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Some events in and around Tomiki Shihan's life give us a better picture of the world and environment in which he was working.
1859 : Takeda Sokaku born (founder, Daitō-ryū jujutsu, Daito-ryu Aiki-jūjutsu)
1860 : Kano Jigoro born (founder, Judo)
1882 : Kodokan established by Kano Jigaro
1883 : Morihei Ueshiba born (founder of Aikido)
1883 : Jigaro Kano introduces Dan grading system to Judo (A first for any Japanese martial art)
1895 : Dai Nippon Butoku Kai 大日本武徳会 ("Greater Japan Martial Virtue Society") established
1899 : earliest date recorded of a Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu Seminar by Takeda Sokaku from his Eimeiroku
1900 : Kenji Tomiki born. (March 15th, Kakunodate, Akita)
1911 : Hideo Ohba born April 27, at Senhoku-gun, Akita Prefecture
1913 : Kenji Tomiki enters Yokote Junior-high, where he begins judo.
1915 : Ueshiba Morihei meets Takeda Sokaku at the Hisada Inn in Engaru, Hokkaido (introduved by Yoshida Kotara) and starts training in Daitō-ryū jūjutsu .( 10 Day Seminar: Feb 20th - Mar 5th)
1916 : Ueshiba Morehei receives 1st and 2nd scrolls (Daito-ryu Jujutsu Hiden Mokuroku & hiden okugo-no-kata (after four seminars)
1919 : Tomiki Kenji awarded 1st Dan Judo.
1919 : Morehei Ueshiba joins the Ōmoto-kyō movement
1921: (June 27) Kisshomaru Ueshiba born at the Omoto-kyo compound in Ayabe where Morehei had opened his first dojo, the Ueshiba Juku.
1922 : Morehei Ueshiba receives a kyōju dairi (assistant teaching license) in Daitō-ryū jūjutsu from Takeda Sokaku after five months further instruction.
1922 : Ueshiba awarded certificate "Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu hiden-no-koto" from Takeda sokaku.
1923 : Tomiki Kenji enters Waseda University to study Political Economics.
1923 : Tomiki Kenji joins Waseda Judo Club
1924 : Tomiki Kenji frequents Kodokan, meets Kano Jigaro
1924 : Senta Yamada born (Fukuoka)
1925: Ohba Hideo enters middle school and joins Judo Club taught by Ito Tokugoro 7th Dan
1925 : Ueshiba Morehei reports to have undergone a spiritual experience (Source: Ueshiba Kisshomaru 1985)
1926 : Tomiki Kenji meets Morihei Ueshiba via an introduction by Hidetaro (Kubota) Nishimura from the Waseda University Judo Club who had trained with Morihei Ueshiba in Ayabe during the 1920’s.
1927 : Tomiki Kenji graduates from Waseda with a degree in political science
1928 : Tomiki was employed by an electrical company in Sendai.
1928 : Tomiki Kenji is awarded 5th Dan in Kodokan Judo
1928 : Tomiki Kenji starts studying Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu with Ueshiba Sensei at the Omoto HQ in Ayabe.
1929 : Kenji Tomiki represents Miyagi Prefecture in the first Judo competition held in front of the Emperor (prestigious Imperial Martial Arts Tournament (Tenranjiai) i) and placed within the top 12 after being forced to withdraw due to an injury.
1929 : Morehei Ueshiba and family moves to Tokyo, sets up main dojo. Kobukan Dojo. (which would become Aikikai Hombu)
1930 : Jigoro Kano meets Morihei Ueshiba at the invitation of Isamu Takeshita (likely with some back channel communication by Kenji Tomiki), who would later send Minoru Mochizuki and another student named Takeda to train with Morihei Ueshiba.
1930 : Senta Yamada starts learning Judo
1930 : Ohba Hideo graduates as Club captain of his Middle School Judo Club
1931 : -------------" Manchurian Incident"
The Japanese invasion of Manchuria began on 18 September 1931, when the Kwantung Army of the Empire of Japan invaded Manchuria immediately following the Mukden (Manchurian) Incident. At war’s end in February of 1932, the Japanese established the puppet state of Manchukuo.
