.jpg) |
| Christian Tissier - Aikido Expert |
Christian Tissier is one of the foremost experts in Aikido. He helped pioneer the art in France and founded one of France's largest Aikido organizations. He received his 7th degree Dan in 1998.
BKO Kung Fu: Why did travelling to Japan and studying for 7 years make you a better martial artist than if you only trained in France?
Christian: When I went to Japan aikido was quite new in Europe. Even if there had been good Japanese sensi in Europe, the level of people to practice with was not high enough at the time. Also, it was a challenge to go to Southeast Asia.
BKO : Tell us about receiving the Japan Foreign Minister's Commendation.
Christian: The commendation was a great surprise to me. I am very proud of it because it comes from a non-martial artists organisation. I think the Japanese Foreigh Affairs awarded many people in many fields. I was not alone in receiving this prize. At the same time, there was a very famous Japanese woman welknon in special make up for movies, a Japanese doctor who found a specific disease of Japanese abroad, created a clinic in Paris and the Piquet Library editing and selling books about Japanese culture for years.
So, I am very proud for aikido and aikidoists for having been recognized. As you understand it is not only me who was awarded.
BKO : You are one of the best non-Japanese Aikido practitioners in the world; if not the best. What happened with your nomination for 8th dan? Has anything changed since the original request?
Christian: Oh, this is an old story already. I refused the nomination and it is a good thing. There are so many aikidoist with 5th or 6th dan who are better than me and some 8th dan that have the same number of years as me. I feel comfortable where I'm at. My level is no more and no less than where I know I am.
BKO : From most Aikido demonstrations we have seen, the attacker is usually coming down with a downward chop. Why is this? Why do we not see counters to kicks?
Christian: Aikido demonstrations are a difficult exercise according to what kind of message you want to give. I think you mentioned the Bercy demonstrations with 2000 spectators and TV. We need to present aikido but we don't show the type of confidential exhibition we show when presenting to other aikido people or a very traditional school. With public demonstrations we show more effective techniques but still showing the essence of aikido. If we show applied techniques with kicks, knives or I don't know baseball bats we are not in our field of study and spiritual researches.
BKO : When you visit dojos around the world, in your opinion, what do you find that is practiced wrong most often? What's the correct way?
Christian: There is no wrong way. People practice what they learned with their teachers. They are honest even if it is not the way I do. What we do is only aikido. It is all our life. For people who do not practice it, it is nothing. The correct way is to polish our mind and soul with enjoyment.
BKO : Stephen Seagal made Aikido popular in American movies. There is always a controversy about him being as good as he says he is. In your opinion, how good do you think he really is or was?
Christian: I am not a fan.
BKO : Does Aikido have a place in MMA? How so?
Christian: Aikido has no place in MMA. Aikido helps to find a human beings maturity. It takes time, effort and intelligence. Aikido's aim is to preserve integrity; Physical and spiritual integrity. The Martial study in aikido is a pretext to make you understand that is you make a mistake you fail; you die. The practice of the tatami gives you a new chance to try again to be better, to erase your mistakes in a useless violence.
Christian: BKO : Why do you believe France refuses to participate in MMA like UFC?
I think the sport ministry does not want violence to become a show .
No comments:
Post a Comment