Fumio Toyoda Sensei, A Memorial Tribute
Written by Gaku Homma
A formative figure in the history of Aikido has
gone from us to heaven. His life, while short in comparison was not without
impact. Especially for the development of Aikido in the United States,
Fumio Toyoda Sensei’s life is a very important testimonial to the
first generations of pioneer instructors in this country. Fumio Toyoda
Sensei is the Founder of the American Aikido Association. Although very
active in the United States and worldwide, his activities have not received
wide spread coverage by the various Aikido publications.
I have known Fumio Toyoda Sensei personally since young adulthood and
have a great deal of respect for his challenges and accomplishments. For
this reason, I would like to share with you a profile of the man I have
known and the obstacles he overcome in his lifetime.
I first met Toyoda Sensei when I was about seventeen. At that time, he
was an uchideshi at Ichiku Kai Misogi dojo. Ichiku Kai Misogi dojo
was also a place of misogi training for Koichi Tohei Sensei, who
later became the founder of Ki Aikido. On the first floor of the dojo,
Shinto misogi training was practice. The second floor of the dojo
housed a space for Zen training. Many years later, Toyoda Sensei’s
own dojo Tenshin Kan in Chicago, Illinois would house a Zen dojo on the
second floor, like the dojo of his youth. The training practiced at Ichiku
Kai Misogi dojo was also later incorporated into the Ki Aikido taught
by Koichi Tohei Sensei.
Misogi shugyo at the time, consisted of three continuous days of
vigorous chanting seated in seiza, (a sitting position on ones
knees) spurred on by slaps and yells of senior students. Only short breaks
for rest were allowed, making this training exceptionally difficult. This
training was held once every month. When the uchideshi were not
practicing misogi they were involved in Zen training. The practice
was hard and strict, but as a rule, the windows and doors were always
open and unlocked. If an uchideshi wished to quit his training and run
away, the door was always open. In some ways this temptation made training
even more difficult: if the doors had been locked, it would have been
easier to resign oneself to not being able to escape.
Toyoda Sensei and Koichi Tohei Sensei were both born in the Tochigi prefecture
in the same hometown in Japan. Growing up in the same hometown, Toyoda
Sensei practiced Aikido under Koichi Tohei Sensei. After living as an
uchideshi at Ichiku kai dojo, Toyoda Sensei enrolled in college.
At school, Toyoda Sensei soon became a leader in the University Aikido
club. It was not long before Toyoda Sensei became All Japan University
Aikido Federation President. He was highly respected by his peers, and
was commonly seen surrounded by students in black school uniforms (Gakusei
fuku). There were accounts told of a young Toyoda Sensei venturing into
downtown Shinjuku in Tokyo to attend a function accompanied by over one
hundred students in black! Like something from a movie, so impressive
was he that even Yakuza (like Japanese Mafia) bosses would step out of
his way. Following a natural progression, after graduating from the university,
Toyoda Sensei became an uchideshi at Hombu dojo under second Doshu
Kisshomaru Ueshiba. He took up quarters at Hombu dojo on the 1st floor
in the custodian’s quarters. He was the number one hopeful as a future
Aikikai shihan (instructor). During this time he was used extensively
as primarily uke for Doshu Kisshomaru. He was a role model for
his peers and his future seemed guaranteed. In 1974 however… his
life was to change forever.
With the death of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba in 1969, the smell of
smoke was in the air. In 1974 the flames erupted. Toyoda Sensei was caught
up in a power struggle amongst those above him in rank and position that
would affect the rest of his life.
Before this time, Koichi Tohei Sensei was Aikikai’s chief instructor
(shihan bucho). In 1974 Koichi Tohei Sensei broke from Aikikai to form
his own organization. Toyoda Sensei was caught in a dilemma. On the one
hand, he felt loyalty to his first instructor, Koichi Tohei Sensei. On
the other hand he felt loyalty to the Founders organization Aikikai, in
whose stead lay ahead a promising future. After much deliberation, Toyoda
Sensei chose Koichi Tohei Sensei to follow, and moved to Chicago to begin
a new chapter in his life.