1931 : Hideo Ohba awarded 2nd Dan Kobukan Judo
1931 : Tomiki Kenji take up role as junior high school teacher in his hometown of Kakunodate.(1931-34). He spent his summer and winter vacations in Tokyo training under Ueshiba Sensei
1931 : Hideo Ohba meets Kenji Tomiki at Kakunodate Prefectural Junior High School
1931 : Hideo began his service in the 17th regiment of the Akita infantry and was sent to the front lines in China
1931 : Kobukan Dojo (皇武館道場, imperial warrior training hall) in Tokyo finished (later to become Aikikai Honbu dojo)
1931 : Morehei Ueshiba receives the Hiden Ogi certificate, the highest level Diato-Ryu scroll being issued at that time.
1932 : Uprising that culminated in the assassination of Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai, marking the end of civilian rule in Japan
1932 : The foundation of the nation of Manchuria was declared
1932 : The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Martial Arts was founded
1932 : Gozo Shioda starts learning Aikijujutsu under Morehei Ueshiba
1933 : Mitsujiro Ishii introduces & welcomes Morihei Ueshiba to the Asahi Budo Dojo to teach Aikijujutsu.
1933 : Morihei writes Aikijujutsu Densho , a technical manual
1933 : Ohba Hideo demobilized and returned to Kakunodate Middle School as Tomiki Sensei’s assistant Judo teacher
1933 : Morihei Ueshiba becomes president of The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Martial Arts
1933 : Takeda Dojo established in Hyogo Prefecture, Ueshiba, chief instructor.
1933 : "Budo Renshu" published by Morehei Ueshiba, test of which was largely compiled and edited by senior student Kenji Tomiki
1934 : Tomiki Kenji resigns his teaching post in Kakunodate. His sights set on Manchuria then under Japanese rule, Tomiki resigned his teaching post in 1934 and spent the following years in Tokyo in preparation for his move. For a time he rented an apartment near the Kobukan Dojo of Ueshiba Sensei in Wakamatsu-cho and was one of the senior instructors.
1935 : Hideo Ohba awarded 5th Dan Judo from Kodokan
1935 : (8 July) (photo) Tomiki accompanies O'Sensei at an Aikido Demonstration to Nurses Association
1936 : (21 June) Sokaku Takeda takes over the Asahi Shimbun dojo. Morihei Ueshiba departs.
1936 : Takuma Hisa compares what Morihei Ueshiba practices to what Sokaku Takeda teaches and concludes that both teach Daito-ryu.
1936 : Tomiki Kenji accepts a faculty position with Daido-gakuin (college) in Manchuria.
1936 : Tomiki Kenji moves to Japanese occupied Manchuria and begins teaching Aiki-budo there as Morehei's representative as a part- a part-time instructor to the Kanton Army and the Imperial Household Agency.
1937 : Kisshomaru Ueshiba (the second Doshu - photo) starts training under his father
1938 : Continuation of the Japanese war in China, increased sanctions against Japan by the US, and the passing of the National Mobilization Law by the Japanese diet put Japan on a war footing.
1938 : Mr. Kimura, at the age of nineteen started training in Ueshiba-ryu Aiki-jutsu (植芝流・合気術) at the “Kobukan Dojo” (皇武館道場).
1938 : Prime Minister of Japan, Prince Fumimaro Konoe (近衛 文麿) was a patron of Morihei Ueshiba and served on the board of directors for Morihei Ueshiba’s pre-war Kobukai Foundation.
1938 : Tomiki Kenji accepts a faculty position at the University of Manchuria and starts the development of Aiki-bujutsu.
He was appointed to the staff of the newly established Kenkoku University in what was then Shinkyo (present-day Changchun). This appointment came about due to Tomiki’s connection with Ueshiba’s Kobukan Dojo. Rinjiro Shirata, one of Ueshiba’s best prewar students, was originally selected for the Kenkoku University post, but was forced to bow out following his conscription into the Japanese Imperial Army in 1937.
Largely through Tomiki’s efforts, aiki training become a compulsory subject for students of judo and kendo at the University, and he sent for his close associate Hideo Oba, then a 5th dan, from Akita in order to develop a teaching staff. Also, Morihei Ueshiba made regular fall trips to Manchuria during these years to conduct classes at Kenkoku University. Professor Tomiki made great strides during the Manchuria years in fleshing out his theory of rikaku taisei. This term refers to the use of techniques for dealing with attacks by an opponent separated from the defender. This was part of Tomiki’s view of a “complete judo” which encompassed two parts: “grappling judo” (kumi judo) which equated to Kodokan Judo, and “separated judo” (hanare judo) which was equivalent to aikido.
