[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq5TJsBmphs] Anno Sensei conveys a seldom seen combination of qualities in his aikido. He maintains gentleness alongside a formidable presence of budo. Uke attacks with force and momentum and Anno Sensei takes care of the attacker as he leads him to the throw.

He directs the attacker without tossing him around. The attacker pursues Anno Sensei without being complicit. When things do not seem be going as planned Anno Sensei directs uke to a new position as if to invite him to have a drink at the bar. The technique is not aggressive or forceful. Uke doesn’t seem to have a choice; as he continues the intent of the attack Anno Sensei continues leading him into a throw. The throw is tightly knotted, severing uke from the aggression without assault, few contemporaries are able to embody the philosophy of aikido and budo in practice.

For more information and footage of Anno Sensei check out this youtube playlist and my previous post on a new book, Journey to the Heart of Aikido by Linda Holiday.