OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE CALLIGRAPHY BY RYOICHI KINOSHITA SENSEI
Ryoichi Kinoshita Sensei was the featured performer at our 2018 Greater Kansas City Japan Festival where he entertained attendees with his Aikido and Shodo (calligraphy) skills.
Ryoichi Kinoshita Sensei (Aikido 7th Dan Shihan; Shodo Shihan) is from Osaka, Japan. Kinoshita Sensei is a renowned Aikido martials master and a calligraphy master. His amazing skills and talents were a special treat for all Festival attendees. Kinoshita Sensei gave Aikido demonstrations and integrated Shodo (calligraphy) into his exciting presentations.
We are offering for purchase a select number of Kinoshita Sensei’s beautiful works that he created while in Kansas City. Each of these pieces of art are very special. His art in found in many museums in Japan and now can be featured in a special place in your home or office.
To see this artist at work to create these pieces of art, please view the 2020 GKC Virtual Japan Festival video, “Calligraphy from the Soul by Ryoichi Kinoshita Sensei”. You can also be entered into a drawing to receive one of these pieces of art by completing the survey offered on the Festival website and Facebook page.
To view and purchase Kinoshita Sensei’s art, please go to the following link:
INFORMATION ABOUT KINOSHITA SENSEI’S CALLIGRAPHY
Calligraphy has a variety of styles— Kanji (Chinese characters), Kana (phonetic characters), modern poetry, seal engraving, and many more. Kinoshita Sensei’s specialty is Kanji, Chinese characters, but there are a wide variety of styles even within this area. Kinoshita Sensei’s calligraphy can be classified as “Calligraphy from the Soul.” The reason that it can be called this is because 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. In “Calligraphy of the Soul,” the ki, living energy, is evident. The movement of ki is the same as the movement of the universe. When the soul of the characters is expressed through calligraphy, it brings the work alive. At the same time, when the meaning, breath, and movement of living energy becomes one, it truly becomes “Calligraphy of the Soul.”
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 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). He has been named Honorary Professor and Honorary Doctor by IOND University.