1938 : Morihei Ueshiba publishes the technical manual “Budo“.
1938 : Jigaro Kano shihan passes away age 77
1939 : -------------WORLD WAR II gets underway
1940 : Takuma Hisa publishes Morihei Ueshiba 's Aikijujutsu Densho as a Daito-ryu manual (“Kannagara no Budo, Daito-ryu Aiki Budo Hiden”)
1940 : Morehei Ueshiba adopts the Dan grading system.
1940 : Tomiki Sensei awarded first ever 8th Dan by Morehei Ueshiba (Aiki-budo).
Ueshiba began to adopt the dan ranking system about this time and promoted Tomiki to 8th dan in 1940. Tomiki was the first person to receive this rank from Ueshiba and this honor reflected the high regard in which he was held by O'Sensei. For the next four years, during the summer months Tomiki would visit Japan where he would give instruction to senior judo dan holders at the Kodokan.
1940 : Senta Yamada awarded 1st Dan Judo (age 16)
1941 : Master Tomiki returns to Japan briefly to give a demonstration of his system of Aiki-bujutsu to Kodokan
1941 : -------------WWII : Pearl Harbour
1941 : Aiki-budo was assimilated into the Butokukai (a governmental body uniting all the martial arts under one organization)
1942 : The term "Aikido" comes into official use for the first time by the Dai-Nihon-Butokai.
The term "Aikido" was reputedly created by a member of a Dai-Nihon-Butokai committee, a Mr. Hisatomi (from the Kodokan) as a category of jujutsu based martial arts among which "Aiki-budo" was listed asbut one.
Ueshiba Morehei used many names to denote the art he was teaching at various times, evidenced from certificates that he issued to students.
PREWAR: Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu, Aikijujutsu, Aioi-ryu jujutsu, Ueshiba-ryu jujutsu, Aiki-budo, Tenshin-ryu Aikibudo.
POSTWAR : Takemusu Aiki, Shobu Aiki, Aikido.
1942 : (photo) Morihei Ueshiba’s visits Kenji Tomiki at Kenkoku University in Japanese occupied Manchuria 1942 : Hideo Ohba ukes for Morehei Ueshiba at the Martial Arts Demonstration commemorating the tenth anniversary of the founding of Manchuria
1942 : Hideo Ohba awarded 5th Dan by Morhei Ueshiba
1942 : -------------WWII : Battle of Midway
1942 : Morehei Usehiba moves to lwama, leaving his son Kisshomaru responsibility for the Tokyo dojo.
1943 : Hideo Ohba receives 6th Dan from Morehei Ueshiba
1943 : Takeda Sokaku passes away aged 83
1944 : -------------WWII : Japanese evicted from Burma
1945 : -------------WWII : Russian Tanks roll into Manchuria
1945 : Kenji Tomiki sent to a Siberian concentration camp (Lake Balkhash)
Following the end of the Second World War, Tomiki was stranded in Manchuria and interned in a prison camp in Siberia along with thousands of other Japanese. He continued developing his theories even while being detained and devised a series of tai sabaki (body shifting) exercises which also served as a means of maintaining his health under difficult conditions. Tomiki was finally released after three years and returned to Japan at the end of 1948.
1945 : -------------WWII: Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Nagasaki ends WWII
1945 : -------------Illegal to practice Martial Arts from 1945 until 1949 (*exception Aikido in 1948)
1945 : Ohba Hideo repatriated to Japan
1946 : Dai Nippon Butoku Kai dissolved
1946 : Koichi Tohei repatriated to Japan
1946 : Kisshomaru Ueshiba graduates from the Waseda University
1947 : Nariyama Tetsuro born
1948 : The ZAIDAN HOJIN AIKIKAI, the foundation established by the AIKIKAI HOMBU DOJO, was registered in Ibaragi Prefecture on 9 February 1948 and was the historical continuation of the Kobukai. The Hombu Dojo had been relocated to Iwama due to the restricted conditions in Tokyo following the war. At this time, the Wakamatsu dojo was a dojo in name only, since several bombed-out families were living inside. It was even used for a time as a dance hall for occupation troops
1948 : Tomiki Kenji repatriated to Japan from Russia
1948 : The Ministry of Education grants permission to re-establish teaching of "Aikido" because of its emphasis on peace.
