Some stories of
those that went before - McFarlane
Sensei
This was written by me
(Simon Thackeray of White Oak Aikido and
Reading University Aikido Clubs) without
any intention to make any claims as to
accuracy or it being any version of a
'complete and true' UK Aikido history. It
is based on my own memories of events,
written information that I have and my
memory of what I have been told. Lots of
Aikido people and lots of Aikido events
have been omitted because this is only
about people and events that interacted
with my own development in Aikido and that
of the White Oak and Reading University
Aikido Clubs, so it is all very much
written from my own perspective and only
includes what I want to and what I
remember right now as I write it. However,
if you think anything is seriously
inaccurate as opposed to being omitted,
then please let me know! Or follow the
link for more about martial
arts in Reading or martial
arts near Knighton Shropshire at
White Oak Aikido.
Mr. McFarlane was awarded
1st dan at The Hut dojo in 1964 by
Masamichi Noro Sensei. He was an
instructor at Reading
University Aikido. The Aikido
teachers at Reading University at various
times were: Hamish McFarlane, Ron
Russell, Roger Field (graded 1st dan
by Haydn
Foster Sensei in September 1975), Des
DeVille (taught at Reading until
1985/6) and Simon
Thackeray (from 1985/6).
Mr. McFarlane later moved
to Derbyshire and taught Aikido for many
years at the South Normanton Aikido Club.
In 1981, he went to the Iwama dojo in
Japan to study Aikido with Saito Sensei,
returning there again in around
1985. He hosted some of the few
courses where Foster Sensei, McFarlane
Sensei and Allan Sensei taught together,
in Matlock in 1984 and 1986. He was
awarded 5th dan in November 1987.
As an Aikido teacher, he
was highly technical and as an Aikido
practitioner, he was very fast and
powerful, having the ability to really get
the power of his body movement into his
hands. Taking ukemi for him, as I had the
opportunity to do on several occasions,
you had to be really fast to avoid injury.
He taught a number of courses at the Reading
University.
To quote him:
"Aikido without kokyu is
like whisky without alcohol".
"Wringing the chicken's
neck (the cutting grip on a bokken) is
much the same as wringing out a
dishcloth".
On first teaching one of
the kumitachi with me at the Reading
University Aikido Club: "We've never done
this together before, but because we've
trained in the same system, we can
practise together", followed by a powerful
demonstration.
Here's a video of Hamish
McFarlane Sensei teaching in 1988:
Watch
our Aikido video here!
Not what you'll be
doing when you start, but sometimes
our more senior grades like to show
off a bit!
Find out more about
getting involved in the martial art
of Aikido in Whitton and Aikido in
Reading:
Home page
of White Oak Aikido UK Info
for Beginners - some more details
about Aikido and what to expect if you
come along to either our Reading or
Whitton dojos.
Discover
the martial art of Aikido
near Knighton Powys at
our Whitton dojo.
Find out more about the martial art ofAikido
Reading Berkshire at our Caversham dojo.
Or
please Contact
us if you have any questions about
Aikido classes in Reading or Whitton.
Hamish
McFarlane Sensei at the Aikido course at the
National Scottish Sports Centre in Largs.
This was the second week of Saito Sensei's
course in the UK in June 1985.
