About two years ago, a former senior student of mine named Joe Billingiere came to visit me at Makoto Dojo. Joe had come to deliver the last case of the books entitled, “A Beginner’s Guide to Aikido”. Joe and I had put together and printed this book way back in 1988. As we sat and talked, we reminisced about the good old days when we used to train together with our former instructor and how we had come to this point in our lives. Ironically, Joe died about a month later from unknown causes.
The following is an edited version of an article that I had asked Joe to write. I remember the day I asked Joe to write this story. A story that describes the things that happened which led us not only to find my former instructor, but then to spend the better part of the next 18 years of my life training directly under his tutelage as a disciple. After many requests by students wanting to understand my relationship with my former instructor and how he had changed my view of Aikido, I chose to update Joe’s article. In fact, we both wrote this article, as we both were profoundly impacted by our experience with Steven Seagal. However, today is a different day and the following story needs to be shared in the context of where I am today, not only because of what I learned from Seagal Sensei, but because of what I have done with what I learned…here’s to us Joe!
About thirty-seven years ago, sometime in 1983, the proverbial pebble fell into the pond. Since then, the ripples from that event have slowly changed martial arts throughout the world. The amazing thing about this event is that so few people were aware of it at the time it happened. In fact, if you had used the fingers on one hand to count the people who were there and who realized that something big was happening, you would still have had a couple of fingers left over. What happened was “a big white guy from Japan came and taught Aikido in Sherman Oaks.” At least, that’s how we first heard him described. In thinking back, it may not have been the most politically correct way to describe Sensei Steven Seagal, but it sure was accurate.
To say that back then, the Aikido community did not flock to Steven Seagal and to his teachings, would be a gross understatement. In an early meeting at Los Angeles Aikikai, I had invited all of Southern California Aikido Dojo’s to participate in a meeting where we could create a united organization of concerned Aikidoka, free from the political struggles that existed at that time. Amazingly, about 23 Dojo representatives came to see what I along with my teacher at the time were talking about.
Since politics seemed to be causing unrest between the east and west coast Aikido practitioners, it was time to come together and talk about our differences and what we could do to mitigate any problems. Unfortunately, my instructor at the time conveniently forgot that he and I had talked about this meeting and took exception that all these Dojo-chos had come to the meeting at all. I remember him asking me, “Why are all these other guys here?” and I told him “You told me to invite them” “Oh no I did not!”, he said. He then turned to the entire group of teachers and declared that this meeting only involved, LA Aikikai, Pasadena Aikikai, Alhambra Aikikai and Ventura Aikikai. He then stated, “Well they came in by the freeway, they can leave by the freeway!” That was the day, my life completely changed in Aikido, as I turned towards my teacher at the time, aghast and humiliated by his statement. Here we had the opportunity to solve many political problems and yet all he did was create a greater problem.
Seagal Sensei, who had accepted my personal invitation to attend this meeting, got up immediately, as did others, and said to the entire group,” Larry, you are the only one telling the truth here, and I don’t need this!” Seagal then walked out along with everyone else. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears when I heard those words uttered by my teacher at the time. I told him, “You know what, I don’t need this either!” Seagal was all but ignored, though he was the ranking Aikidoka present. I caught up to Seagal outside and apologized for the misbehavior of my teacher at the time, but all Seagal said to me was, “Hey we have class at 6pm tomorrow.” I said, “I will be there!” And a new chapter of my life in Aikido began.
This was a very embarrassing moment for all, and many of those teachers went on to join other organizations or create their own. And although, many did not choose to go with Seagal, they all seemed to appreciate his willingness to stand up for what was right. The recognition of this great teacher took longer (much longer) for some than for others. However, there was one change that did happen immediately. No one, after seeing the man on the mat, or better yet being on the mat with him, ever again asked the then common questions, “is Aikido real? or “is Aikido really a martial art?” Once in his presence, the answer to those questions was self-evident. Hell yes its real! You don’t have to understand or agree with a force of nature… you just have to be there, to experience it. In Aikido, being there is what it’s all about!
