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If
you would like to contribute to MI Magazine.
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Exclusive
Interview with Messores Sensei
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| This
month MI Magazine has the pleasure
of talking with John Messores
from the Jihonjuku dojo in Florida.
Messores Sensei is ranked rokkudan
(6th dan) and is currently one
of the highest ranked instructors
in the Aikido Schools of Ueshiba.
Read
about his early days in Aikido
and other martial arts as well
as his thoughts on changes in
Aikido over the years and the
growth of organizations within
Aikido.
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| MI:
I believe you trained in Karate prior to beginning
your path in Aikido, how did the interest
in Aikido come about? |
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| JM:
In 1973 I had seen one book on Aikido and
a demonstration at a local dojo. I thought
at the time that a "grappling" art
like Aikido would complement a "pugilistic"
art like karate. Since the Karate club only
met three times per week, I joined an Aikido
dojo to train the other four days. What really
got me though was the difference in the people.
The Aikido people were warm and laughing,
good spirited in contrast to my old Karate
dojo. After six months of Aikido I made the
change to doing Aikido full time. In some
ways I wish I had kept up the Karate. My kicks
look like I haven't practiced them in thirty
years. Because I haven't! (laughs) |
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| MI:
Did your Karate training help or hinder learning
Aikido? |
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| JM:
Both. I already had an understanding of martial
principles, and the discipline necessary to
progress. But the physical training was very
different. Karate and Aikido are two different
paths. The ultimate goals are similar, but
not the same. This results in different training
methods, and different attitudes while training.
This leads to different attitudes in our daily
lives, when not training. So it took some
time for my goals and attitudes to change,
by leaving old habits behind. |
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| MI:
You have been associated with Saotome Shihan
for many years now, how did you first come
to meet Saotome Shihan? |
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JM:
My original Aikido instructor, Bill
McIntyre had met Saotome Sensei in the
summer of 1974 at Hombu in Tokyo. He
asked him if he had a young instructor
who might want to move to the United
States to teach in our dojo in Sarasota,
Florida. Saotome Sensei's response was
" I will come." It took a
year to plan, work and finance this
with Kissamoru Doshu's final approval.
He arrived in May1975, and
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I
have had the honor to be Saotome Sensei's
student ever since. We recently had
a reunion of the original Sarasota Aiki
Kai msembers still practicing from the
old Dojo.
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| MI:
It must have been quite an exiting time for
Aikido and students in America in those early
days? What memories stick with you most? |
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JM:
We were very new at this Aikido thing. The
senior students
in the dojo like me were only brown belts.
Our American instructor was only a Shodan.
He gave us lectures on how to treat a Hombu
Shihan, but we made many mistakes. Sensei
was very forgiving. We were young and excited,
full of the hippie ideas of the day. We
spent hours every day talking with Sensei,
during breakfast after morning class and
at night, over beer after the evening class.
Gradually he learned English and we learned
something about Aikido. I was grateful after
his first book was published to see that
I had guessed right at most of it.
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| MI:
Training must have been very vigorous at the
Florida dojo when Saotome Shihan first arrived,
was the teaching process the same as what
you were used to? |
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JM:
Before
Sensei the training was slower, static,
and less realistic. The higher aspects
of Aikido training were talked about
but not understood or practiced. The
Western approach to knowledge is rational.
We analyze structure and categorize.
Saotome Sensei demonstrated whole technique,
with many variations to teach principle.
He never talked about technique. He
threw each of us repeatedly so that
we developed a feel for the technique.
This "feeling," this Aiki-ness
is essential in Aikido. It cannot be
learned from a book or a video.
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After about six months we thought
that we understood Sensei's
Aikido and were quite arrogant
about it. We were wrong. Eventually,
the training became very hard,
energetic, severe. Cracked bones
and joints were common. Duct
tape held us together. Twice
I remember being hit hard to
the head and waking up on the
floor. Our Sempei, (Senior)
in the dojo was Hiroshi Ikeda,
a particularly hard charging
Japanese Sandan, (now
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Seventh Dan).
We thought that every one in Japan trained
this way and that it was expected of
us. I remember a night when we had five
of the twelve students in class laid
out on the rug in the visitor's area.
We were quite proud of ourselves. Now
I am more concerned about my students'
health. I don't want them limping around,
like me when they are my age, (55).
