[Feature: Sports and Science] Shinichi Tohei: Development in the Modern Era—Universality and Reproducibility

2024/07/05

My master and father, Koichi Tohei, was born in 1920. While enrolled in the Faculty of Economics at Keio University, he was called up for service during World War II, graduating six months early to head to the front lines. After returning from the war in 1953—a time when Japanese people could not yet travel abroad freely—he began spreading Aikido to the world, eventually being awarded the 10th dan, the highest rank. He met Master Tetsuju Ogura, who taught the "Teachings of Tesshu Yamaoka"; Master Morihei Ueshiba, the "Founder of Aikido"; and Master Tempu Nakamura, who taught the "Relationship between Mind and Body." Through his experiences on the battlefield and rigorous training, he mastered "Ki" and founded "Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido," systematizing it as a path that anyone can follow. Under such a father, my training began at the age of one and a half.

Since my grandfather was also a graduate of Keio University, there seemed to be expectations for me, but I went on to the Tokyo Institute of Technology. After graduation, aiming to become the successor of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, I began training as an uchi-deshi (live-in disciple) under Koichi Tohei. Later, I served as a Shihan for the Keio University Athletic Association Aikido Club and further began teaching Aikido in weekly classes at the Mita and Hiyoshi campuses as a part-time lecturer at Keio University. I have interacted with many students for 27 years at the Aikido Club and 25 years in the weekly classes up to the present day. Upon recommendation from those involved with the Aikido Club, I received the honor of being named a Special Keio University alumni from then-President Atsushi Seike in 2014. Koichi Tohei passed away in 2011 at the age of 91, but I am certain he would be delighted from the bottom of his heart.

The purpose of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido training is to "maximize (draw out) the power that humans inherently possess." No matter how much ability or skill you have, it is meaningless if you cannot demonstrate it when it counts. Furthermore, you cannot demonstrate your power if you cannot believe in yourself. By cultivating a rock-solid foundation for both mind and body through training, you become able to firmly demonstrate your strength in important situations.

For this reason, not only those interested in Aikido, but people from various fields—such as athletes, actors, musicians, and organizational leaders—are learning it.

Sadaharu Oh, the famous baseball player known for his flamingo leg hitting stance, also trained under Koichi Tohei every year during his active career. I myself, recommended by Tatsuro Hirooka, was involved in developing top young prospects at the Los Angeles Dodgers' spring training in the US Major Leagues for three years starting in 2010.

Uchi-deshi training was difficult in every aspect, but for me, it is an irreplaceable asset. Upon becoming an uchi-deshi, our parent-child relationship was dissolved and we entered a master-disciple relationship; we did not return to a parent-child relationship until my master passed away.

During the uchi-deshi period, you accompany your master everywhere, so training happens not just inside the dojo but outside as well—there is no so-called break time. Once a week, about half a day was given to handle personal business, but other than that, there was no free time. However, if I wanted to study something, that time was granted if I requested it.

Looking back on the uchi-deshi training, I think the most significant part was understanding "what he valued" by constantly being with him. For example, I was able to experience "how to interact with people," "how to handle objects," and "how to overcome difficulties" through concrete actions rather than through knowledge or information.

Above all, he valued trust, teaching to "gain trust by doing the obvious things obviously, rather than being praised for doing something special," and he lived exactly that way. He treated everyone politely without discrimination, and even for his own disciples, he did not use their names without an honorific, instead using "-kun." He viewed the master-disciple relationship not as a "vertical hierarchy" but as a "human-to-human relationship." He always handled objects with care, not just people. Even in situations that looked like nothing but hardship to me, my master sometimes saw them as opportunities. These were things that could not be gained through learning in the dojo alone.

The way an organization exists and its methods of guidance change with the times, but if "what is valued" is altered, it cannot be said that the legacy has been passed on. This is the most important aspect of succession.