During that time, there were many problems in the Southern California Aikido Community. Externally, Aikido was commonly criticized by practitioners of other arts as being phony or not a real martial art at all. Internally, these same concerns were not to be openly expressed. However, they did exist in the minds of some Aikido students. One of these troubled students of Aikido, was none other than myself, a teacher and Dojo Cho of Ventura Aikikai. I began to discuss my concerns and questions with a student and friend, and that was my student Joe, who held similar views. We both shared the troubling questions and were driven to find the answers. We didn’t know it at the time but, we were following the wisdom of a Zen teaching by Basho that warns, “Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they were looking for.” The Aikido we loved had become a box filled full of political dissension and we simply had to find a way out of that box.
The first time we saw Seagal Sensei on the mat we knew that we had found the path to the answers we sought. It was true, I realized that for me, that it meant starting anew in Aikido. It meant that I had to basically disregard my own experiences and even my own rank of San Dan (3rd degree black belt) and start open and fresh in order to learn a new way. That is exactly what we did. Years later, while sitting on his patio located on Blue Ridge Lane above the famous Beverly Hills hotel, we interviewed him and asked him some very important questions. I had asked him if he would allow this interview to be part of our new book and he consented. During our questioning, Seagal Sensei told us that in a sense; “Aikido was born wrong in America.” That meant that Aikido itself, had to be reborn here as well, and any student really seeking the true potential of Aikido, would have to do the same. It also meant that in the coming years, Aikidoka around the world had to hang on to their hakamas, so to speak! LOL!
People will say that change can be very difficult and sometimes very painful. This change was no exception. First, the rebirth of Aikido shook the beliefs of Southern California students, then the entire Aikido community and eventually, the martial arts world community. The truth of Seagal Sensei’s teachings could not be ignored and it could not be dismissed. Eventually, truth always has to be faced. Eventually truth always prevails. Seagal Sensei’s truth was simple…it was Aikido. The same Aikido of the Founder, Morihei Ueshiba, revered as O’Sensei (great teacher) by students of the art. Of course, the only difference was it was being taught by a teacher who stood 6’6” in his stocking feet and moved like a snake.
Aikido is arguably the most complex of martial arts. This subtle fact often leads to misunderstandings. Non-Aikido student observers of the art interpret what they see through their own life experiences. When, for example, they see a large aggressive attacker tossed to the mat or even pinned to it, all with what appears to be little effort on the part of the defender, they interpret it as not possible and therefore not real. Such observers do not understand what they see and unable to comprehend.
Aikido happens “in the moment.” Miyamoto Musashi, the great Samurai, refers to this phenomenon of “the moment” in his Book of Five Rings. Musashi states that in The Way of the Sword, death occurs in the moment when the attacker forms the intent to strike. Consequently, one attacks in the moment that the opponent forms the intention of attacking. This is “the moment.”. What happens in Aikido practice is that in the moment when the attacker creates the intention to attack the Aikido practitioner moves in such a way that the attack is rendered harmless.
This ability to move in the moment is the phenomenon that causes observers to misunderstand what they see when a person of Seagal Sensei’s level of ability practices Aikido. Such misconception has led even accomplished martial practitioners of other arts to misunderstand and dismiss the value of Aikido as a martial art.
For the untrained observer the movements seem to come at the wrong time in the process and are often too subtle and too fast for them to correctly interpret. As a result, their mind fills in details based on their own past experiences. When they see an attacker grab for a person their expectation is that at a certain point the person will be grabbed and therefore, they perceive that it did happen. When they then observe a small movement on the part of the individual being attacked followed by the attacker apparently missing the target or even flying to the ground, they are immediately put into a state that psychologists refer to as cognitive dissonance.
This occurs when a person has two sets of reality, two truths which are mutually exclusive. To resolve this, the observer must make an assumption of truth based on their understanding of what is possible. For the Aikido observer it usually results in a final assumption that what happened was not real and therefore the result of some type of act or fake on the part of the people involved. This is how the lack of understanding of “moving in the moment” leads to the false beliefs that Aikido is not real.
