Stanley Pranin

Stanley Pranin

Stanley Pranin

Stanley Pranin
Born (1945-07-24) July 24, 1945
Occupation Publisher
Nationality American
Period 1974–present
Subject Aikido

Stanley Pranin (born July 24, 1945) is an American publisher and editor-in-chief of Aikido Journal (formerly Aiki News), established in 1974.

Pranin is also a researcher and archivist of Aikido, as well as author and publisher of several books and hundreds of articles about Aikido, Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu, and Morihei Ueshiba. Pranin's career and leveraging of the Internet and social media have made him highly influential in the Aikido world.[1][2][3]

Pranin has made contributions through "Aiki News / Aikido Journal."[4] More recently, Guillaume Erard, author of Kisshomaru Ueshiba's online biography, wrote this assessment of Pranin's significance to Aikido historical research and his own work: ″I am very much indebted to Mr Stanley Pranin and Pr. Peter Goldsbury for the incredible work they have produced over the years and without which I could not have written this biography. I would also like to sincerely thank them for providing me with helpful comments whenever I have a question″.[5]

Pranin originally began practicing the aikido style of Yoshinkan in California in 1962, later converting to Aikikai. During the late sixties and the seventies he taught Aikido at several locations in California. In 1974 he founded the journal Aiki News, and in 1977 he relocated to Japan where he lived for 20 years. During this time he continued to publish his journal. It was released in two languages: Japanese and English. Aiki News later evolved into the Aikido Journal, which today is a web publication providing numerous resources concerning Aikido, Daito-ryu, and related subjects.

Aikido career

Early Aikido years

In 1962, Pranin saw a demonstration of Aikido at his high school in San Pedro, a suburb of Los Angeles, California, and in August of that year began to practice Yoshinkan Aikido in Lomita, California, under Virgil Crank (2nd Dan). He continued his training in 1963 under Isao Takahashi and Richard Taylor at the San Pedro YMCA following the Koichi Tohei led curriculum. He successfully tested for 1st Dan (Aug 1965) and 2nd Dan (1967) before Koichi Tohei.

After receiving a Master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1968, Pranin began doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley. While a student, he shared teaching duties at the University's Aikido Club with Dr. Robert Frager.

With a letter of recommendation from Rod Kobayashi, Pranin visited Japan for the first time in June 1969 and spent the summer practicing at Aikikai Hombu dojo, Tokyo. He attended classes taught by Kisshomaru Ueshiba, Koichi Tohei, Kisaburo Osawa, Seigo Yamaguchi, Yasuo Kobayashi and Morihiro Saito, among other instructors. He also practiced at Shojo Nishio's dojo in Sugamo, Tokyo.

Inducted into the US Army in October 1969, Pranin was stationed in Eritrea, then part of Ethiopia, where he worked as a translator and set up an Aikido club at the US Army communications base in the city of Asmara.

Transferred back to the US after 18 months to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, Pranin worked as an assistant French instructor. He audited Japanese classes at the Institute and taught Aikido at nearby University of California, Santa Cruz, again with Robert Frager.

Discharged from the Army in October 1972, Pranin returned to the University of California, Berkeley, as a graduate student for a brief period. In the summer of 1973, he began teaching Aikido classes at a local Judo school in Monterey. This same year he was promoted to 3rd Dan through the California Aikido Association.

In May 1974 together with William Witt representing Northern California Aikido schools, Pranin attended the meeting in Los Angeles where Koichi Tohei announced his resignation from the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo. Delegates were asked to instruct their organizations to choose between remaining within the Aikikai or joining Tohei's Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido organization.

Pranin opened a commercial Aikido school in Monterey in 1975. In 1976, he turned over operation of his Monterey school to senior students and relocated to Berkeley to resume doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley. During this period, he taught Aikido at schools in Oakland and San Jose.

Along with other Northern California instructors, Pranin was a participant in the establishment of the Aikido of Northern California Yudansha Kai in 1974 and as a delegate of that organization he attended the First International Aikido Federation (IAF) Congress in Tokyo in September 1976.

Pranin received his 4th Dan certification in January 1977.

Training and research in Japan

Pranin relocated to Japan in August 1977 where he studied Aikido under Morihiro Saito in Iwama.

In May 1978, he interviewed Kisshomaru Ueshiba on the occasion of the publication of his Japanese-language biography of his father, Morihei Ueshiba: Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido. Pranin interviewed Kisshomaru Ueshiba on more than ten occasions, the last in December 1996.

