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Profile
of Master Toichi Tohei
Born 1920 in Tokyo he moved when very young
to Tochigi Prefecture where he spent his youth.
Frail health during his childhood forced him to visit the hospital
frequently. At his father’s insistence he took up judo. Having strengthened
his body to some degree, at fifteen he earned his black belt and at sixteen
entered Keio University’s preparatory program. He
continued to practice judo enthusiastically, but contracted pleurisy as a
result of excessive training and was forced to withdraw from school for a
year. During that time he devoted himself to self-training through misogi
kokyuho, Zen, and other types of discipline.
At 19, he met Morihei
Ueshiba and became his student. In the short span of half a year he became
the founder’s representative (dairi) and, having yet to receive any
official ranking in aikido, was sent to instruct at the Nakano Police
Academy and the
private school of Shumei Okawa.
At 23 he was called
into military service and learned under fire the secret of directing ki
into the one point in the lower abdomen (seika no itten). Between 1953 and
1971 he visited the United
States on fifteen occasions, teaching
and spreading aikido and the principles of ki. Tohei received tenth dan in
aikido in 1969. He served as Director of Shihan (Shihan Bucho) and Director
(Riji) of the Aikikai until leaving that organization in 1974.
Tohei established the
Ki Society (Ki no Kenkyukai) in 1971 (recognized as a non-profit
organization in 1977), over which he still presides. The Ki Society is the only
organization in Japan
specializing in ki training to have been recognized as a non-profit
organization by the Ministry of Public Welfare.
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