Fumio Toyoda Sensei, A Memorial Tribute, Part 1
Written by Gaku Homma

A formative figure in the history of Aikido has gone from us to heaven. His life, while short in comparison was not without impact. Especially for the development of Aikido in the United States, Fumio Toyoda Sensei’s life is a very important testimonial to the first generations of pioneer instructors in this country. Fumio Toyoda Sensei is the Founder of the American Aikido Association. Although very active in the United States and worldwide, his activities have not received wide spread coverage by the various Aikido publications.

I have known Fumio Toyoda Sensei personally since young adulthood and have a great deal of respect for his challenges and accomplishments. For this reason, I would like to share with you a profile of the man I have known and the obstacles he overcome in his lifetime.

I first met Toyoda Sensei when I was about seventeen. At that time, he was an uchideshi at Ichiku Kai Misogi dojo. Ichiku Kai Misogi dojo was also a place of misogi training for Koichi Tohei Sensei, who later became the founder of Ki Aikido. On the first floor of the dojo, Shinto misogi training was practice. The second floor of the dojo housed a space for Zen training. Many years later, Toyoda Sensei’s own dojo Tenshin Kan in Chicago, Illinois would house a Zen dojo on the second floor, like the dojo of his youth. The training practiced at Ichiku Kai Misogi dojo was also later incorporated into the Ki Aikido taught by Koichi Tohei Sensei.

Misogi shugyo at the time, consisted of three continuous days of vigorous chanting seated in seiza, (a sitting position on ones knees) spurred on by slaps and yells of senior students. Only short breaks for rest were allowed, making this training exceptionally difficult. This training was held once every month. When the uchideshi were not practicing misogi they were involved in Zen training. The practice was hard and strict, but as a rule, the windows and doors were always open and unlocked. If an uchideshi wished to quit his training and run away, the door was always open. In some ways this temptation made training even more difficult: if the doors had been locked, it would have been easier to resign oneself to not being able to escape.

Toyoda Sensei and Koichi Tohei Sensei were both born in the Tochigi prefecture in the same hometown in Japan. Growing up in the same hometown, Toyoda Sensei practiced Aikido under Koichi Tohei Sensei. After living as an uchideshi at Ichiku kai dojo, Toyoda Sensei enrolled in college. At school, Toyoda Sensei soon became a leader in the University Aikido club. It was not long before Toyoda Sensei became All Japan University Aikido Federation President. He was highly respected by his peers, and was commonly seen surrounded by students in black school uniforms (Gakusei fuku). There were accounts told of a young Toyoda Sensei venturing into downtown Shinjuku in Tokyo to attend a function accompanied by over one hundred students in black! Like something from a movie, so impressive was he that even Yakuza (like Japanese Mafia) bosses would step out of his way. Following a natural progression, after graduating from the university, Toyoda Sensei became an uchideshi at Hombu dojo under second Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba. He took up quarters at Hombu dojo on the 1st floor in the custodian’s quarters. He was the number one hopeful as a future Aikikai shihan (instructor). During this time he was used extensively as primarily uke for Doshu Kisshomaru. He was a role model for his peers and his future seemed guaranteed. In 1974 however… his life was to change forever.

With the death of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba in 1969, the smell of smoke was in the air. In 1974 the flames erupted. Toyoda Sensei was caught up in a power struggle amongst those above him in rank and position that would affect the rest of his life.

Check back soon for part 2…