Author: david_yoshinaga

No Parking

October 2001. Mic relates: “A couple of days before the ‘Iwama Town Matsuri’, Saito Sensei was upset by visitors to the Aiki Jinja parking their cars in the small clearing across the street from Hitohiro’s restaurant. Sensei put up a sign and a barrier asking people who visit the Jinja not to park there. As you can see, it was a reasonably substantial log.” (It was still there, as of June 2002, but later was moved).

Photo: Mic Marelli

Blindfolded

2001. Saito Sensei blindfolded and Tristao laughing in the background. At the party Sensei snapped a chopstick and proceeded to blindfold himself. Following he would sing a short Japanese ditti whilst twirling the broken chopstick between his hands. At the end of the song, he removed his blindfold and the poor soul whom the broken chopstick was pointing to was made to down his/her drink in one shot. Repeat process many times.

Photo: Dr. Bruce Choy

Back of Aiki Jinja Stone

2001. The back of the Aiki Jinja stone. The line down the right side: “Showa jyuu-hachi nen.” (1944). The larger kanji: “Kaiso Ueshiba Morihei. Okina ken ryuu.” (Founder Ueshiba Morihei. This stone raised with respect and reverence.) Smaller kanji: “Heisei jyuu-san nen. (2001) Doushu Ueshiba Moriteru.” The stone was carved by Seiseki Abe (1915-2011), an extremely famous calligrapher from Osaka with long associations with the Ueshiba family and aikido.

Photo: Carlos Nogueira

Rohnert Park

2000. Saito Sensei in Rohnert Park, Northern California. He first came to America and California in 1974, alternating visits to the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego. He was as commanding and gracious as always. This turned out to be the final visit.

Photo: Stan Pranin for Aikido Journal

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