“The moment” can be seen portrayed dramatically in the film, The Seven Samurai. A young Samurai, excited at watching the start of a duel between a town bully and a Kensai (a person who has devoted himself to the perfection of The Way of the Sword), is admonished by an older Samurai that the fight is already over (before it seemed to have begun). This older Samurai understood the concept of “the moment.” O’Sensei himself referred to “the moment” when he said that the moment an enemy has the mind to fight with him, that enemy is already defeated, because he has broken the harmony of the Universe. An old Samurai maxim states, “to know and to act are one and the same.” This too is the concept of “the moment.”
Knowing of “the moment” and being able to act in it successfully is essential to the true practice of Aikido. In order to accomplish this, one must be a dedicated student and have access to a great teacher. In addition, physical fitness, a tolerance for pain and the ability to control one’s fears are important requirements. Seagal Sensei brought these concepts to Southern California Aikido. He also brought the other critical element, his personal knowledge of advanced technique.
In those days we were practicing what we soon recognized as basic exercises and lower level techniques. For the most part these were static practices originally designed to build the somatic skills and awareness level necessary to learn the more advanced techniques of Aikido. Our problem then, was that we were “trying” to apply these exercises, believing them to be the full techniques, to combat situations and make sense of it. It didn’t work. In that sense, for us, Aikido didn’t work. Not because Aikido doesn’t work, but because our understanding of it was wrong. Our teachers’ understanding of it was wrong. We were all lost.
It was about this time I had attended an amazing workshop called, “The Landmark Forum”. I won’t go into it too much here, but one of the lessons that changed my life forever was what I call, “The Try Lesson”. For all you Star Wars aficionados, you will recall when Luke Sky walker landed his star ship in a bog and couldn’t find his way out. Master Yoda told him to use the force and levitate his ship out of the bog. When Luke said to Yoda, “I am trying!” Yoda quickly turned to him and said, “That is why you are failing! Try not, do or do not, there is NO TRY!” In the Forum one of the leaders used this lesson and convinced me that the word “try” was actually born out of a fear of failing or of looking bad. I came to believe that and today I have built a huge muscle around that lesson. I didn’t know it then, but I know it now, we were “trying” and not “doing”…that’s why we did not understand Seagal’s teaching in the beginning…that’s why we couldn’t understand.
Before Seagal Sensei, Aikido students were achieving some of the healthful benefits of hard practice and some of the spiritual benefits of rigorous training and doing their best to live up to the principals of Aikido. For some, this was enough. For some of us it was not enough. These things did not translate into an understanding of the martial aspects of the art. We could not understand how our practice would relate to personal combat situations. Seagal Sensei provided the answers. He became the bridge between where we were and where we learned we could go with his teachings. We found that we had been correct in our doubts. We knew very quickly, that the way that we trained before Seagal Sensei, had no real combative application.
Seagal Sensei showed us the complete art of Aikido. The healthful benefits of Aikido, the Spiritual Path, and Aikido as a true Warrior Art. This fullness of understanding, this completion of the whole, is what Seagal Sensei had brought back to Aikido in the United States. There is only one path to Aikido. Everyone must travel it and everyone must begin from wherever they are. No short cuts exist. Hard training under the right teacher is the only way to move along the path.
In 1984, Aikido was being reborn everywhere. That old ripple in the pond had started and spread around the world. A new worldwide organization was being born, the Ten Shin Aikido Association (T.S.A.A.). This was the first ever, sanctioned Aikido organization dedicated to the teachings of Aikido teacher Sensei Steven Seagal. The organization was first and fore mostly dedicated to providing the opportunity of hard training under the auspices of Sensei Steven Seagal. The Ten Shin Aikido Association was invented through a set of by-laws penned by none other than myself, with the help of one of my senior students. In a meeting with Seagal, we went over each and every by-law. At the end of the meeting, Seagal closed the binder and said to me, “I want to thank you Larry for doing something that will preserve our Aikido”. The home base of our newly formed international organization was Steven Seagal’s Dojo in North Hollywood located near La Cienega and Santa Monica on the second floor. It was at this location, where Seagal’s movie career was actually launched with the filming of “Above the Law” and another very auspicious event…my Yon Dan (4th Degree Black Belt) test! That will be another story.
