7th dan aikido
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.
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 3 – The Early Years in England No.2
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 3 – The Early Years in England No.1
I spent several months in Africa before returning to France. I was at the time a draft dodger, but was betrayed and welcomed into the Army with open arms by the infamous General Marcel Bigeard and his paratroopers. The disciplinary unit of this regiment, which numbered roughly twelve “non obedient” members, was given the “privilege” … Continue reading Fall 1970: A Discovery
As the island of Singapore came into view off the starboard deck of the Al-Sabbiyah, the climate of the Indian Ocean became unbearably hot and humid. The most comfortable spot I could find outside of my cabin was on the bow of the ship, where the rain of moisture from the surge of the waves … Continue reading Part 2 – En route to England, No. 3
The temperature rose rapidly with each passing day as the Al-Sabbiyah continued southward. Soon after we entered the South China Sea, the heat became so intense that the crew was compelled to turn on the air conditioning in the cabin. The view from the deck showed nothing but a vast, boundless ocean below a sky … Continue reading Part 2 – En route to England, No. 2
I left the port of Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, on March 28, 1966, on a six-week voyage across the sea to England. I was the sole passenger in the first-class cabin on board the Al-Sabbiyah (“Little Princess” in Arabic) – a 35,751-ton Kuwaiti oil tanker that was leased to a British company based in Newcastle, … Continue reading Part II – En route to Great-Britain – No.1
In early 1957, when I was a Judo student, I got myself involved in a personal duel with a kendo man. He beat me up severely, without my even being able to touch his body. The experience taught me an important lesson as a martial artist: As long as I relied on grabbing an opponent, … Continue reading Part I: The Hombu Dojo Years
T. K. Chiba Shihan passed away on June 5th, 2015, in his house in San Diego, the most southern city of the State of California near the Mexican border, where he had lived since 1981. His demise marked the end of a distinctive idea of Aikido and of the way if not to teach it, … Continue reading T. K. Chiba Shihan – A Life in Aikido
Presentation Jacques Roubaud is arguably one of today’s most well-known French poets. He is also a member of the Oulipo and a novelist, a mathematician and a theoretician of verse; a great admirer of Japan, he is a recognized scholar in ancient Japanese poetry, which he read and commented at length : the famous poets … Continue reading King Arthur and Aikido