Shoji Nishio - AIKIDO demo

Presentation of Aikido by Shoji Nishio sensei. [1st Aikido Friendship Demonstration - Tokyo, 1985] Shoji Nishio sensei was one of the most important and relevant teachers in the history of Aikido, reaching the rank of 8th dan. Recognized as a complete budoka (martial artist), he was also graduated in judo (6th Dan, Kodokan), karate-do (5th Dan, Shindō jinen-ryū), iaido (7th Dan, Nihon Zendoku Iaido), and also Shintō Musō-ryū jōjutsu (staff) and Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu (spear). He held the title of Shihan Aikikai and also created a new school of Iaido with forms of Aikido, called Aiki Toho Iaido or Nishio-ryu Iai. In 2003, Nishio-sensei received the Budo Kyoryusho award from the Japan Budo Federation for his lifelong contribution to the development and worldwide propagation of Aikido. Nishio-sensei passed away in March 2005 at the age of 77. “(...) those people who wish to know the rigor of real martial arts should stop at this point and take a fresh look at things (in martial arts when facing an opponent) and be severe with themselves. “Being strict with oneself” in martial arts is being able, at any moment, to defeat and destroy the opponent facing you and not doing so. It is being sure not to destroy the opponent, but to save their life to a great extent. Furthermore, to promote the ability to make this possible, you must practice continuously with this mindset and without lack of strict devotion for a long period of time. In Aikido, technique is a manifestation of ki and can be said to be a tool of reflection. KI is the source of life and this means the source of the creation of all living beings. We cannot allow techniques generated from ki, the source of life, to harm other people. In Aikido, it is possible, with the principle of irimi issoku, to instantly destroy the opponent. But people who know the folly of destruction and the value of life should not destroy an opponent. The techniques of Aikido "These are such that the opponent you are facing has a place, an opportunity, for self-examination. There are one, two, or three moments in each technique where you can destroy the opponent. Each of these moments is a moment of introspection. In the process of executing a single Aikido technique, no matter how simple the technique, lies the essence of each martial art. This is something unique to Aikido. Properly speaking, this opposes the logic of most people who continue hitting, colliding, and fighting each other as usual, right from the moment of contact. In fact, with your Aikido technique, that is the exact moment when you can control the opponent.” - Shoji Nishio shihan