The Human Sword
I started Aikido under the direction of the late Kenneth Cottier Sensei. After Cottier Sensei's return to England, we moved to DC area in order to learn from Clyde Takeguchi Sensei. I have known Takeguchi Sensei for more than half of my life. Sensei has taught me more things than just Aikido.
I attended my first seminar at Emmanuel College in spring, 1994 with a group led by Takeguchi Sensei. Upon telling people I was a visiting student at Capital Aikikai, 98% of the response was, "Oh, Clyde! He is such a nice person!" I have not met one person who does not go away with a smile after encountering him.
One classic teaching by Takeguchi Sensei is: "If someone throws you soft, throw him soft back. If someone throws you hard, throw him hard back . . . and don't forget to smile." Is it the smile that does the magic?
Years ago I was hitting some rough spots in my life as well as on my Aikido path. Using the metaphor of a person being a sword, Clyde casually commented, "It is good to have keen edges, but you are showing too much of your blade. You need to learn to conceal your edges better." Young me wondered to which aspects of me Sensei was alluding. I thought I was just being a truthful person . . .
Many people find Takeguchi Sensei's Aikido strong yet gentle. Actually, the basics of his Aikido is very similar to that of the late Chiba Sensei. A major technical difference between the two is where the center of gravity goes and the emphasis on weight shift. Because of that subtle difference, however, it is enough to leave partners a very different impression.
Clyde acknowledges the similarities between his and Chiba Sensei's aikido. He thinks the distinction is in the nuance. "There are different kinds of swords. Some swords, when you stick it in a river, as leaves come down with the water, they hit the blade and get split apart. There are some other swords that, when the leaves meet the sword, they just flow around the blade and move on. I choose to be the latter."
I attended my first seminar at Emmanuel College in spring, 1994 with a group led by Takeguchi Sensei. Upon telling people I was a visiting student at Capital Aikikai, 98% of the response was, "Oh, Clyde! He is such a nice person!" I have not met one person who does not go away with a smile after encountering him.
One classic teaching by Takeguchi Sensei is: "If someone throws you soft, throw him soft back. If someone throws you hard, throw him hard back . . . and don't forget to smile." Is it the smile that does the magic?
Years ago I was hitting some rough spots in my life as well as on my Aikido path. Using the metaphor of a person being a sword, Clyde casually commented, "It is good to have keen edges, but you are showing too much of your blade. You need to learn to conceal your edges better." Young me wondered to which aspects of me Sensei was alluding. I thought I was just being a truthful person . . .
Many people find Takeguchi Sensei's Aikido strong yet gentle. Actually, the basics of his Aikido is very similar to that of the late Chiba Sensei. A major technical difference between the two is where the center of gravity goes and the emphasis on weight shift. Because of that subtle difference, however, it is enough to leave partners a very different impression.
Clyde acknowledges the similarities between his and Chiba Sensei's aikido. He thinks the distinction is in the nuance. "There are different kinds of swords. Some swords, when you stick it in a river, as leaves come down with the water, they hit the blade and get split apart. There are some other swords that, when the leaves meet the sword, they just flow around the blade and move on. I choose to be the latter."
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