A very special opportunity for virtual festival attendees this year is the appearance of Ryoichi Kinoshita Sensei (Aikido 7th Dan Shihan; Shodo Shihan) from Osaka, Japan. Kinoshita Sensei is a renowned Aikido martial master and a calligraphy master. His amazing skills and talents will be a special treat for all viewers of this video to enjoy.
In this video Kinoshita Sensei will give a Shodo (calligraphy) demonstration and explain this art form in this exciting presentation. Kinoshita Sensei’s calligraphy can be classified as “Calligraphy from the Soul.” The reason that it can be called this is that when composing calligraphy, he holds his breath, focuses, and completely devotes his body and soul with all of his energy passing through the brush and being communicated into the paper. It is calligraphy in which life energy is transferred to paper.
When composing characters, the energy is so fantastic that nobody can approach him. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Kinoshita Sensei’s calligraphy is martial arts. While holding the physical breath, ki (life energy) continues to respire. In Kinoshita Sensei’s calligraphic works, the movement of his ki can be felt.
Before beginning his study of Aikido, Kinoshita trained in Kendo for eleven years, beginning at age six. He first began Aikido training under Abe Seiseki Shihan, attaining Shodan at age 16. At age 24, he became Uchi Deshi under Abe Shihan, and also joined the instructional staff at Amenotakemusu Juku Aikido Dojo. In 1991 he received 6th dan from the Aikikai Foundation. From 1996 to the present day, he has been director and head instructor of Suisenkan Aikido dojo in Suita, Japan. He instructs full-time in Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. As a longtime student of Abe Sensei, a close personal friend and calligraphy teacher of Osensei, the Founder of Aikido, Kinoshita Sensei studied calligraphy as well as Aikido with Abe Sensei. Kinoshita Sensei has given seminars in Santa Cruz (CA), Berkeley (CA), San Jose (CA), San Francisco (CA), Kansas City (KS), Iowa City (IA), Rochester (NY), and Syracuse (NY).
(This video was produced by Kinoshita Sensei in Kansas City at the 2018 Greater Kansas City Japan Festival where he was the main performer at the Greater Kansas City Japan Festival. He lives in Japan.)