The birth of Ten Shin Aikido Association solved several current problems for some. For those individuals who were interested in training under the Steven Seagal, now had a central location to contact him for teaching and more information. Dojo-chos had a path to follow and an organization they could affiliate themselves and their students. Seminars, which would bring these teachings to people around the world, would be organized through TSAA.
The organization offered opportunities and methods for Dojo-chos everywhere to bring Seagal Sensei’s teachings directly to their students. For the first time, the question of whether a student was ranked or not, directly under Steven Seagal would be answered. If you tested at Ten Shin Aikido Dojo, then you would be ranked under Seagal Sensei. It was as simple as that, and even at this time, there are still very few students that have actually received their DAN rank from Seagal Sensei.
It is the genius of the Japanese Dojo system that has allowed what was happening. Unlike Europe where most of the details of the Western and European systems of personal combat have been lost to us, the Japanese Schools of Martial Arts allowed under the Tokugawa Shogunate have preserved the actual practice of the combat arts of that culture. Passed down from Master to student through the generations, we can learn the arts very much as they were. This is what was happening through TSAA. The teachings of Shihan Steven Seagal would now be preserved and passed on with the help of Reynosa Sensei.
The path of the 18 years, since I first met Seagal Sensei were very eventful, exciting, challenging and at times most difficult. From the beginning Seagal made it clear that to follow him, meant that I would have to literally give up any idea of rank or advancement in the near future. We never so much as mentioned testing during the first five years of Seagal’s presence in the United States. However, when I built a Japanese style Dojo in my back yard, I invited Seagal to bless my Dojo.
After a great training, he conducted a very spiritual Shinto ceremony and it was at that time he gave me the name of Makoto Dojo. The custom, as I understood it, would have been to give the teacher a plain white envelope containing a cash gift of gratitude (Orei). However, just when I should have done that, I told him that I knew of the customary payment…but I didn’t think I had enough to represent the gratitude I was feeling. What I told him was, “I will not give you money for your teachings, but I will give you my life and dedicate myself to you and your teachings from this point on”. As he looked at me, a little surprised, he said in his gentle voice, “I accept that, but you will have to test for your fourth DAN!” The die had been cast on that day and my life in Aikido would never be the same.
Failure was something we lived with in training. When we failed, we got back up and did it again and again. We were never quite sure when we did it correctly because praise was sparse and difficult to recognize. Only after many years did I come to realize that this too, was a great part of Seagal Sensei’s teaching. We learned that to fail was not bad, not awful or shameful. It was, in fact, a part of life and a part of learning. To stop doing, to give up, that was unacceptable. Quitting was the only true failure and in combat it meant death. Those who came to train and stopped “trying” because it was too difficult or too painful, failed. That is why we saw so many students come and then go through those years.
Back then we trained every opportunity we were given or that we could request or invent. We traveled to Seagal Sensei’s Ten Shin Aikido Dojo in West Hollywood, near Cahuenga and Magnolia, several times a week and later to his next incarnation of the Ten Shin Aikido Dojo in the Beverly Hills area at Santa Monica and La Cienega. During that time, Joe and I completed a book, “A Beginner’s Guide to Aikido”. I had severed ties with the Southern California Aikido Community and began a journey filled with new ways of seeing Aikido. All in all, it was a golden time of training.
As I mentioned, when I built a Japanese style Dojo at my home in Ventura, CA., Seagal Sensei visited for the opening of the Dojo and during the giving of his Shinto blessing named the Dojo, Makoto or True Heart. It was at this time that I became all too aware of what it might take to be a personal student, a personal disciple. I could see in the sincerity of his prayers during the ceremony and the serious nature of his words. Seagal once said to me,” Instead of training for ten years, one should spend ten years, looking for a great teacher!” Well, I had been training about 10 ½ years and here he was in my own back yard!
