Tohei-sensei was born in 1920 and grew up in an upper class Japanese family, north of Tokyo. He was sickly as a child and was introduced to Judo and Zen by his father to try to strengthen his constitution. Later he became involved in misogi and various forms of Japanese Yoga. These events and training shaped much of what was to develop in later life.
In 1939, he met O-sensei and was introduced to the art of Aikido. He expressed some amazement that despite his Judo training he was unable to deal with this much older man and quickly became a serious student of the Art. In 1942, he was called up to the army and spent time in action in China. During this time, he became aware of the importance of a calm mind and the unification of mind and body that were to shape much of his later training, and developed quite a reputation as a "lucky" officer who never lost a single man under his command even during the most fierce fighting.
After the war he returned to his role as uchi-deshi to O-sensei, becoming one of the strongest and most influential figures within the Aikido world. In those days, challenges to the teacher were common and it was Tohei-sensei who usually had to respond to people coming to the dojo to test O-sensei. Quite a few people were "bounced on their heads" including a group of US wrestlers who had previously tried to arrange a challenge at the Kodokan Judo HQ!
In 1953, he was sent by O-sensei to Hawaii, becoming the first teacher to introduce Aikido to the United States. Over the next decade or so, Tohei-sensei came to the US many times and was responsible for training many of the fine teachers in the U.S. today. It was during this period that his Aikido underwent a lot of change, since dealing with HUGE Americans was quite different to the conventional training in Japan. During this period, his practice also started to drift away from some of what was being practiced by other instructors, as can be seen if you compare the book written in the late 50s by Tohei-sensei with that written about the same time by K. Ueshiba-sensei -- both of which were approved by O-sensei.
Tohei-sensei rose to the position of Chief Instructor at the Aikikai Hombu dojo and was the only person awarded 10th Dan by O-sensei and issued with a formal scroll of rank. We have a video tape of an American TV show from 1957, in which Tohei-sensei acts as interpreter for O-sensei during an interview. He was certainly one of the most noticeable figures in the Aikido world, due to his large outgoing personality.
After O-sensei's death, Kisshomaru Ueshiba-sensei became the second Aikido Doshu, and Tohei-sensei continued to be the Chief Instructor. For the next few years things continued as before, but there were tensions building within the senior Aikido-ka.
Tohei-sensei had very clear ideas about the best way of teaching Aikido, ideas that were based largely on the principles of Unification taught by one of his Yoga teachers. He proposed to introduce this system of teaching Ki within the Aikikai but met with much resistance from the more traditional of the senior teachers there. So, in 1971, while still the Chief Instructor of the Aikikai, Tohei-sensei founded the Ki no Kenkyukai, to teach the principles of Ki and Unification of Mind and Body, outside the Aikido framework. This position continued for a few more years until the rift between Tohei-sensei and the rest of the Aikikai became too big and he resigned. He then founded the Shin-shin Toitsu Aikikai, to teach Aikido in accordance with the Ki principles.
This split caused a great divide in the Aikido world since many people were torn between following Tohei-sensei, who was the most senior Aikido teacher, or staying with the Aikikai which was headed by O-sensei's son. This choice caused much bad feeling, some of which still exists today.
Tohei-sensei continued to refine and develop his methods of teaching Ki and Aikido and the Ki no Kenkyukai grew and spread branches throughout the world.
Tohei-sensei is a very special individual. Almost everyone agrees that, excepting O-sensei himself, Tohei-sensei's Aikido was probably the finest to be seen. In addition, he is one of the most gifted teachers the Aikido world has seen, developing most of the teaching methods used in many dojos today.
Tohei-sensei has been a prolific author, writing everything from the first Aikido book in English through to a non-fiction Bestseller in Japan on Ki in Business. See the Aikido FAQ bibliography for many examples.
One of the areas of his writing that is not very well known outside the Ki no Kenkyukai is the collection of inspirational poems called the Shokushu. These are similar to the traditional doka (songs of the way) written by many masters. (O-sensei's doka being an example.)
In some dojo, examples of these poems are read before the start of
each class to help focus the mind on the essence of practice.
The following sayings are under copyright with Ki no Kenkyukai (Ki Society International) and duplication is forbidden without the express consent of KNK.
Let us have a universal spirit that loves and protects all creation and helps all things grow and develop.
To unify mind and body and become one with the Universe is the ultimate purpose of my study.
FOUR MAJOR PRINCIPLES TO UNIFY MIND AND BODY
Our lives are born of the Ki of the Universe. Let us give thanks for being born not as plants and animals, but as lords of creation. Let us pledge to fulfill our missions by helping to guide the development and creation of the Universe.
The absolute Universe is one. We call this Ki.
Our life and body are born of the Ki of the Universe. We study thoroughly the principles of the Universe and practice them. We are one with the Universe. There is no need to despond, no need to fear. The way we follow is the way of the Universe, which no difficulty nor hardship can hinder.
Let us have the courage to say with Confucius, "If I have a clear conscience and a calm spirit, I dare to face an enemy of ten thousand men."
Mind and body were originally one.
Do not think that the power you have is only the power you ordinarily use and moan that you have little strength. The power you ordinarily use is like the small, visible segment of an iceberg.
When we unify our mind and body and become one with the Universe, we can use the great power that is naturally ours.
The Universe is a limitless circle with a limitless radius. This condensed becomes the one point in the lower abdomen which is the center of the Universe.
Let us concentrate our mind in this one point and become one with and send our Ki constantly to the Universe.
We are accustomed to having trouble with nervousness unnecessarily. Nervousness causes blood vessels to contract, making it difficult for the impurities to leave the body, and thus makes one susceptible to many diseases.
