Aikido
History - Training with
Ron Russell
Some stories
of those that went
before - Russell Sensei
This
was written by me (Simon
Thackeray of White Oak
Aikido Reading) 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 White Oak Aikido and
Reading University Aikido,
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! Alternatively,
for the options for martial
arts training in Reading,
Berkshire today, just follow
that link.
Below is a
section on Ron Russell
Sensei - you can use the
following links to go to Foster
Sensei, Hamish
McFarlane, Andy
Allan, Fiona
Bain and some
information on the history
of Aikido at Reading
University. Saito
Sensei and Iwama Aikido
were strong influences on my
Aikido, so you can also see
more about that here.
Ron
Russell Sensei
He started
Judo at The Hut in 1962 and
originally started Aikido to
improve his Judo. He
emigrated to New Zealand in
1978 and was teaching Aikido
there but returned to the UK
in 1991, teaching at The Hut
and attending the Aikido
Summer School. He was graded
to 4th Dan in 1986 and 5th
Dan in March 1993.
I really only
knew him for a brief period
during the early 1990s,
having the opportunity to
practise Aikido with him at
The Hut. He was totally
immovable if I made any
attempt to force any
technique on, so he taught
me a lot about how not to
use strength. He was very
appreciative of the effort I
put into running Summer
School.
Both his
elbows had suffered from
Shihonage and he once
cracked his pelvis when
demonstrating how not to
receive a technique. Famed
for being able to do ukemi
over a Mini in The Hut car
park! He died in 1994,
having returned to New
Zealand in August 1993.
To quote him:
"You start
it, I'll finish it."
"It's never
boring in the dojo."
On answering
the question: How many
people were at Aikido
training? "Always count the
instructor, it sounds
better".
"Everyone
these days wants to be
taught everything rather
than study it."
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