The division in Aikikai at this time was having its affects on domestic
relationships in the United States Aikido community. As pioneer instructors,
Yoshimitsu Yamada Sensei, Mitsunari Kanai Sensei, Shuji Maruyama Sensei
and Akira Tohei Sensei were a tight community. Except for Kanai Sensei,
originally all of them had been students of Koichi Tohei Sensei. In a
very strict martial art society atmosphere of loyalty, ranking and affiliation,
these instructors were also faced with the same very difficult decisions
to make.
In the end, Yamada Sensei, Kanai Sensei, and Akira Tohei Sensei chose
to stay with Founder Ueshiba’s Aikikai organization. Shuji Maruyama
Sensei who was also born in a town near Toyoda Sensei, ultimately chose
Koichi Tohei Sensei who was also his first teacher. Shuji Maruyama Sensei
in Philadelphia, along with Toyoda Sensei in Chicago, and Shiohira Sensei
in San Fransisco started a new organization under Koichi Tohei Sensei
called Ki-No-Ken Kyu Kai.
This was a time of instability and confusion in the United States and
many disputes followed. It was a difficult time for both the instructors
that remained with Aikikai and those that departed. Accusations were frequent
and infighting concerning satellite Dojo affiliation was commonplace.
The rifts that in sued have now become a painful part of United States
Aikido history that in some ways remain to this day. Toyoda Sensei, with
his background experience and skill at organizing dojos at the college
level set about the task of aligning dojos across the US to join their
new organization; Ki Aikido.
Toyoda Sensei with his bold and creative management style laid the foundation
for the American Kino Ken Kyu Kai Organization (Ki Aikido) that we see
today in the United States. By the way, the name “Ki Aikido”
was created by Shuji Maruyama Sensei from Philadelphia. Before this name
was created, Koichi Tohei Sensei’s organization was called Shin Shin
Touitsu Aikido.
Toyoda Sensei opened his own Ki Aikido branch dojo; Tenshin Kan, in Chicago.
Chicago was also home to Akira Tohei Sensei and his Aikikai affiliated
dojo. Both had deep reservations about each other’s loyalties, and
the gap between them was one that was never to be breached.
In 1976 while Toyoda Sensei was still seriously involved in Ki Aikido,
I met with him in Chicago. Finding him painting in a large empty garage
space, he showed me his plans for building out the space as a future dojo
with uchideshi quarters etc. That evening he invited me to visit
a friend’s apartment, where he was currently sharing space, sleeping
on the floor. It puzzled me at the time, that he did not even have a bed
to call his own. Dinner that night consisted of cheap instant ramen noodles,
which we shared as we talked into the night. That night was the first
time I learned that he was ill. He spoke of not having any money, and
that he had been surviving on plain rice, topped at times with a salty
pickle, pickled seaweed or salty squid. There came a day when he could
no longer taste the salt and this concerned him. He was told he needed
serious medical attention but had no money or time for this. In fact he
said that any money he might come into went into his Dojo and Aikido.
This he confided to me as we stared up at the ceiling from the floor of
his friend’s apartment where we both slept that night.
In 1980, Toyoda Sensei’s life was again to go through a major change.
After spending years dedicating his spirit, his energy and his time to
the teacher he had chosen to follow, it was time for a difficult break
again. Toyoda Sensei and Maruyama Sensei sent a farewell letter to Koichi
Tohei Sensei. I know first hand why they left, but out of respect for
those who have passed, I will only say the following. Toyoda Sensei was
a front line soldier that left Aikikai and his future to come to a new
country in the line of duty to a teacher he held in the highest regard.
He had little to eat, no comfortable place to sleep and worked continuously.
These efforts were not recognized or understood by the ones he followed.
Maruyama Sensei went on to form his own organization, Kokikai Aikido.
Toyoda Sensei left and formed the Aikido Association of America. The efforts
of his past, all of the trials and the tribulations had already begun
to take their toll on his health.
In instructional videos I have seen featuring Toyoda Sensei, he looks
vigorous and healthy, but a bandage is sometimes visible on his arm where
transfusions were given. It became apparent that his life was becoming
endangered and after a long period of illness, his brother with whom he
had a very close relationship with gave him one of his own kidneys. After
this surgery, Toyoda Sensei visited me in Denver. He confided that when
he was in the hospital he had a spiritual revelation. Before the surgery,
all he could feel was incredible gratitude to his brother for giving him
this chance. Afterwards, still groggy from the surgery, it took a team
of nurses and aides to keep him from leaving his bed to find where his
brother lay. When he fully awoke from the surgery he felt as if he had
been given a second chance at life, one that he could not miss or waste
one minute of. He felt as if he were no longer afraid of anything in life.