1948 : Kisshomaru Ueshiba becomes chairman of the Central Aikido School (Hombu Dojo)
1948: Senta Yamada (now 5th Dan Judo) starts learning Aikido under Morehei Ueshiba and also trains under Kenji Tomiki who was an instructor at Aikikai Hombu.
1949 : Ohba Hideo becomes vice-president of the Hiraka Branch of the Japan Judo Federation
1949 : Kenji Tomiki joined the faculty at Waseda University (Professor of Caligraphy) and teaches Judo
1949 : Fumiaki Shishida born
1950 : Gozo Shioda has started teaching
1950 : Kenji Tomiki becomes permanent manager of the All-Japan Judo Federation
1950 : Ohba Hideo appointed part-time judo instructor to Yokote Police Department
1950 : Hideo Ohba awarded 6th Dan kodokan Judo
1952 : Tomiki Sensei introduces 12 randori no kata techniques
1952 : Ohba Hideo appointed adviser to Judo Federation of Ogachi-Yuzawa
1953 : Dai Nippon Butoku Kai re-established
1953 : Tomiki Kenji tours the USA with several high-ranking judo/karate instructors teaching Judo and Aikido to servicemen (photo1, photo2, photo3)
1953 : Koichi Tohei travels to Hawaii
1954 : Kenji Tomiki becomes Head of Physical Education at Waseda University and Chief Instructor of Judo Club.
At that time there was no Aikido Club at Waseda University, only the “Aikido Circle of the Judo Club.” Since Tomiki taught both judo and aikido, aikido practice was held in the judo dojo when judo practice was not in session
1954 : "Aikido Maki-no-ichi" published by Morehei Ueshiba, edited by Kisshomaru (Koetsu) Ueshiba
(using the same technical descriptions and technical illustrations as in his previous Aikijujutsu Densho)
1954 : Gozo Shioda wins Award for Most Outstanding Demonstration in the All Japan Kobudo
1954 : Kenji Tomiki becomes a professor at Waseda University, publishes "Judo Taiso" a way of teaching aiki-no-jutsu using Judo principles.
1954 : Kenji Tomiki begins teaching at the National Police Academy
1955 : Kissomaru Ueshiba leaves his company job to focus on Aikido full-time.
1955 : Kenji Tomiki demonstrates "Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu" at the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai demonstration
1955 : (1st Nov) Gozo Shioda opens his own Aikido school, called "Yoshinkan" in Shinjuku
1956 : Judo Goshin Jutsu Kata created (in collaboration with Tomiki Sensei)
1956 : Kenji Tomiki and Tadao Otaki gave the first public demonstration of the Goshin Jutsu no Kata at the Kagami Biraki in 1956 at the Nippon Budokan.
1956 : "Judo with Aikido" / "Judo and Aikido" book by Kenji Tomiki translated into English
1956 : Koichi Tohei is Shihan Bucho (Chief Instructor) of Tokyo Honbu
1958 : "Official" Waseda University Aikido Club established by Tomiki Kenji giving birth officially to Competitive Aikido
On February 26, 1958, as a result of Tomiki’s efforts, Waseda University approved the creation of an aikido club, one of the conditions being that a method of competition be developed. Together with the members of the aikido club, he devised a form of competitive sparring where an attacker wielding a dagger attempted to score points against a weaponless adversary. It was this action on the part of Tomiki of attempting to convert aikido into a sport that led to a schism with the Aikikai around this time. Tomiki was urged by the Aikikai to adopt a different name for his art other than “aikido” if he intended to introduce such a system of competition. Convinced of the need to modernize aikido, he stood his ground and persisted in his efforts to develop a viable form of competition. He did, however, refer to his art in this period as “Shin Aikido.” (New Aikido)
1958 : Tomiki Kenji publishes "Aikido Nyūmon"
1958 : Tomiki Kenji Sensei made unwelcome in the Tokyo Hombu Dojo
1958 : American TV documentary mentions Takeda origin link to Aikido. (Rendez-vous with Adventrue - Lee Green)
1959 : Yamada Shihan travels to the U.K to teach Judo and "Tomiki Aikido"
1960 : Hideo Ohba joins Kenji Tomiki at Waseda University, starts developing Koryu Kata
1961 : Senta Yamada publishes “The Ancient Secrets of Aikido”. Foreword by Tomiki shihan.
