWII. He spent most of that time in solitary confinement in a cell 3 meters square. There he developed the unsoku and tegatana exercises. It boggles the mind to think of the number of times he performed these but they are perfect for the average hotel You develop tai sabaki, fluidity, and a good sweat (beware of rug burns on your feet).
  14. ^ Stevens, John (2013); Tomiki returned to a completely different Japan in 1948. What occurred next generated great controversy. Even though it was totally contrary to Ueshiba's fundamental principle that there be no competitive matches in the aikido dojo aikido was the way of harmony, beyond winning or losing - Tomiki insisted that aikido have a competitive element. Tomiki claimed that aikido needed formal contests to foster "a fighting spirit and practical skills in self-defense." Tomiki devised peculiar rules for official contests. These rules and restrictions satisfied no one except Tomiki and his closest disciples. Tomiki-style aikido never gained more than a very small following. Nonetheless, Tomiki was never expelled from the official aikido organization, and in fact served as its head. Tomiki devoted his life to judo and aikido, as he interpreted the two systems. Tomiki was awarded eighth dan in both disciplines.
  15. ^ "Principles of Judo, Kenji Tomiki".
  16. ^ Judo Appendix: Aikido, amazon.com
  17. ^ Robert W. Smith. "Journal of Non-lethal Combat: Judo in the US Air Force, 1953". ejmas.com.
  18. ^ Ryuichi Hirayama ed., "Introduction to Self-Defense Forces Hand Fighting" (自衛隊徒手格闘入門), Namiki Shobo, 2002 Instructor Ebisawa. ISBN 978-4890631506
  19. ^ "All about Self-Defense Forces Martial Arts"(自衛隊格闘術のすべて」) (Articles published in the March and April 1990 issues of "Monthly Karatedo")
  20. ^ Bagot, Brian N.; McGlone, Paul (1992). Aikido: Traditional Art & Modern Sport. Crowood. p. 193. ISBN 9781852237158. TOMIKI AIKIDO This style was founded by Professor Kenji Tomiki in 1958 at Waseda University.
  21. ^ Llyr Jones PHD; Biron Ebell MA; Lance Gatling MA (2016). "Kodokan Goshin". Judo Kata: Practice, Competition, Purpose. Via Media Publishing Company. ISBN 9781893765351.
  22. ^ Martin, Ashley (2012). "1. Way of the Warrior". Complete Martial Arts Training Manual: An Integrated Approach. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9781462905553.
  23. ^ Shishida, Fumiaki; Nariyama, Tetsuro (March 1, 2002). Aikido: Tradition and the Competitive Edge. Shodokan Pub. p. 34-35. ISBN 978-0964708327.
  24. ^ "Japan Aikido Association timeline". Archived from the original on 2013-07-17.
  25. ^ "Greeting at the opening of Shodokan（Kenji Tomiki） - SHODOKAN AIKIDO FEDERATION". Archived from the original on 2013-09-05.

Further reading

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