PART V – A New Start in London

A New Start in London On December 14th, 1967, I left Newcastle Station on the 11:55 train bound for London. I had made this particular trip countless times, but this time was different – I was relocating to London for good. It had been one year and seven months since the political mess in the … Continue reading PART V – A New Start in London

PART IV – The Light at the End of the Tunnel

The Light at the End of the Tunnel The year 1967 ushered in changes so profound that the whole of my life continued to be influenced by the events of that time. Prior to the first signs of change I had suffered countless sleepless nights beset by anxiety, anger and depression, struggling over the question … Continue reading PART IV – The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Part 3: Private Classes With Chiba Sensei

Shortly after my arrival at Hombu Dojo, having earned the trust of the small group of foreigners who attended Chiba Sensei’s class on Friday evenings, I learned that some of them had formed a working group to practice privately with him. This group included several Americans: Paul Sylvain, Lorraine Sylvain-DiAnne, Meik Scoss, Bruce Bookman and … Continue reading Part 3: Private Classes With Chiba Sensei

Part III – My First Year in England – Vol.4: The End of the First Year

The End of the First Year I went to see the man in charge of Sunderland Physical Education (SPE) whom I had met once before through Mr. Logan. Although he was no longer active, I had been told that he was an Aikidoist who had led an SPE-sponsored group of practitioners that was loosely associated … Continue reading Part III – My First Year in England – Vol.4: The End of the First Year

PART III – My First Year in England, Volume 3: Nothing is Working

Nothing is working ... As the days crawled by, I became increasingly more agitated and angry with my situation: There had been no change, no news from Mr. Logan regarding the progress of a dojo for me and no contact from any Aikido schools or other dojos in the country. I felt I was being … Continue reading PART III – My First Year in England, Volume 3: Nothing is Working

First class at Hombu after my arrival in Tokyo.

Leaving for Japan Summer 1977 In 1976, Chiba Sensei had been recalled to Japan from England by Hombu, which needed his linguistic capabilities as they sought to solve the problem of Aikido’s unruly development around the world. Back in Tokyo, he started to train in Iaido under the guidance of Mitsuzuka Takeshi at the police … Continue reading First class at Hombu after my arrival in Tokyo.

PART III – My First Year in England, Volume 2: A Hopeless Political Mess

A Hopeless Political Mess In late June 1966, about two months after my arrival in England, a long-awaited meeting between Mr. Logan and myself took place with the help of a Mr. Kimura, a Japanese interpreter and corporate man for Common Brothers Inc. – the company for which Mr. Logan was executive officer. It was … Continue reading PART III – My First Year in England, Volume 2: A Hopeless Political Mess

PART III – My First Year in England, Volume 1: At the Logans

My arrival at Heathrow Airport in London on May 5, 1966, signaled the end of my six-week journey. However, the troubles associated with that journey were not over yet, as I quickly encountered problems concerning my immigration status. After my luggage had been thoroughly turned inside-out, I was removed to a separate room to be … Continue reading PART III – My First Year in England, Volume 1: At the Logans