1961 : (Sept 23) Gozo Shioda receives 9th Dan from Morehei Ueshiba after personal test
1961 : Kenji Tomiki publishes "Shin Aikido Tekisuto" (Shin Aikido text - the New Aikido textbook)
1964 : Judo introduced into Olympic Games for the first time
1965 : Senta Yamada leaves the UK, returns to Japan
1966 : Tetsuro Nariyama enters Kokusshikan University, joins Aikido club and meets Kenji Tomiki.
1966 : British Aikido Association (BAA) is formed to amalgamate all "Tomiki Aikido" clubs in the UK
1966 : Nariyama Tetsuro starts training under Hideo Ohba at Kokushikan University
1967 : Shodokan Dojo opened in Osaka by Tomiki Kenji, (giving birth to the term "Shodokan Aikido")
1968 : Japan Martial Arts Research Society established. Kenji Tomiki member of the founding committee
1969 : The first Championships of the British Aikido Association held
1969 : (April 26) Morehei Ueshiba (O Sensei) passes away
1970 : Koichi Tohei receives 10th Dan
1970 : First Major Open Aikido (Competitive) Tournament (All Japan Student Aikido Tournament) presidend over by tomiki Shihan.
1970 : Tomiki Sensei Retires from Waseda University
1970 : Nariyama Tetsuro becomes Chief Instructor at Shodokan
1971 : Koichi Tohei ordered not to teach his system inside Tokyo Honbu Dojo
1971 : Koichi Tohei establishes the International Ki Association
1973 : Tomiki leads a group of Japanese martial artists that included one of his top students Tetsuro Nariyama to Taiwan. The contingent from Japan gave demonstrations at military and police academies where they were well received.
1974 : Koichi Tohei severs ties with Aikikai
1974 : Kenji Tomiki publishes “Introduction to Goshinjutsu” (護身術入門)
1975 : Japanese Aikido Association (JAA) formed, Kenji Tomiki appointed president (Nihon Aikido Renmei)
1975 : Tomiki Kenji elected Vice President of The Nippon Budo Gakkai (The Martial Art Society Of Japan).
1975 : Tetsuro Nariyama becomes uchideshi to Hirokazu Kobayashi Shihan (Aikikai)
1976 : Shodokan dojo rededicated in a new building in Osaka.
Tomiki set up a new dojo for the Shodokan in Osaka on March 28, 1976 with the support of Masaharu Uchiyama, Vice-Chairman of the J.A.A. This dojo was intended to function as the headquarters of the Japan Aikido Association and Tomiki served as its first director.
1977 : First National Aikido tournament held in Osaka Castle
1977 : Tomiki Shihan travels to Australia with assistant Shishida Fumiaki
1978 : Kenji Tomiki awarded 8th Dan Kodokan Judo
1978 : Tomiki’s health began deteriorating in the summer of 1978 and he underwent an operation for what proved to be colon cancer.
1978 : Hideo Obha awarded 9th Dan from JAA by Kenji Tomiki
1979 : Even though gravely ill, Tomiki shihan continued to stay active and reknowned Aikido historian Stanley Pranin documents spending a very pleasant and informative afternoon with him discussing his theories on March 10th.
1979 : Tomiki shihan passes away age 79 on December 25th
1979 : Hideo Ohba becomes 2nd President/chair of JAA and director of Shodokan
1984 : International Martial Arts Federation honours Gozo Shioda with 10th dan
1985 : Tetsuro Nariyama succeeds Hideo Ohba at Kokushikan
1985 : "Aikido Kyougi" published by Nariyama Tetsuro & Shishida Fumiaka
1986 : Hideo Ohba passes away age 75
1986 : Fusae Tomiki (Kenji Tomiki's widow) became the 3rd President/Chair of the Japan Aikido Association
1994 : Gozo Shioda kancho, founder of Yoshinkan passes away (July 17th)
1999 : Kisshomaru Ueshiba (second Doshu) passes away.
