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Obata
Author: David Chambers
Although best known in the west for his dynamic swordsmanship skills and movie appearances ('Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', 'Black Rain', 'Ghost Warrior' and countless Japanese Samurai movies), Sensei Toshishiro Obata, is primarily a highly accomplished instructor of Aikido, Aiki-Jutsu and various Okinawan weapons arts. His weapons specialities include the sword, nunchaku, tonfa, bo and double kama. Obata Sensei is a long-time student of Taizaburo Nakamura (Nakamura and Toyama schools of swordsmanship), Gozo Shioda (Yoshinkan Aikido), Yumio Nawa (Ancient Japanese Arts, Masaki Ryu Manrikigusari and Jutte Jutsu) and Motokatsu Inoue (Okinawan Martial Arts). Currently head instructor of the United States Batto Do Renmei, he also teaches Aikido and various Okinawan arts to select students at his school in Los Angeles, and teaches at seminars around the USA. A lifelong Martial Artist, Obata Sensei has impressed those who have trained with him with his strength of spirit, the power of his technique and the depth of his knowledge.
Would you give us a little of your background in the Martial Arts?
As you know, I was born in Gumma Prefecture in Japan, in 1948, the son of a former soldier who had seen service in Manchuria. When I was about seven years old, my father took me to study Maniwa Nen Ryu with Higuchi Sensei, who was the current master of a long line of this school, who lived locally. As I grew older I decided that I wanted to study Judo or Kendo but then, when I was in the fifth or sixth grade, our school gymnasium burned down and Judo and Kendo practice stopped. These times were hard for Japan, and there was little money for anything other than food. We children would 'play' at Martial Arts in the mountains around our village. I would cut wooden branches to make practice swords, and try the throwing and sweeping techniques I had learned from my father and my teacher.
By the time I was 18, when we moved to Tokyo, I had become disenchanted with Judo and Kendo, so I was looking around for something else to do. At first I thought about Karate or Shorinji Kempo, but then my room-mate showed me a book about Aikido and, as it looked interesting, I went down to the school in Y oyogi to see what it was all about. I watched the instructor's class, and found it quite remarkable. Although the instructor would throw his assistant with enormous speed and power, he would immediately jump to his feet.
I was very impressed, and joined immediately. After a few days, I knew this was what I wanted to do, so I applied for membership of the fulltime instructors class as an uchi-deshi (literally housestudent, a live-in apprentice to the master). After a week I was told that I had been accepted. My generation was the last to fill the ranks of uchi-deshi in the Martial Arts, and in Japanese crafts and trades as well. Both had always depended on a master-student relationship to maintain high standards, and also to pass on the • secrets' of a school, whether it be swordsmanship or ceramics.
How severe was the training and what were your obligations?
As a student instructor, I was expected to learn how to teach, as well as training in Aikido technique. I would help to teach 12 Tokyo Metropolitan policemen and, as they were considered to be professionals in their field and had at least a 3rd Dan in Judo or Kendo, the teaching was quite brisk. First we would go through the techniques slowly, then faster and faster until we were all tired. By the end of the lesson, a lot of the policemen would be vomiting, and sometimes one would bang his head and be knocked partially unconscious.
Out of a class of 12 policemen and 10 uchi-deshi, sometimes as many as 10 policemen would vomit!
When I reached Shidoin grade, I was sent out to teach the Metropolitan Police, Kidotai (Riot Police) and Jiheitai (SelfDefence Force) and so on. With practice at the Honbu, this meant that all professional students - those who lived in, as opposed to those who just took lessonswould train hard for seven hours each day. I did this for more than six years, and certainly don't regret it.
But I was young, ambitious, and wanted to know everything about the old Martial Arts. As part of our training at the Yoshinkan, we practised sword techniques using a bokken, and this had always interested me. When we would do demonstrations at the Budokan and other, similar places, I would always watch the sword teachers in action whenever I had the opportunity.
