Eyrie, what are you talking about? Perhaps I didn't make it clear. Ueshiba is the one who said, "99% of Aikido is atemi."
But if that's not enough here a some more. Here he both directly states, and "implicity implies" (
:
These are from Budo renshu, by Morihei Ueshiba:
"As your Bujutsu training approaches perfection you will be able to detect the [weakness in the enemy's technique], the suki, even before he can, and as if to satisfy some deficiency in him, you can fill the opening [weakness] with your technique." pg.26
"True Budo is practiced not
only to destroy an enemy, it must also make him, or his own will, gladly lose his spirit (seishin) to oppose you."pg.26
These are from 'Budo' by
Morihei Ueshiba :
"When facing the realm of life and death in the form of an enemy's sword, one must be firmly settled in mind and body, and not at all intimidated; without providing your opponent the slightest opening, control his mind in a flash and move where you will - straight, diagonally, or in any other appropriate direction. Enter deeply, mentally as well
as physically, transform your entire body into a true sword, and vanquish your foe." pg.31
"Regarding technique, from ancient times it has been said that movements must fly like lightning and attacks must strike like thunder." pg.33
"Fight masses of the enemy as if they were one man, and deal with one enemy as if he were many; this is the way you must do battle. Move in such a way that without openings [suki] you make one principle fit the myriad of possibilities." pg 26.
pg. 36 -
"Always imagine yourself on the battlefield under the fiercest attack; never forget this crucial element of training." From the book "The Founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba", written by Ueshiba Kisshomaru (translated and reprinted in Aiki News #62).
"[Ueshiba] started with easy techniques using two of his students. Even for an untrained eye, it was clear that he moved very softly... However, in the meantime his students attack him with all their might and still tumble down in a shower of attacks (atemi) to their vital points.
In short his art reaches a conclusion before ordinary judo even starts its work."
Here's an anecdote to help put those quotes in perspective:
Ellis Amdur
" recall a presentation 2nd Doshu gave to the Japan Martial Arts Society in the 1980's, and someone raised his hand as asked just when it was that Osensei became a pacifist. After the translation, Doshu looked rather puzzled, and asked for clarification, and the question was asked again. Doshu seemed to be suppressing giggles, and said, in effect that his father was never a pacifist, nor was aikido a pacifist practice. "After all, it is a martial art," he said. He then continued on to say, vaguely but accurately that his father created something new, that was outside the dualism of violence and non-violence."
Further there is a story I recently read . I can't locate the link right now, so I'll paraphrase. There was an Aikido demonstration. An old man was there and after it was over said , "This Aikido is very diffirent than the one Ueshiba Sensei taught us,". The man was questioned, and it turned out that he had been trained under Ueshiba during Ueshiba's time teaching at the notorious 'Nakano Spy School'. When the man was questioned as to what Ueshiba taught, he demontrated. The techniques were, grab your opponent, punch to throat, groin, eyegouge, throw to the ground, as well as limb breaking. If anyone knows the link for this I would be grateful.
Another thing to keep in mind when we are reading terms like "peace", "harmony" etc, is that these were being used very diffirently than we currently think of them. These were common 'catch phrases' used by the Japanese government in WWII in order to bolster support for the invasion of China. In effect, they were achieving 'harmony' by attacking and subduing the country. Now, Ueshiba himself had ties to some very, very right wing groups (the Black Dragon society), who not only met at his dojo, but helped fund it's being built. Onisaburo Deguichi, who is generally credited as being Ueshiba's main philosophic influence, was also directly tied to these groups. In other words, the phrases 'harmony' and 'peace' have been recently reapproprated and the meaning altered from the original one. Ueshiba was no pacifist. He was a class 'G' war criminal, due to his involvment with these groups.(http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=425) There is speculation that during the war, some of his top students (such as Gozo Shioda) were sent to Japan as spies who engaged in radical right wing/ quasi terroist activities. (http://www.morrisnoholdsbarred.co.uk/07Scorpionnoteslinks.htm)
So, all this evidence (and there is more, but I don't want to write an essay here--I have others to write that are actually being graded), anyway, all this evidence points towards Ueshiba, or more than likely his followers, recasting his words to fit a mythologized framework--that of the peace loving warrior/hippy/taoist immortal. However, the facts speak for themselves.
1. Ueshiba was involved with training numerous military groups.
2. He had direct ties (as in sat in the meetings) with the Black Dragon Society, a group that was involved with undermining of the government, pushing an ultranationalist agenda, esipinage, and terroist activities.
3. He himself was engaged in challenge matches--such as with Tenryu.
4. After the war, when the U.S. had conquered Japan, such rhetoric would no longer fly. Ueshiba left Tokyo, went to the boonies and softened his rhetoric.
5. Westerm authors, such as John Stevens, have recast Ueshiba as a peach loving pacifist. Yet, they leave out his involvment in these groups all together. As well, key issues are skirted (such as what exactly were Deguchi and Ueshiba doing in Mongolia). Unfortunatly, the image of Ueshiba has mostly been crafted in the West by people like Stevens. Stevens is offering his personal take on Aikido, but it is far from Ueshiba's own.
In conclusion, we have to be careful about using words and phrases like "harmony" or "art of peace" without reference to the culural milieu from which they sprang. These have only been recently invested with '1960's' peace/love rhetoric--the founder of Aikido almost certainly meant them diffirently.
So, I'll say it again, Ueshiba doesn't seem to have been against fighting.
Most of the 'philosophy' of Aikido today that is generally believed to be Morihei's is actually that of his son's Kissumaru. In both thought and technique, it could be argued, Kisshumaru has had a greater effect on today's practice of Aikido than his father.
From an interview with Gozo Shioda:
Quote:
Interviewer: Given his spiritual views on budo, did Ueshiba Sensei have any moral qualms about teaching at these spy training schools?
Shioda: No. He was only told to teach martial arts there.
--Chris