Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan - Aikikai 8 Dan - In memoriam

Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan - Aikikai 8 Dan
"Disciple of the founder", a concrete fact since his first day in Aikido. Aikido, that he saw personally, when he was still a child, in a presentation by O-Sensei himself, which awakened his desire to practice until he was 18 years old, when he effectively started as an uchi-deshi in Hombu Dojo.
As Sugano sensei used to say when sought by students, "In New York Aikikai you are a student of Yamada sensei, but I can help you." Clear condition/situation for those who know the culture, Budo. In Hombu Dojo all the disciples were O-Sensei's.
“He didn’t understand what O-Sensei said”, “Only see O-Sensei when he went to Tokyo”. Data without context, often assessed outside the cultural environment and exploited by pretended “masters” who have changed teachers 3, 4 times. In fact, disciples of their own egos at the most.
Yamada sensei was not "only" a disciple of the founder, but also fought for Aikikai with the Ueshiba family, meeting 5 generations of them
In 67 years of Aikido, since the first day at the top of the art, almost 60 years as an iconic Aikido diffuser and international professional , he has always established direct relationships with masters seniors and companions who, like him, became highly qualified masters,including family Ueshiba.
With continuous exchanges and with his Aikido brothers, he made USAF a historical and formative professional pole in the world, whose legacy will directly nurture generations of eager apprentices and, where also iconic masters were trained, of necessary visitation to any Aikido scholar.
It was necessary to create the Sansukai International Aikido, to serve more than 30 countries in search not only of certificates, but, mainly, of qualified support.
O-Sensei expressed himself with his religiosity, but Yamada sensei was a master of corporeity. Not of the narrow technical efficiency, nor only of the physical, but of the basal bodies (physical, mental, emotional) and their real relationship in Aiki, without preaching, nor indoctrination, nor moral judgment.
A maestro who offered authentic fundamentals to each one, conducting individuals and groups; looking (or not), pointing, directing, watching over the foundations and the beginners so that each one's Aikido found ways to manifest itself, originally.
His presence on the tatame revealed the real issues, either with direct practice, or by distancing conflicting ones, everything was equated under his look and by self-regulation, they were solved, or moved forward in harmony (at least in his presence...).
Of the dozens of countries he went to, I accompanied him to only 10, but I observed this same phenomenon again and again.
He fought for Aikido to overcome archaic anchors, and for unfounded, or purely commercial, innovations not to cut the very roots of the art.
Sensei did not accept disciples like caricatures of samurai, even less that make him, a caricature of a mystical and invincible "master/guru" from the exotic East.
On the contrary, he lived in New York, being a human with all the space for frailties, problems and complexities.
I have always expressed directly to sensei, my respect, admiration, gratitude
, and also my deepest apologies, for falling so short of his support, for the childish greed for titles that fragment and weaken us...
Your professional and community accomplishments are not camouflage and fallacious boasting. They reveal a mastery that is of inestimable reference, and, for those of good character, of deep respect and motivating gratitude
, to say the least.
Ricardo Leite Shihan - Aikikai 7Dan