History of Koichi Tohei
Kochi Tohei went to the US the first time in 1953. From that time on he started spreading ki aikido from Hawaii throupout the world
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| Koichi Tohei |
To obtain acceptance overseas, it is necessary to have real merit. Koichi Tohei was physically small in stature, but he literally embodied Ki principles, and therefore he easily threw husky men and other martial artistists. In this way he was able to prove the power of Ki for all to see.
Proving the power of Ki
In 1950s, the airplane was still underdeveloped, and the Japanese could not go to overseas freely. In 1953, Koichi Tohei got special permission and went to Hawaii by ship. He held matches with professional wrestlers and high ranking martial artists in Hawaii, but he threw them with Ki. Many people who saw this became students of Koichi Tohei. The County Police Department in Maui, Hawaii recognized Koichi Tohei and asked him to teach policemen in there. Until today, Koichi Tohei's student on Maui, Mr. Shinichi Suzuki, has been teaching Ki principles to policemen every year.
Teaching Ki and Ki-Aikido in the US
Beginning in Hawaii, Koichi Tohei went on to the US mainland also. He taught in 21 states including California, Navada, Arizona, Washington and others.
Teaching Ki and Ki-Aikido in Asia
Koichi Tohei went to Guam, the Philippines, and New Zealand and taught Ki and Ki-Aikido. He did many demonstrations to prove the power of Ki, such as letting several men try to push against him as he supported them with his little finger. He also threw many huge martial artists.
Teaching Ki to Mr. Sadaharu Oh (Japanese professional baseball player)
When Mr. Oh joined the Giants (Japanese professional baseball team), his personal growth seemed sluggish. Mr. Arakawa who was coach of the Giants at that time asked Koichi Tohei to teach Mr. Oh. Koichi Tohei taught him to stand on one foot with Ki in Shinjuku dojo. This is known as "Ippon-ashi dahou"(Hitting ball standing on one foot) With his new stance, he broke one home run record after another. Koichi Tohei's teaching served as a foundation for the top home run batter of the world.
Teaching Japanese professional baseball players
After teaching Mr. Oh, Koichi Tohei taught Mr. Nagashima, who was also a baseball player. He taught Mr. Nagashima how to hold the bat with Ki. Soon Mr. Nagashima began to understand. After that, Mr. Oh and Mr. Nagashima hit many home runs, and the audience became excited because of their success. After Mr. Nagashima retired from baseball, he became the coach of the Giants. When his team had slumped to bottom in the league, he sent all baseball players in his team to Ki dojo in Shinjuku and asked them to study the principle of Ki from Koichi Tohei.
Koichi Tohei received Aikido 10th dan
In 1969, Koichi Tohei received 10th dan from Master Morihei Ueshiba. (Three months later, Master Morihei Ueshiba passed away)
Resource
http://www.ki-society.com
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