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
Tag: Chiba Shihan
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 Although he was no longer active, I had been told that he was an Aikidoist who had led an SPE-sponsored group of practitioners that was loosely associated … Continue reading Part III – My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 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
Chiba Sensei, a story of a life in to Aikido – 2nd Part
Here is the second part of Chiba Kazuo Sensei writings on his first years as an uchideshi in Hombu Dojo, then as an instructor in England before his return to Japan. This second part includes in fact three episodes relating the long sea trip that was to take him, in 1966, from the port of … Continue reading Chiba Sensei, a story of a life in to Aikido – 2nd Part
Chiba Sensei, a story of a life in to Aikido
Good morning, everyone, From October 2019, I will publish a series of articles written by Chiba Sensei himself about the story of his life in the world of Aikido. The original text is in English (to be read in the English version of the site) and the French translation has been done by me. A … Continue reading Chiba Sensei, a story of a life in to Aikido
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