I must say they were a mixed lot. Some were so old and feeble that your heart went out to them. Undoubtedly, when they were young men they were paragons of martial virtue, but in their late 70s and 80s, and unsure of their place in the postwar environment in Japan, they failed to impress even the most inexperienced observer. Some would perform seated sword drawing in the most theatrical and ineffective manner, presumably blissfully unaware that a long sword was never taken into the house in the feudal era! And the very fact that they were demonstrations, therefore, had little or no relevance to true Martial Arts.
Then I saw a demonstration of Toyama Ryu swordsmanship. Shunned by the Kendo and laido people because of its close association with the former Toyama Military Academy after which it was named (Rikugun Toyama Gakko). The techniques were powerful and direct. Unlike other schools of swordsmanship who would either refuse to demonstrate cutting techniques, or cut only spindly pieces of bamboo, the Toyama Ryu teachers would cut thick bails of straw wrapped around heavy bamboo (to simulate flesh and bone) with greet speed and power.
I was impressed. I had decided to do something in addition to Aikido, because I felt that I must widen my horizons if I really wanted to understand the true essence of Martial Arts, so I left my friends at the Aikido Dojo for life as a swordsman. Full of youthful ambition, fit, active, resolute, my body fine-tuned by constant training and with a mind that was active, open and receptive, I took the first step on the path to an understanding of the sword. At this time I also studied the Ioriken, Yagyu and Kashima Shin stylesofswordsmanship to 'round out' my Martial Arts education.
How did you manage to earn your living?
It's difficult to make a living these days as a swordsman. Openings are obviously limited. To keep body and soul together, I joined the Tokyo Wakakoma, a group of Martial Arts professionals who hire themselves out to TV and movie companies as a way of making money while they advance their Martial Arts training. My superior, Mr Hayashi, is very well known in Japan and is, himself, an accomplished Martial Artist.
I was in countless 'Samurai' movies made for the cinema and also for television. Our group supplied the Martial Artists for the James Bond movie that was made in Japan. We were all specialists in two or three Martial Arts, but with a very wide knowledge also of Samurai history, culture, period costume, manners; in fact a broad education in everything to do with Martial Arts. In this way we could ride as the Samurai did, wear armour correctly and - more to the point - fight in it. We were expected to handle all manner of weapons skillfully and generally be what we were portraying on the screen for the millions of viewers or cinemagoers. I was in literally scores of movies and also frequently acted as the Martial Arts action co-ordinator.
This was good experience for me, and also allowed me to train with the very best teachers in Japan. There was a lot of demand for weapons techniques for television and movies, so for many years I studied Sai, Nunchaku, Bo and Tonfa with Inoue Sensei, the teacher who probably did most to salvage and preserve the weapon arts. I also worked closely with Nawa Sensei, Japan's leading Ninjutsu historian and probably the best-known and most skillful exponent of Man-rikigusari (weighted chain art). Day after day we would train, and broaden our knowledge and experience, and by doing so we were constantly accustomed to more and more Martial Arts,just as the Samurai we portrayed would have been.
What conclusions did you draw after all this training?
Well, I realised that what was being called Martial Arts by the majority of people, simply wasn't. That's not to say that Judo and Kendo don't have any value - they do. They're just not genuine Martial Arts.
How would you categorise a true Martial Art?
A fighting system that is practical, effective, dynamic and constantly evolving to meet new circumstances and challenges. If you read Samurai Endeavours (Heiho Okugi Sho) when it is published later this year, you will understand completely. The author, Yamamoto Kansuke, a very famous 16th Century Samurai, is absolutely specific in his description of the true Martial Arts master: "A HeihoSha (a Master of Martial Arts) learns everything his teachers instruct him in perfectly, but then goes on to develop his own original ideas from research and experience. He discovers the principles of victory and how they must be used to become a virtuoso of war. He is ever victorious ... "
Remember that this was written by a very famous and successful General 400 years ago, at a time when warfare was continuous, and a mistake meant death. You will notice there is a dynamic element in this philosophy in that development and improvement is stressed.