After his recovery, his actions became his testimony for his newfound
dedication to life, his newfound enlightenment. He continued to build
his organization Aikido Association of America with a passion and single-minded
mission and purpose. Some who were not aware of his medical condition
and history might even have considered him pushy or overly aggressive.
Some publications fell into this category. Several times he even approached
me to join his organization but I had seen too many politics in my lifetime
and wanted to remain independent. In a gesture of affability, I allowed
him take over affiliation of a few of my branch dojos closer to his headquarters
in Chicago.
Though his efforts and perseverance, Toyoda Sensei built the Aikido Association
of America into an international organization. Like a great artist that
wants to paint the one great painting before his time is gone, I believe
he felt that whatever time he had left, he wanted to dedicate to Aikido
and his Aikido Association of America.
With his organization headquarters in Chicago, Toyoda Sensei weathered
competition from the organizations of Koichi Tohei Sensei, Akira Tohei
Sensei, and earlier, Mitsugu Saotome Sensei (a former Aikikai shihan later
Founder of the Aikido School of Ueshiba). Earlier at Hombu dojo, I remember
Toyoda Sensei and Saotome Sensei having very serious differences resulting
on more than one occasion in fisticuffs. One occasion I remember involved
the two of them in a physical “disagreement” on the eve of the
Founder’s wake. But this is another story, for another time. Being
the youngest of the Japanese instructors in this group in Chicago, Toyoda
Sensei struggled with the burden of the loyalties he felt for his peers,
his sempai (aikido student, senior in rank at the same dojo) and
the Sensei he had practiced under. In front of him was Akira Tohei Sensei
behind him was Mitsugu Saotome Sensei. Under what I can imagine was a
great weight, Toyoda Sensei still managed to build his own international
organization.
When Toyoda Sensei first came to the United States, I think the last thing
on his mind was building his own organization. He came as an innocent,
young martial artist who worked tirelessly and loyally for what he believed.
Falling victim to leaders who did not appreciate his efforts, he was forced
to sever relationships for his own survival. I can completely understand
his feeling of not being able to go backwards, of feeling he had to forge
ahead on his own. Later on I can remember him telling me that one-day
he would build a large organization and return to Hombu (Aikikai Headquarters).
Even though his organization had been formally accepted back into the
Aikikai, when Toyoda Sensei attended the funeral services for the late
Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba and the inauguration of the present Doshu Moriteru
Ueshiba, he had to keep a low profile due to his previous departure from
the Hombu Dojo many years earlier. Such is the nature of Japanese society.
The last message I received from him was last fall. It was delivered by
one of my students who had been visiting his area. He said “Tell
him hello please, I haven’t seen him in a long time”.
In America, Toyoda Sensei was one of the few Japanese Aikido instructors
to have gone through such extensive Aikido training and practice in Japan.
He has left a big footmark on the history of Aikido in the United States.
I wish I could have listened more about his opinions on life and Aikido.
My memories of him are from our youth together at Hombu dojo. I remember
our days of practice, of drinking together, of talking long into the night
in his 5 x 10 apartment above the vegetable store. I remember a scuffle
with him in front of Hombu dojo that got us in big trouble with Doshu
Kisshomaru.
He lived on the edge between life and death. He walked and he chose life.
His dream is now spread all over the world through the Aikido Association
of America. His strong spirit cannot compare to those who just talk about
dreams. He won, he achieved his goal so then he could pass away. He has
taught those of us who practice Aikido the lesson of never giving up by
example. Never giving up, is stronger than who wins and who looses. His
life story is proof of this. Even though his body is now gone, his message
and his strong spirit will live on in our hearts.
The last thing I wish to convey is to his students.
Keep the dream and philosophy he has left to all of you. Help each other.
Now that he is gone, stay on you own path. Don’t be pulled apart
in different directions by others; you have had a very good instructor.
To Fumio Toyoda Sensei…Sayonara
Aikido Nippon Kan
Kancho Gaku Homma