The current information and photography was obtained primarily from conversations with Sensei Mulligan who reserves the right to deny any or all of this information at any time, now or in the future! This portion of the the Aikido History focuses on the origins of how Aikido came to be practiced and taught at SHODOKAN.� As with the counterpart newsletter renditions on the history of SHODOKAN's Judo and Karate programs, follow up articles will be required to bring the tale up to the current times.� In each art there have been many torch bearers. It has been the collective energy of all of these individuals under the guidance and direction of Sensei Mulligan that has enabled this institution to flourish.
And then there was AIKIDO
Return to those thrilling days of yesteryear�it�s Swampscott, Massachusetts around 1963. As you may recall SHODOKAN had taken its name after a brief period as JUDO-KARATE. Bernard Mulligan and Don Connors were a couple of retired servicemen who had Budo in their blood and wanted to share their obsession with the Western world.
��� Having agreed to teach each other their respective arts these two young senseis were hungry to acquire any and all information about Martial Arts. So it came to pass that they traveled to Providence, R.I. to attend a well-publicized Karate demonstration that featured the famous Master Mas Oyama. At the time Master Oyama was touring the United States and displayed his powerful technique by knocking out a full-grown bulls with one punch to his head. Now this seemed to be a skill worth learning!
Shihan Koichi Tohei
with B.J. Mulligan taking ukemi c.1967
��� Also on the bill, but not really known by anyone, was a small Aikido Master by the name of Koichi Tohei. Despite their original motivation for attending the event both of these budding budoka knew the real thing when they saw it and they were confounded and amazed by their first introduction to this new art called Aikido. The original scheme to pick up a little extra work at slaughterhouses was immediately abandoned and the hunt for an Aikido instructor was initiated.
��� The first instructor found was so memorable that his name is lost in the sea of time. He was an American who had his shodan in Yoshinkai Aikido. He offered private lessons that were difficult to survive. The technique seemed very rough and mechanical and it left students wondering where is the softness? As a result this black belt�s tenure was less than six months.
��� It was very shortly after the departure of this forgotten ronin that the renewed search lead to a Dr. Hatanaka (either through a student connection at Boston University or more likely Tohoku Dojo in the Somerville area). This Japanese physician was in the United States doing brain research at Massachusetts General Hospital and was a shodan from Aikikai Hombu.
Sensei Hatanaka with B.J. Mulligan taking ukemi at SHODOKAN c.1966
��� Sensei Hatanaka was the first consistent Aikido instructor at SHODOKAN. He too is remembered for the painful application of technique while at the same time admonishing students to be very careful with his hands because he was a surgeon!
��� During this period, but after 1964, Yamada Sensei was a visitor to the dojo. Originally he had traveled to the United States to give Aikido demonstrations at the Japan exhibit of the New York World�s Fair. The match was perfect and the young shihan fell in love with the pace and life-style of the "Big Apple" and never left. But making a living as a martial arts instructor can be difficult and requires that you go where there is an interest. Consequently there were periodic bus trips to instruct the faithful in the Boston area. This continued for 2 or 3 years. Mr. Mulligan was first promoted to Ikkyu by Yamada Sensei in June of 1966. Tamura Sensei also visited during this time period, both to support sensei Yamada and his efforts in the US as well as to evaluate the possibilities for settling down into a dojo of his own. In the end though, Tamura Sensei opted for the good life of Paris and the elegance of Europe.
Yamada Sensei, Kanai Sensei, Tamura Sensei
There is a story about the nodal point in the development of Aikido in New England. It transpired that Doshu (O Sensei�s son, Kisshomaru, then called Waka Sensei) visited Boston. Apparently an ambitious and forward thinking budoka, Fred Newcomb, gathered together over 60 warm bodies to attend a seminar to be instructed at the Boston dojo by Doshu. This included university friends and Judoka, most of whom had never seen Aikido before and had no intention of ever seeing it again! This was a small dojo with only 6 or 7 actual members, which was located on Massachusetts Avenue over the Kyoto Restaurant.
��� Ray Dobson (Terry Dobson�s younger brother who was then the head of the Boston dojo) had sent a letter to Aikikai Hombu stating that there were many students interested in studying Aikido so please send an instructor. The net result was that Doshu returned to Hombu and confirmed that he had seen a small dojo full of people and thus Kanai Sensei was dispatched to Boston.
Kanai Sensei Teaching at
SHODOKAN in the late '60s
Mr. Mulligan contacted Sensei Kanai within a week of his arrival from Japan. He immediately arranged for the young Japanese sensei to visit SHODOKAN at least once every month and this pattern of instruction was maintained for almost five years. Under these circumstances Mr. Mulligan conformed to the most traditional standards of respect for a teacher and began the ranking and grading process anew. Consequently Mr. Mulligan was awarded the rank of Ikkyu a second time in October 1967 under the tutelage of Kanai Sensei.
��� During Kanai Sensei�s second year in the United States in 1967, the young instructor indicated he wanted to conduct a summer camp and so the first one was held that year. A motel was rented and outdoor mats were set up. As many as seven people attended for the entire week of the event�although more arrived for weekend training on mats that were soaked from rain!
Kanai Shihan throwing Mulligan Sensei�
at the first NEA Summer Camp in 1967
New England Aikikai (NEA) had been founded and the first dojo was opened in November 1966. It was located in the "Combat Zone" at the corner of Stuart and Washington Streets. Despite the fact that one could watch nearby exotic dancers from the windows at the rear of the mat area the growth of Aikido was slow.
Early Members of New England Aikikai
Mr. Mulligan was then the Public relations Chairman of NEA and proposed that a well- publicized demonstration might help attract new members. Consequently Koichi Tohei Shihan was contacted and agreed to return for another demonstration at John Hancock Hall in Boston. The plan worked wonderfully and became a showcase for a variety of martial arts including Kanai Sensei�s first Iaido demonstration in the US. Local television (especially Channel 5) and newspapers (notably the Boston Globe) made it a media event.
��� Our Sensei Mulligan had the duty and honor of looking after and accompanying Shihan Tohei. There were day trips, including the Peabody Museum (that was greatly enjoyed) and a Judo tournament at Tohoku Dojo. The latter event was quite memorable in that the tournament was halted to allow Tohei Sensei to perform an amazing half hour impromptu demonstration that showed judoka how principles of Aikido could be of value to them.
Yamada Shihan - Tohei Shihan - Kanai Shihan
Apparently the visit was memorable for Sensei Tohei as well. When Mr. Mulligan traveled to Japan with Yamada Sensei in both 1971 and 1974 he was able to receive personal instruction in �ki� development from a grateful Shihan who said in effect� "Hey Salem�I remember you!"
��� There have been many members of SHODOKAN who have perpetuated the health and well being of Aikido at large and the dojo in particular. Notable among these are Dave Farrell, Kathy Joint, Monique Lebreque, Dorothy Migetz and Bob Toabe. Another installment will be required to update the history to modern times.
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