June 25th -July 1st, 2008

At the invitation of a personal friend, Homma Kancho returned to Iran for his second visit this past June. The following is Homma Kancho’s report about his trip to Iran, 2008.

Such a coincidence. I had already scheduled a trip to Iran for personal reasons, when I received word from Kobayashi Dojo, Yasuo Kobayashi Shihan (Aikikai 8th Dan) that he was planning to go to Iran in June and asked me to accompany him. I was interested in continuing my friendships with the people I had met in Iran last year, and wanted to spend more time in Iran to communicate and understand more about this country and it’s people. This was a wonderful coincidence and I humbly accepted Kobayashi Shihans offer. “Ikimasho” I replied.

When I visited Iran last year for the first time, some people at Nippon Kan Headquarters were worried that MAYBE I would have trouble re-entering the United States if I had traveled to Iran. Some people were worried that MAYBE I would not be able to ever travel to Israel or other nations or that MAYBE I would become a person of interest for US Intelligence. After this first trip, I did find that I attracted a little more attention than usual passing through immigrations upon my return to the United States.

I DO KNOW that the positive stories and messages I relayed to students and friends after my return from Iran last year went along way towards dispelling their fears. This year when I prepared for this second trip to Iran, no one worried about me. In fact, some of my students seriously wanted to accompany me on this trip!

Just one MAYBE casts doubt, igniting the fears that causes the kingdom to shut its own castle gates (Rouyo).

Just one MAYBE causes the kingdom to shut off access to another’s castle; isolating the other castle through sanctions (Hyoryozeme).

Acting on fears of what MAY BE can actually result in those fears becoming reality.

It is always important to be prepared, but remaining open and communicating freely is the best solution for making what MAY BE into what CAN BE peaceful and beneficial for all.

I am a civilian traveler and had no problems obtaining a visa at the Tehran airport. The process went very smoothly, and all of the fears I had about MAYBE not being able to get a visa at the airport and being turned away disappeared. In this case, acting by going to Tehran in spite of my fears of MAYBE triumphed over them. There can be MAYBE’s at every turn, in every moment. If we fall prey to the fears of MAYBE, we will not be able to accomplish anything. We will not be able to believe in anything.

On this visit like my last visit to Iran, I met only wonderful people and had an enriching and positive experience. I want to sincerely thank all of the Iran Aikidoka, hotel staff and other assistants who were so kind and gentle with me.

Kobayashi Shihan came to Iran at the invitation of Islamic Republic of Iran Aikikai Aikido (IAA) and IAA founder and chief instructor Ali Aghsaghloo Sensei, www.iranaikido.com. in honor of IAA’s 10 Year Anniversary Celebration. Accompanying Kobayashi Shihan was Aikikai Gunma Prefecture, Toshiyuki Arai Shihan (Aikikai 7th Dan).

This was an official AIKIKAI project seminar and as the leader of an independent dojo, I understood very well that it would be a major violation for me to participate in this seminar in any other capacity than in assisting Kobayashi Shihan in fulfilling his needs as a personal assistant. The only time I honored a request to assist in classes was to work with the women’s practice. This was not part of the anniversary seminar program and was scheduled for the day that Kobayashi Shihan had arrived from his long trip from Japan.

Under Iranian religious law, men are not allowed to teach the women’s practice without special permission from the religious police. Since I had worked with the women’s practice before, I was given permission, and I filled in to assist with the women’s practice. At the women’s practice, I led Japanese exercise games and watched the women’s karate demonstration. I did not teach Aikido to the women’s classes.

Kobayashi Shihan and Arai Shihan instructed all of the classes for the men at the IAA 10th Anniversary Seminar. I calculated that both Shihan combined, their years together equaled 146! After such a long journey and with such a demanding teaching schedule, my job was to make Kobayashi Shihan as comfortable as possible. My goal was to have them complete the days of the seminar in good health and in good spirits. My experience in traveling to Muslim countries helped me in assisting them in understanding the different culture and customs and being able to facilitate communication. I was very honored and proud to be able to serve in this capacity of facilitating in the communication between these two very different cultures.

During the demonstrations that were held at the seminar, in front of a large audience of students and the public, I was asked to do a demonstration. With permission from both Shihan, I demonstrated a three minute Kashima Shinto Ryu styled Jo demonstration; I did not demonstrate Aikido. I did this demonstration as I was asked with pride and respect as a martial artist.

Kobayashi Shihan is 73 years old, but his teaching style in Iran was commanding and very well received. He even took ukemi for students as part of his teaching method which also included the techniques he is famous for; suwarewaza. I learned a great deal by watching Kobayashi Shihan (my practice was mitorigeiko-watching practice) and also watching the Iranian students who were powerful and skillful in their technique, sincere and dedicated in their practice and respectful in manner. Ali Aghsaghloo Sensei has done a superb job with amazing effort in building IAA as an Aikikai organization. Aikikai did not make IAA; the people of Iran and their spirit together made IAA as strong and powerful as it is today. I have a lot of respect for Ali Sensei, his staff and students for their efforts and achievements in Aikido.

I accompanied Ali Sensei to the airport to receive Kobayashi Shihan as he and his party landed in Tehran. Ali Sensei said to me as we waited for the plane to arrive, “It is hard for me to believe that Kobayashi Shihan is really coming to Iran. I have waited 10 years for this moment. Kobayashi Shihan understands my efforts”. With these words, and without thinking of other staff and students surrounding him, Ali Sensei shed tears of joy at the thought of receiving his teacher in his home land.

I agree that Ali Sensei’s efforts have been many; from the time he spent studying Aikido in Japan to the years he has spent in the founding and building of the IAA organization in Iran. There of course have been other instructors involved, but since the beginning—until this day, as we stood at the airport waiting for the impending arrival of his teacher Kobayashi Shihan—it was Ali Sensei who has worked so hard and run the entire way. Ali Sensei’s achievements deserve to be acknowledged.

When I left Iran, many of my Iran Aikido friends came to the airport to see me off. Together they had collected money among themselves and gave me the money with these words. “Homma Sensei, you do a lot of good work in other poor Muslim countries around the world and you help many people. Please take this money and use it for your projects from u.s. I was very touched by this offer but said quietly, “Take this money you have collected and use it to attend the International Aikido Federation Seminar to be held in Wakayama, Japan this September.” It was my turn to feel great joy as I gave the money back to them for this purpose.

*****

When I returned to the United States, I learned that Mr. Masaki Tani had sent word to the IAA in Iran, complaining about my participation in the IAA 10th Anniversary Seminar Celebration. Mr. Tani complained to IAA in reference to me that “you have invited an instructor to teach at this event who was not Aikikai and this is confusing to Aikikai students all over the world”.

This saddened but did not surprise me. Over the past 43 years, I have experienced and heard about many incidents and problems with Aikikai Headquarters. This time however was a huge misunderstanding on the part of Mr. Tani’s.

At the time this article was written, there has still not been an acceptable official contraction of these remarks by Mr. Tani of Aikikai Headquarters International Division.

My most sincere hope is that these misguided and small-minded actions of Aikikai do not embarrass, disappoint or disillusion the innocent and good hearted Aikidoka in Iran.

There were other accusations about me in this letter of complaint that had nothing to do with IAA in Iran. I have not forgotten; These points too, need to be answered with an acceptable explanation.

Aikido Nippon Kan Kancho
Gaku Homma
August 1st, 2008