1. Koichi Tohei was a 10th Dan aikidoka and founder of the Ki Society and its style of aikido, officially Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, but commonly known as Ki-Aikido.
23 Facts About Koichi Tohei
1. 2.
Koichi Tohei was born 1920 in Shitaya ward, presently Taito, in Tokyo and graduated from the Economics Department of Keio University.
3.
Koichi Tohei trained hard and his body prospered, but soon after he began his pre-college studies at Keio University, he developed a case of pleurisy.
4.
Koichi Tohei was distressed at the thought of losing his newfound strength of body and his means of training it, so he decided to replace his judo studies with Zen meditation and misogi exercises, learned at the Ichikukai Dojo in Tokyo.
5.
Koichi Tohei describes this as "priming the pump" allowing the person to heal themselves.
6.
Koichi Tohei was still not entirely convinced until Ueshiba asked Koichi Tohei to step onto the mat and try to grab him.
7.
Koichi Tohei's attempts were unsuccessful, and after this personal demonstration by Ueshiba, Koichi Tohei asked to enroll on the spot.
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Morihei Ueshiba 8.
Koichi Tohei continued to train his mind as well as his body with meditation, misogi and aikido.
9.
Koichi Tohei trained with Ueshiba for six months before being sent as a representative to teach at the Shumei Okawa school and the military police academy.
10.
In 1942, Koichi Tohei graduated from the Economics Department of Keio University.
11.
In February 1944, after receiving military training, Koichi Tohei Sensei was sent leading an infantry unit into occupied China.
12.
Koichi Tohei saw action in China and was stranded there at the end of the war until his repatriation in 1946.
13.
Koichi Tohei Sensei stated on several occasions that Ki principles such as "extend Ki" and "relax completely" leaving things up to the Universe helped him to stay safe during the war, along with the eighty men under his command.
14.
In 1969, Koichi Tohei was asked by Ueshiba to accept the new rank of 10th dan, which Koichi Tohei accepted, after having previously refused the same offer.
15.
The events leading up to the split between the main aikido organization, the Aikikai, and Koichi Tohei were fueled with the death of Morihei Ueshiba in 1969.
16.
At the time of Ueshiba's death, Koichi Tohei was chief instructor of the Hombu Dojo, the headquarters of Aikikai, a title he retained until his official split from Aikikai in 1974.
17.
Koichi Tohei wanted aikido to focus on these principles, using exercises to both cultivate and test ki in the daily aikido practice.
18.
Koichi Tohei had already started teaching his new ideas during his own training sessions at Hombu dojo, but the majority of the other instructors would not.
19.
Koichi Tohei replied that he had the right to teach it outside Hombu Dojo, which he did.
20.
On 1 May 1974, Koichi Tohei officially left the Aikikai organization to concentrate on his newly created Ki-aikido and Ki-society.
21.
On 15 May 1974, Koichi Tohei sent a letter in English and Japanese to the majority of the dojos both in Japan and abroad, explaining his reasons for the breakaway and his plans involving Ki-aikido and the Ki-society.
22.
Koichi Tohei was seen as the foremost sensei of Aikido after Ueshiba's death.
23.
Koichi Tohei died at 9:14 AM, Japan time on May 19,2011, after two weeks of being admitted in hospital due to a discomfort in his chest which proved to be inflammation in the lungs.