Un nouveau départ à Londres Le 14 décembre 1967, je quittai Newcastle par le train de 11h55 à destination de Londres. J’avais fait ce voyage de nombreuses fois mais cette fois c’était différent, j’allais m’installer définitivement à Londres. L’énorme imbroglio politique que vivait l’Aikido en Grande-Bretagne était à l’origine de ma venue dans le nord … Continue reading 5ème PARTIE – Un nouveau départ à Londres
Category: A Life in Aikido
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 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 Although he was no longer active, I had been told that he was an Aikidoist who had led an SPE-sponsored group of practitioners that was loosely associated … Continue reading Part III – My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
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
PART II – En Route to England, Volume 3: Troubles before Arrival
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 II – En Route to England, Volume 3: Troubles before Arrival
PART II – En Route to England, Volume 2: Training on Board the Al-Sabbiyah
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 II – En Route to England, Volume 2: Training on Board the Al-Sabbiyah
PART II – En Route to England, Volume 1: Leaving Japan
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 England, Volume 1: Leaving Japan
PART I – The Hombu Dojo Years
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