martial art, a formerly effective art that has been “watered-down,” a martial arts dance form, and other derogatory definitions. The truth of the matter is, if aikido is practiced diligently and sincerely, with emphasis on its original martial traditions and standards, it is one of the most effective means of self-defense in the world. The techniques in aikido are extremely potent, and can cause crippling or even fatal injury. However, if practiced under ideal conditions with a knowledgeable teacher, one can learn how to apply aiki principles in everyday life. It is this integrated approach that defines true aikido, and one should seek out an aikido style that teaches self-control, humility, confidence, and discipline, emphasizes spirituality, and yet is ultimately street-effective.
While this book is titled Complete Aikido: Aikido Kyohan, it is considered the canon, or master text, of Suenaka-ha Testugaku-ho aikido, and is meant to provide an overview of this style, as well as a grounding in the basic principles of all aikido styles. I have also attempted to systematize and simplify the practice of aikido in general; to provide an integrated approach by explaining the philosophy, history and evolution of aikido, so the reader may understand the many often confusing or misinterpreted aspects of this martial art.
I have been very fortunate to have studied many different martial arts in my life. My initiation took place as a child in Hawaii, studying with my Dad, and continued under other highly-acclaimed teachers there. In 1958, I opened one of the first aikido schools in California and the continental United States. The Air Force then sent me to Japan and Okinawa, where I met and studied under many of the foremost martial arts teachers in the world. My life has been a quest to learn as much as I can, to become the best I can be as an integrated human being. It is my hope that Complete Aikido: Aikido Kyohan helps you to do the same. As the saying goes: Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.
The Morihei Ueshiba quote appearing on page XIII is excerpted from The Art of Peace, translated by John Stevens, © 1992. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc., 300 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 02115.
The Morihei Ueshiba quote appearing on page 11 is excerpted from The Spirit of Aikido, by Kisshomaru Ueshiba, ©1984. Reprinted by arrangement with Kodansha International Ltd., 17-14, Otowa 1-chome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112, Japan.
The kanji calligraphy appearing on the chapter pages of the biographical section read shin-shin renma, and translates as “polishing/perfection of the mind and body.”
All photographs appearing in Complete Aikido: Aikido Kyohan are © 1997 by the authors, and may not be reproduced or otherwise used without permission.
Dedication
In memory of my mother, Ruth Masako Suenaka. She gave me life, supported me in all my endeavors, and provided me with strength, wisdom and inspiration. She guided me through all the challenges of life and showed me that no boundaries exist in the quest for success. She taught me how to love, and that all humans were from one family, and to this day I continue to cherish this very valuable lesson. I loved her dearly. She passed away peacefully on November 28, 1995.
“One does not need buildings, money, power or status
to practice the art of peace. Heaven is right where you
are standing, and that is the place to train.”
—Morihei Ueshiba O’Sensei
PART ONE
The Martial Biography of
Roy Yukio Suenaka
CHAPTER ONE
Early Education
It is the eleventh century. The formidable mounted warriors of Khubilai Kahn have swept out of the steppes of central Europe on a campaign of conquest that will ultimately bring most of Western Europe, China, and all of Korea under Mongol rule. In November of 1274, the Kahn sought to expand his empire by sending an armada of 450 ships bearing some 15,000 troops from conquered Korea southeast across the relatively narrow Korea Strait to the latest object of his desire, the mountainous island chain of Japan. His intent: to take the southernmost island of Kyushu, then sweep northward until the entire chain was under his dominion. Expecting a repeat of his earlier victories, he was to be disappointed. After a day’s fierce fighting on the shores of Kyushu, the Mongol fleet limped home, unexpectedly repelled by the determined samurai forces they encountered.
Angry and humiliated, Khubilai Kahn spent the next seven years assembling what remained until modern times the largest sea-borne invasion force in history. In June of 1281, the Kahn tried again, with ten times the troops. On June 23, the Mongols landed at several spots along Kyushu’s northwest coast, mounting a series of relentless attacks in an attempt to penetrate the island’s coastal defenses. However, though boasting superior weaponry and proven tactics, the forces of the Kahn were no match for the legions of samurai once again awaiting them.
Some of the most fierce fighting took place outside the walled city of Hakata, overlooking Hakata Bay. Over the next fifty days the samurai, brandishing their cherished, razor-edged tachi (swords), held the Mongols to within a few miles of the coast. On the shore, samurai boldly boarded the lumbering enemy warships in daring “mosquito raids,” cutting down the crew before slipping away in their small skiffs to attack anew. By the end of August, the valor of the samurai, with help from a massive typhoon (known from that day on as kamikaze, or “divine wind”), which splintered and sank the Mongol fleet, the Japanese had once again successfully repelled the forces of the Kahn.
Although many written accounts exist, there is but one detailed pictorial record of the second Mongol invasion. The samurai Takezaki Suenaga, who was also a veteran of the first invasion attempt, commissioned a series of scroll paintings to record his prowess during the battle of Hakata Bay. Known as the Moko Shurai Ekotoba, they today reside as part of the private Imperial Household Collection in Tokyo.
The defeat of the second Mongol invasion marked the beginning of the end of Imperial rule in Japan and the rise of the samurai warrior class. Whereas before, court nobility and aristocrats wielded power, under the Shogunate the samurai ruled supreme, guided by the strict tenants of bushido, the way of the warrior. Samurai families flourished, the Suenaga clan not excepted, for the next five-hundred years.
Although Suenaga’s fame for his exploits at Hakata Bay spread far, it was not enough to keep his creditors from his door. Heavily in debt from his war expenditures, he was hounded incessantly, to the point that he took the drastic step of changing his name, to Suenaka. A minor alteration, certainly, but evidently enough to avoid further financial persecution.
The year 1867 marked the end of Japans feudal period, as the Emperor Meiji took advantage of growing dissent and factional fighting among regional shoguns and ascended the imperial throne, beginning the Meiji Restoration the following year. Rebellious samurai were ordered to lay down their arms, cut off their prized topknots, and turn to more peaceful pursuits, or face the Emperors punishment. Such was the case with the Suenaka clan, who gave up the sword in favor of the hoe and plow. Although the clans lineage was well-known, this simple vocation change was sufficient to placate the authorities, appearing as it did a renunciation (at least on the surface) of their martial tradition. Privately, however, the Suenaka clan continued to pass down the martial traditions of their ancestors from father to son, particularly jujutsu and kenjutsu.
In