In development, both "teaching" and "coaching" are necessary. Neither is one-way; they are two-way interactions (communication). It is precisely because you observe and understand the other person's state that you can guide them appropriately. Being "other-centered" is the basis, but when one becomes "self-centered," they fall into a way of interacting that relies solely on experience and intuition, or one that is biased toward knowledge and information alone. The basics of development are to carefully show "why we are doing this now" and "why it is necessary for you," then have them execute it, encourage them, and lead them to achievement.

Koichi Tohei emphasized "universality" and "reproducibility." Universality means being able to do something regardless of the person or place; reproducibility means being able to do it the same way under the same conditions. If universality or reproducibility is lacking, it is too early to claim that something is correct.

Scientific knowledge is important in development, but I believe a scientific attitude is just as important. Some books published recently claim to have scientific knowledge but arbitrarily use only results convenient for their own claims, leading to criticisms regarding a lack of reproducibility. It is important for those involved in development not to take things at face value just because they are called scientific knowledge, but to think for themselves, practice them, and then incorporate them, maintaining an attitude of conveying "certainties" based on reproducibility.

To increase universality, I continue to challenge myself to achieve the same results in different fields, with different subjects, and in different languages. The aforementioned development at the Los Angeles Dodgers is one such example. To begin with, there was no reason for American professional sports players to listen obediently to what an Aikido practitioner from Japan had to say. During the first training session, the gathered players had an atmosphere of "What did you come here for?"

Of course, the forms, movements, and techniques differ in each field, but there is something that connects them universally at the root. One of those is the "rock-solid foundation" for demonstrating the power one possesses. After briefly explaining the purpose of the training, I first did a demonstration of "how to stand." I chose the two strongest players from among them, had them stand on either side of me, and had each place both hands on my shoulders to apply their weight. If there is even a little tension in the body, you feel the load, but with a balanced posture free of tension, you can support it without any strain. Eventually, the two were hanging off me, but they were surprised that I didn't budge with my rock-solid foundation, and the players started saying, "I want to try that too!" Everyone there became able to do it and immediately tried it out in practice.

After a relationship of trust was built, the players began to learn earnestly, and the coaches who saw the change also became serious. From there, the results became certain.

The Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido Kai, where I serve as president, has about 10,000 members and about 500 instructors in Japan alone. Therefore, I am involved in the development of instructors every day.

The most troubling issue in modern development is likely "harassment." To train someone, basic physical strength is necessary, and that strength is cultivated through the repetition of basics, but forcing that can lead to harassment. Also, if there is an error in thinking, it needs to be corrected, but stepping into the other person's inner self can lead to harassment. Now that "strictness = evil," people fear harassment so much that interactions become superficial, and they are unable to convey what needs to be conveyed. As a result, things weaken and results are no longer achieved. Isn't this a problem occurring in all fields in modern Japan? I am also working on various things to overcome this.

To delve deeper into this issue, I had the opportunity to have a three-way conversation with Kimiyasu Kudo, the former manager of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and Ryuji Kokonoe, the 14th Kokonoe-oyakata (former Ozeki Chiyotaihai). Mr. Kudo won the Japan Series five times during his seven years as manager. To leave such results, strictness must have been required; how did he achieve this in modern development? Master Kokonoe has a strictness in development, such as making the wrestlers in his stable do shiko (sumo leg stomps) 1,000 times a day. However, the atmosphere in the stable is good, with many positive wrestlers; how did he build such an environment? In both cases, "other-centered development" was deeply involved.

This three-way conversation became a book titled "Katsu no Irekata" (Gentosha). In Japanese, there is the phrase "katsu o ireru." Originally, it meant "to bring someone who has lost consciousness back to life," and from there, it came to be used to mean "to encourage (revitalize) a person." Recently, the expression using the character for "shout" (喝) is often used, but it is actually a misuse. That "katsu" refers to a loud voice, which would mean intimidating someone with a loud voice. The theme of this book is precisely the modern "way to apply katsu." I hope it will be of help to leaders and instructors struggling with modern development.