What is Tai Sai?
Tai Sai is an annual event, within the Aikido community, honoring the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei. O-Sensei passed away on April 26th 1969, and Tai Sai events memorialize his passing. There are Tai Sai events held globally in April and May, including quite a few events in Japan. In addition to recognizing the anniversary of O-Sensei’s passing on April 26th, the Aikikai holds the Aiki Shrine Festival on April 29th and the All Japan Aikido Demonstration on May 22nd.
The first event that the Aikikai sponsors is the Shinonukai, held at Aikido World Headquarters in Tokyo, on April 26th. Aikido practitioners gather to watch videos of O-Sensei and his son Kissomaru Ueshiba (2nd Doshu). Invited speakers who knew O-Sensei personally give speeches.
The second event, the Aiki Jinja Tai Sai Festival, occurs on April 29th. The festival is held at the Aiki Jinja (Aiki Shrine) located in Iwama. This is a very well attended annual event. The Festival begins with a Shinto priest performing Shubatsu, Shubatsu is a purification ceremony performed prior to any Shinto ritual. Following Shubatsu, Doshu gives a speech, or Taisai-Shukuji.
Following Doshu’s speech, the Ueshiba family performs a Shinto ritual called Tamagushi-Hoten. The literal translation is “offering of a branch from the sacred tree to a god”. A “Tamagushi” (玉串) is a traditional Shinto offering made from a branch from a Sakaki tree. Tamagushi are made by adorning a Sakaki branch with lightning shaped paper streamers known as “shide” (紙垂). The Sakaki (Cleyera Japonica) is a flowering evergreen tree that is considered sacred by practitioners of Shintoism.
After the Tamagushi-Hoten, Doshu, Waka Sensei, and a select group of high ranking Aikidoka, perform Aikido demonstrations (Hono-Embu). After the demonstrations, high ranking Aikidoka eat lunch in the Iwama Dojo. Other attendees enjoy lunch and Sake in the Iwama Dojo garden.
How Do We Usually Honor Tai-Sai?
We spent almost 15 years studying Aikido at Aikido of Arlington (Arlington, VA). Tai Sai always meant that we’d be hosting Patricia Hendricks Shihan at our annual Tai Sai seminar. For the last 20 years, Hendricks Shihan has spent Tai Sai teaching at Aikido of Arlington. This became the seminar where, among other things, we all tested for Yudansha ranks. With few exceptions, even after opening our dojo in Colorado Springs, we’ve made this seminar an annual event. Unfortunately, this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down all Aikido seminars. We’re not yet sure what we’re going to do to honor O-Sensei this year. We will definitely hold an online event! Watch our Facebook Page or Twitter Account for news!
Why is Tai Sai Important?
It’s important, for all Aikido students, to take the time to remember those that came before us. O-Sensei spent his life developing Aikido, and left a wonderful legacy behind. All Aikidoka share in this legacy. If you’re going to eat at O-Sensei’s table, please take some time on the 26th of April, to remember him and to thank him for his dedication to the development of art that you’re practicing.
John Wiley
Dojo-cho/Chief Instructor
Traditional Aikido of Colorado Springs
Wiley Sensei (Sandan – Aikikai) started his Aikido career in the mid-1990s. Since early 2000, he’s been exclusively studying Iwama Aikido. He and his wife, Elizabeth, opened Traditional Aikido of Colorado Springs in early May 2018.