Everyone should read this book when it is available; it will answer a lot of questions about the origins of different Martial Arts and, I hope, silence a lot of the bickering. The illustrations, which are 400 years old, remember, show techniques that are clearly recognisable today. Where there are no drawings, I have reconstructed the technique from the written descriptions which are concise, and very easy to follow. I hope that after reading this book everyone will realise that many schools, particularly within Aikido, spring from a common source and that the current 'styles' are simply variations on a main theme that was transmitted to us all by Takeda Sogaku through his many students and, notably, Morihei Ueshiba.
You've told us what is a Martial Art. Can you tell us what is not?
It's difficult to be candid without offending people, and those who I offend will probably be vocal in their condemnation of me. However, I will try to diplomatically navigate the troubled waters that separate sport from Martial Art. Hitting someone with a bamboo sword, using only four or five techniques to score points - as in Kendo - is not a Martial Art, but a sport. An impractical weapon with no edge, no weight, and without a proper grip, breeds impractical technique. Unless you can actually cut with a sword, you cannot claim to be a swordsman. If you want to be a marksman you have to shoot a gun. If you want to learn to use a sword, you have to practise cutting!
Similarly, performing irrelevant or made-up techniques defines a sport from a Martial Art. For example, sword drawing was always done in a standing position. It was bad manners to take a long sword into the house, and would also be viewed as a threat. Handling a long sword when seated is impractical, and I would suggest therefore that modern sword drawing techniques from the seated position are irrelevant, and are probably modified short sword techniques.
I also disagree strongly with the emphasis on Ki, that is popular with so many 'Martial Artists'. Ki does not compensate for good technique or fitness. All things being equal, a positive attitude will give you an edge. It will not help you very much against a better, stronger opponent. I used to get very angry with these Ki exponents when I was younger - so stupid to think that you can throw three people, at a distance, using Ki. But, with age and experience, tolerance, understanding replace contempt. Ki is no more the secret to effective Martial Arts, than aspirin is the cure for the common cold!
I know that you stress professionalism in the Martial Arts, and the reason I have always enjoyed our relationship so much is that I view myself as a professional, and I think this is why our cooperation has born fruit. I was going to ask you for an example of Martial Arts professionalism, but as I couldn't count on you giving me the answer I wanted, I thought I would provide my own answer. I remember the occasion that you were attacked by an armed assailant in central Los Angeles, and you disarmed him and held him for an hour until the police arrived. I think some of your students were a little disappointed that you didn't injure him, but I remember you saying that you only use as much force as was necessary, despite the fact that the assailant was armed and violent.
Reading 'The Fighting Spirit Of Japan' (by E. I. Harrison, published in London by T. Fisher Unwin, 1913) brought this to mind. Harrison says: "Jujutsu is the art which every Samurai under the feudal regime was compelled to learn and it was often a point of honour among the higher-minded ones, if attacked by a vulgar opponent, whether with or without a weapon, to try and overcome him by means of Jujutsu before drawing their sword.
" Was this the case with the mugger?
Exactly!
"Are you worried that your introduction of real swordsmanship into the USA will lead to a mass of imitations, and does that worry you? "
It already has. And yes. There are people all over the US claiming to teach BattoJutsu now, but I don't care what other people do, providing they don't cause harm. But you know, when you are talking about swords the potential for injury is great. If I can get a student at the beginning of his career and teach him personally, I can make him understand from the outset how to avoid injury to himself and his classmates. You cannot learn this from books or videos; it has to be transmitted directly.
Given the fact that you have written a number of popular books, I am surprised to hear you say that. Books and videos are useful, surely?
Yes, of course! But they have their limitations. If I give you a radish you will instantly be able to tell me its colour, shape, size and describe it to me in great detail. However, you will not be able to tell me what it tastes like. Traditional Martial Arts are three-dimensional, dynamic and infinite. Books are essential tools, which is why I write mine, and continue to write, and you should use them to decide which Martial Art is right for you, and to memorise kata and other exercises and, of course, for the pleasure of reading. But there is no such thing as an armchair Martial Artist. Read, train, exercise, and you will learn.
I have heard of many accidents involving real swords at demonstrations and seminars recently. Would you like to comm ...