Relaxation is truly an elixir of life. Let us spread the true method of relaxation which enables us to meet each day with a spirit like that of a mild spring breeze.
If we practice this, we need never get nervous and excited in our daily affairs.
The weight of objects is always naturally underside. Therefore the physical expression of living calmness is that the weight of every part of our body is also underside.
Like the calm, still surface of the water that reflects the moon and a flying bird, true living calmness is the condition of our mind that reflects all things clearly. This is man's original and natural state.
By understanding these principles, we can acquire true living calmness.
The absolute Universe is One. Then two opposing forces appeared, and the relative world was born.
In the Orient this dualism is called Yin and Yang, in the West plus and minus. A bright happy life is called plus life, and a dark gloomy one is called minus.
Let us eliminate every minus thought and strive for plus life henceforth.
The subconscious mind acts as a storehouse of knowledge and past experiences. The materials stored in the subconscious mind form the conscious mind.
Henceforth let us cease putting any minus material into the subconscious. Let us always extend plus Ki and live our lives with a positive attitude.
There is no conflict in the absolute Universe, but there is conflict in the relative world.
If we unify our mind and body, become one with the Universe, and practice its principles, others will follow us gladly.
Do not say that this is a world where we must struggle to live each day. The true way to success is exactly one and the same as the principle of non-dissension, and that is the way to peace.
We begin with the number one in counting all things. It is impossible that this one can ever be reduced to zero. Because just as something cannot be made from nothing, one cannot be made from zero.
Ki is like the number one. Ki is formed from infinitely small particles, smaller than an atom. The universal Ki condensed becomes an individual, which in turn condensed becomes the one point in the lower abdomen, which in turn infinitely condensed never becomes zero, but becomes One with the Universe. Thus we understand the essence of Ki.
It is easier to coordinate the mind and body when we are sitting or standing still than when in motion. But true unification means to maintain the coordination of mind and body even when we are moving.
The Ki development exercises train one to always maintain unification of mind and body in our daily life. By applying them to our life, we can perform to the best of our ability in all circumstances.
Just as tops spinning violently and rapidly become steady, the most rapid movement results in calm.
Like the eye of the typhoon which is always peaceful, inner calm results in great strength of action. Calm and action are exactly one.
Only when we keep one point and unify our mind and body, can we find spare time even when busy. Keep a calm mind and you will be able to perform to the best of your ability even in an emergency or when facing important tasks.
True fudoshin is not a rigid, immobile state of mind, but the condition of stability which comes from the most rapid movement. In other words, like the steadiness of a spinning top, the state of perfect spiritual and physical stability arises from movement which continues infinitely and is so infinitely rapid that it is imperceptible.
This movement is condensed at the one point in the lower abdomen. By putting everything into the one point, we can experience fudoshin and not loose our stability no matter what happens.
Breathe out so that your breath travels infinitely to the end of the Universe; breathe in so that your breath reaches your one point and continues infinitely there. The Ki breathing methods are an important way of unifying mind and body.
At night when all is quite and calm, do this alone, and you will feel that you are the Universe and that the Universe is you. It will lead you to the supreme ecstasy of being One with the Universe. At this moment the life power that is rightfully yours is fully activated.
We have learned coordination of mind and body with the Ki breathing methods. Therefore we can bring the Ki of the Universe into our bodies at any time.
When a water pump is dried out, no water can flow from the well up through the pump. To start this flow again we must put some water back into the pump. In the same way, Ki does not flow strongly in a person suffering from illness or misfortune. Let us practice kiatsuho to put Ki back into these people, stimulate their own flow of Ki, and give them a fresh start to happiness.
Man is blessed with a spirit that is one with the spirit of the Universe. This spirit is called reiseishin.
The moon is clearly reflected in the water when the water is calm. In this same way, when our mind and body are unified and calm, our reiseishin manifests itself completely. Once this happens, all suffering and wicked desires fall away, and the Universal spirit of love and protection for all things appears in us.
Let us strive to realize our reiseishin.
We call the mind that wants to make the way of the Universe clear and to put it into practice the mind that seeks truth.
However clever a dog or monkey may be, they cannot realize the Universal mind. Only human beings have the privilege and capacity to realize it. If you have the mind that seeks truth, you are happy because this is proof that you are a real human being.
An old Oriental saying tells us, "When our will power is concentrated upon a stone, it can pass through it. When our will power is focused and in harmony with the Universe, it can command the wind, rain and thunder".
But from where does our will power come? Those who understand and answer this question are those who accomplish important tasks.
When we coordinate the mind and body by stilling the waves of our mind to imperceptible, infinitely decreasing ripples, we can sent forth our great will power that moves the Universe.
Just as the number one can never be reduced to zero, once we act or speak, our action or speech is never completely erased.
An old Oriental saying tells us, "Sow good, and the harvest will be good. Sow evil and reap evil". We must understand that everything we do comes back to ourselves.
Therefore before wishing for our own happiness and welfare and that of our children we must do good in secret. To do good in secret means to act without seeking attention and praise, to act without any hope of reward. This is called intoku.
Among the various ways of performing intoku, to walk the way of the Universe and to lead others along this way is best.
Selfish men have never understood and traveled the way of the Universe in the past. Therefore, when we realize the principles and way of the Universe, the Universe gives us the responsibility to spread it to the world.
Do not think that you cannot help another man. What you learn today, you can teach another the next day. The world is full of people who have lost the way of the Universe and suffer from mental illness. Let us do our best to explain the correct principles of the Universe to them.