Later, I went on to build yet another incarnation of Seagal Sensei’s Ten Shin Aikido Dojo at Seagal’s ranch in the hills of Santa Barbara, California. During the passing of the years I continued to develop my close Student – Teacher relationship with Seagal Sensei. As Seagal Sensei’s growing movie career and religious activities caused him to move away from regular Dojo teaching, I began to organize and sought to produce large international seminars that would feature Seagal Sensei.
In all, I would go on to produce ten seminars from Ventura, California to Ennis, Montana, back to Santa Barbara, California, then over to Paris, France. In mid-June 1999, Seagal Sensei gave me my greatest honor… that of Godan (5th Degree black belt). He said I needed to be seen as a leader and I believe it was because of my complete and pure loyalty to Seagal and his teachings, that his work would continue and grow. My experience and ties to Seagal were responsible for the recognition I have received outside of that circle as well. I had to begin rethinking how I could protect Seagal, given is growing fame and fortune. I could see people wanting to get close just to hurt him and take advantage of his giving nature at the time. Seagal and I came up with the idea that I would act as his emissary in a sense, and receive and evaluate opportunities for him to conduct seminars around the world. I would personally conduct a seminar in that country, as if it was him conducting the seminar. After which, I would give him my evaluation of the group or organization wanting him to conduct the seminar and then he would say yes or no. As a result, I conducted seminars in many countries around the world, such as Latvia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, and Mexico.
All this to say, that I had become the buffer between the world of Aikido and Seagal Sensei. My mission was to protect him via the Ten Shin Aikido Association as a “Corporate Entity” and creating a system of integrity that would kick in, when and if he could not fulfill his obligations or commitments. Given that his movie career was building, there were many times when I was caught holding the bag and had to cover for him as he zoomed away for a sudden movie shoot or music gig.
After Joe and I wrote the original of this article, which as I mentioned earlier, really needed some clarification, Joe asked me some questions that he thought others would be interested in. The following are some of those questions regarding the Ten Shin Aikido Association and my experiences with Steven Seagal Sensei:
Unfortunately, nothing is permanent and my relationship with Steven Seagal ended abruptly on August 21, 2001. The irony of it all was that Seagal had passed the “shiho”, the essence of his teaching over to me. He had blessed me with the courage to believe in myself and to understand that the only way to teach kindness, compassion, honesty and integrity was to be those same teachings.
Having gotten himself deep into the Hollywood scene and being successful with his movie career up to that point, I could see that I had come to the end of the road with him. I had come to a point where I had to choose, to continue to do my best to change him, or to let him go into the dark side? I knew the answer, because I realized one cannot change another…the only person you can change is yourself. On that fateful day in August, I did just that, and went home. I will always celebrate the greatness that drew me to his side, be grateful for our time together and love Aikido, for what I know it can be.
Today, I stand in a place of contemplation of my time with Seagal. It’s been 19 years since I last spoke to Seagal Sensei. Today, based on how Seagal has changed, I don’t even know the man. Yet students still ask me questions about our relationship. Thus, I felt compelled to update the article above. Upon leaving Seagal’s side, I knew I had to transform the Ten Shin Aikido Association. Since I was the one that had incorporated it, I was the one that needed to dismantle it. I renamed the organization the “Makoto Aikido Kyokai, Inc.” (M.A.K). Many of the members stayed with me in that new structure, but because I no longer had any ties with Seagal, one by one they left. However, today we have several very committed member Dojos around the world.
I still have the same goals of studying Aikido for what it can be and how it can continue to serve our communities. I am hopeful that Aikido will remain a path that will lead people to the answers they seek as it did me. And when a student asks, I will tell them what Seagal told me, “Instead of training for 10 years, spend ten years looking for a great teacher!”