Sometimes I think that martial arts
grand masters are just the guys who
stayed healthy long enough to continue
teaching and training into their seventies
and eighties. |
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| MI:
How many trained regular at that time? |
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JM:
We started the Sarasota Shobu Kan Dojo with
eighteen, which
went up to about 25, then when the training
got tougher down to ten or
twelve. At the end we just couldn't afford
to pay the rent or an instructors salary.
Saotome Sensei had moved to Washington, D.C.
Ikeda Sensei moved to Boulder, Colorado, to
found the Boulder AikiKai. |
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| MI:
Was much known then of the workings
of the Aikikai or of O'sensei by you
and your fellow students? |
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JM:
Hombu and the AikiKai were and still
are a mystery to me.
Saotome Sensei talked frequently about
his many years with O-Sensei.
Before his arrival we knew only what
had been printed in the few books
published before 1975. |
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| MI:
I
can imagine you have seen many changes with
Aikido in the States over the years, do you
ever wish it could go back to how it was in
mid 70's or do you think Aikido today is better
suited? |
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| JM:
Aikido has grown up in many ways. In
1973 any aikido black belt was considered
an instructor. Much like the post-World
War II Karate Instructors, most of who
were Shodans or Nidans, occupation troops
who had trained in Japan, Okinawa, or
Korea. This has changed a great deal.
When my first aikido instructor moved
to Sarasota, Fl in 1970 and began to
teach he was only a 5 kyu! When I met
him he |
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was
a Shodan. Even though some of the
Japanese Shihans in America, disciples
of O-Sensei, have passed away, there
are now American instructors teaching.
Americans, (Westerners) can teach
Aikido. This is the proof of O-Sensei's
teachings. Aikido is universal. If
you don't think a Western Instructor
can teach Aikido and that a Western
instructor can't be as good as a Japanese
instructor, then what is the point
of you, (a westerner) trying to learn
it?
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| MI:
Have you ever traveled to train in Japan?
If yes how did you find that? |
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JM:
No, I've never trained in Japan. I prefer
to keep my illusions from the old black and
white Japanese Samurai movies. (laughs)
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| MI:
You took part in the 2002 Aiki Expo
organized by Stanley Pranin; did you
manage to spend much time with some
of the key people involved in that event? |
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JM:
I was able to spend a few hours with
Peter Goldsbury, the
head of the International Aikido Federation.
He lives and teaches in
Hiroshima and I was able to gain some
insight into the how the Japanese Aikido
culture works. |
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| MI:
Do
you think nowadays there should
be students of a higher caliber
training now so much information
and a resource are available,
or was it better when you had
limited information? |
| JM:
We trained harder, we knew
less, but we trusted more. |
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| MI:
Do
you think Aikido will ever
go back to being a united
art under one name - the
Aikikai, or will it continue
to have organizations within
organizations? |
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JM:
I think that Aikido
is healthy the way
it is. With more organizations
there is more freedom,
less control. Sometimes
the
problems within organizations
are just personal
problems. Having multiple
organizations means
having more places
for people to go,
to find their own
home. In the long
run, over a period
of time, organizations
will come and go.
If they are good,
they will last. Like
theories and
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knowledge
they will have to prove
themselves. There isn't
just one best way to teach
and train Aikido. People
learn differently. It's
good that there are different
methods available for different
people.
It
is up to the organizations,
however to discipline
themselves. We all need
to look at our image presented
to our students and the
general public. The people
as a whole will decide
if we are professional
and worth their respect.
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| MI:
Do
you still actively take
classes and ukemi? |
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JM:
I have trained recently
under Saotome Shihan, Ikeda
Shihan,
and Frank Doran Shihan.
My ukemi is limited. I enjoy
being Sensei's
uke in weapons classes. |
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| MI:
What
do you enjoy doing when
you're not training or teaching? |
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JM:
I enjoy outdoor activities:
camping, fishing,
sailing, canoeing.
I regret that Aikido
is mainly an indoor
activity. I've
always wanted to do
a camping Aikido camp.
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| MI:
Thank
you kindly for taking time
to talk with MI Magazine
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JM:
Osu
Thanks for listening. |
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Jihonjuku
dojo -
Aikido Academy of the Warrior Spirit
13280 66th St
Largo, FL 33773-1813
(727) 536-0801
www.theaikidodojo.com
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by
Paul Swainson
© 2005 MI Magazine
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|
Ruminations
of an Old Aikidoist
by Howard Pashnez |
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|
Omori
Ryu: The Foundations of Muso Shinden
Ryu Iaido
by Deborah Klensbigman |
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How
to be a Good Uke
by Doug Edwards |
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| Comics
by Fudebukudo |
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