In 1979, Pranin discovered the 1935 16mm film featuring Morihei Ueshiba in a film repository in Tokyo. In that same year, Pranin interviewed Kenji Tomiki, creator of a competitive form of Aikido, for the second time.

In July 1981, Pranin discovered Budo, the 1938 training manual authored by Morihei Ueshiba, while interviewing Zenzaburo Akazawa.

Pranin was promoted to 5th Dan by Morihiro Saito in 1983.

In 1985, Pranin interviewed Tokimune Takeda, son of Sokaku Takeda, for the first time during a trip to Hokkaido. He visited Abashiri, Shirataki, and Engaru while researching Morhei Ueshiba's years living in Hokkaido (1912–1919). Morihei Ueshiba studied Daito-ryu Jujutsu from Takeda starting in 1915 in Hokkaido. The techniques of Daito-ryu in modified form constitute the basis of the modern Aikido curriculum. Ueshiba's association with Takeda lasted over 20 years. Pranin was instrumental in establishing the important role of Daito-ryu Jujutsu in the creation of Aikido through his published research.[6]

From 1985–1989, Pranin accompanied his teacher, Morihiro Saito, abroad as interpreter at Aikido seminars held mainly in the USA and Europe. Pranin promoted his teacher through his magazines and the organization of events. His association with Morihiro Saito also included the publication of several books and videotapes, and lasted until the latter's death in 2002.

Pranin interviewed Noriaki (Yoichiro) Inoue, nephew of Morihei Ueshiba, and early Aiki Budo pioneer in Tokyo, on several occasions in 1987–88. Inoue's father, Zenzo Inoue, married Ueshiba's eldest sister Tame. Zenzo and Ueshiba's father Yoroku, played an important role in influencing and financing Morihei Ueshiba during his early years. Inoue's uncle, Koshiro Inoue, was a long-time patron of Ueshiba during the prewar period. Pranin's research into the relationship between the Ueshiba and Inoue families altered the historical account of Morihei Ueshiba's early years.

During his 20 years of living and researching in Japan, Pranin conducted over 200 interviews. The Aikido Journal audio archives house over 700 hours of audio recordings, a large part of which have been edited and published in issues of Aiki News / Aikido Journal. Pranin has collected hundreds of hours of film and video recordings, part of which have been edited and published. In addition, Aikido Journal's photo collection includes over 100,000 images including several thousand of Morihei Ueshiba.

Publishing activities

Aiki News/Aikido Journal

While in Monterey, Pranin, together with Dr. Katsuaki Terasawa, began translating Japanese-language serialized articles about Morihei Ueshiba that had been published in The Tokyo Times in 1966. The positive response to these translations led to the creation of Aiki News as a small newsletter combining the translated articles with local Aikido news, in April 1974.

For the next three years, Pranin published in Aiki News early interviews with such figures as Morihiro Saito, Kisaburo Osawa, Frank Doran, and William Witt, and translations of various Japanese Aikido documents. Aiki News also published USA-related events and local news.

After relocating to Japan in 1977, Pranin continued publication of Aiki News adopting a bilingual Japanese-English format in 1978.

In 1991, Pranin's publication bifurcated into two magazines, Aiki News in Japanese, and Aikido Journal in English. Aikido Journal continued to be published until Spring 2000, ending with issue No.119, after 26 years of print publication.

Aiki News continued to be published in Japanese until 2005 when, under Editor-in-Chief, Ikuko Kimura, it underwent a name change to Dou Magazine and shifted its focus away from Aikido coverage.

In 2000, Pranin's Aikido Journal became an online publication at aikidojournal.com. The combined suite of websites contains several thousands of pages of content, much of which was sourced from the print editions of the magazine, along with thousands of Aikido-related photos and videos.

Books

The Aiki News Encyclopedia of Aikido (Aiki News, 1989 & 1991, Tokyo) A comprehensive reference work on Aikido by Stanley Pranin published in 1991, now out of print. The content of the original Encyclopedia of Aikido, with minor updates, is online at aikidojournal.com

Aikido Masters: Prewar Students of Morihei Ueshiba vol1 (Aiki News, 1993, Tokyo) Interviews with 14 leading students who learned from Morihei Ueshiba between 1926 and 1942, conducted by Stanley Pranin and the Aiki News staff.

Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu: Conversations with Daito-ryu Masters (Aiki News, 1996, Tokyo) Traces the history and lineage of Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu through interviews with seven Daito-ryu masters conducted by Stanley Pranin. Also contains an overview of the history of the art and its disseminator, Sokaku Takeda, by the editor.

Aikido Pioneers – Prewar Era (Aiki News, 2010, Tokyo) A revised and expanded version of Aikido Masters.... This volume contains 20 interviews conducted by Stanley Pranin over a 30-year period with students and associates of Morihei Ueshiba. The book focuses on the history and teaching methods of the founder of Aikido, and the roots of the art.

1994–2001 Takemusu Aikido (6 volumes) A series of comprehensive technical volumes published by Aiki News authored by Morihiro Saito – the first volume co-authored with Stanley Pranin – that covers a wide array of Aikido techniques taught by the founder, Morihei Ueshiba, in Iwama. Volume 6 is a special edition presenting the 50 techniques contained in Morihei Ueshiba's 1938 training manual Budo. Stanley Pranin wrote an historical introduction for this final volume.

http://bibliography.aikidojournal.com/category/authors/stanley-pranin/

Event organization

Athletic Circus

In July 1963, Pranin was the lead member of a YMCA committee that organized an event called the "Athletic Circus" featuring Aikido, powerlifting, and a bodybuilding exhibition by Mr. Universe, Bill Pearl. The event took place in San Pedro, California, and Pranin participated in the Aikido demonstration and powerlifting events.

Aikido Friendship Demonstrations

In April 1985, Pranin organized the First Aiki News Friendship Demonstration in Tokyo. Six leading Aikido teachers participated in the first event which over 900 people attended. The Friendship Demonstration proved controversial as it was organized by Aiki News – a private entity – independent of normal organizational channels. Further Aikido Friendship Demonstrations were organized in 1986, 1987, and 1988 [13]

Shinei Taido Demonstration

Pranin organized a large public demonstration of Shinei Taido, the creation of Noriaki (Yoichiro) Inoue, a nephew of Morihei Ueshiba, early collaborator of his uncle and pioneer from the prewar period. Over 500 people attended this event held in Tokyo in 1988.

Aiki Expos

The Aiki Expo events were major martial arts seminars organized by Pranin that gathered together high-ranking teachers from Aikido, Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu, classical Japanese martial arts, karate and Systema. The events included both seminars and demonstrations and encouraged participants to cross-train in other disciplines. Aiki Expos were held in 2002, 2003 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and in 2005 in Los Angeles, California.

Films, videos, DVDs

Since the beginning of his research, Pranin has collected and filmed hundreds of hours of film footage and videos of leading Aikido teachers, beginning with Aikido Founder, Morihei Ueshiba. The Aikido Journal archives include more than 30 films of Ueshiba. Other teachers who Pranin has documented are Morihiro Saito, Shoji Nishio, Noriaki (Yoichiro) Inoue, Koichi Tohei, Seigo Yamaguchi, Rinjiro Shirata, and numerous others.

The large events he has organized – the Aikido Friendship Demonstrations, the Aiki Expos, and the Shinei Taido demonstration of Noriaki Inoue – are fully documented on video. In addition, Pranin has collected and filmed many hours of footage over several decades from the All-Japan Aikido Demonstrations sponsored by the Aikikai Hombu Dojo, in Tokyo. A selection of edited footage from these sources has been marketed over the years by Aiki News/Aikido Journal in various formats.

Lectures and seminars

Pranin has given numerous lectures on Aikido history and the life of Aikido Founder, Morihei Ueshiba, in the USA, Mexico, France, and Japan. He has also conducted Aikido seminars in recent years, and published an online video course titled "The Zone Theory of Aikido" in 2013.

References

  1. ↑ Stanley Pranin – Just a collector with a passion for aikido von Arb, Jacqueline (2009)
  2. ↑ Interview with Stanley Pranin Fagerlund, Joran (1998)
  3. ↑ "Aikido Academy USA". aikidoacademyusa.com.
  4. ↑ Greenhalgh, Margaret Aikido and spirituality Durham University e-Theses
  5. ↑ Biography of Kisshomaru Ueshiba, Second Doshu of Aikido Erard, Guillaume, (2014)
  6. ↑ "Aikido History". seattleschoolofaikido.org.

Further reading

External links

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