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The history of Aikido in Melbourne and, I would argue, Australia cannot be written without recognition of the role of Arthur Moreshead (1931-2010): Aikido was first taught in Melbourne by Arthur at the then Caulfield Judo School – now Caulfield Judo Centre- from the mid 1960s. Arthur emigrated to Australia from the UK with his family in 1960 and worked as self-employed builder in Melbourne’s suburbs. With partners Rod Todd and Les Dockery, Arthur leased railway land near Glenhuntley Station and built the School, the first purpose built dojo in Melbourne and most probably Australia. Its special feature was a “floating” floor sitting on springs, unattached to the walls so it absorbed the heavy falls of Judo.
In these early days conditions were good, in that proper changing rooms (womens’ and mens’ ) existed but the showers, although installed, they were not plumbed in and the cubicles were full of saw dust which was used under the thick vinyl and later canvas mats as padding material. If you wanted a shower there was a bucket under the outside tap at the back of the building. Popular in summer but best avoided in winter.
At the time, Arthur was Kodokan yondan and he was the highest graded exponent of Japanese martial arts in Australia. According to Susie Moreshead, in addition to his Judo grade Arthur also held shodan in Karate and Aikido and ikkyu in Kendo. In Britain, Arthur had been a close student of the legendary Abbe Kenshiro(1915-1985) – 8 dan Judo, 6 dan Aikido, 6 dan Kendo. Abbe sensei was ~Japanese Judo Champion” when he encountered Ueshiba Morihei, Founder of Aikido, on a train a meeting related in Remembering O-Sensei (Perry, S (ed) Shambala, Boston &London 2002).
Abbe sensei went to Britain in 1955. Sussie Moreshead has told me that Arthur was assigned to pick up Abbe sensei on arrival. Arthur duly turned up on his only means of transport at the time, his motorbike. Abbe appeared wearing a cheap suit, shoes – and no socks. He was carrying a cardboard suitcase containing hi keiko-gi and apparently very little else. Abbe sensei had never been on a motor bike before and at the first corner he leaned the wrong way and fell off.
According to Susie, Abbe sensei stayed at Arthur’s mother’s house for some time. He was godfather to the Moreshead children and gave Arthur hid Go set and other personal gifts.
Arthur also learned from Abe Tadashi sensei, another legendary pre-War student of Osensei who had gone to France to teach Aikido in the early 1950s. I asked Sugano sensei one day about Abe sensei, who was also related to Yamada sensei. Sugano sensei grinned when I mentioned Abe sensei’s name: “I remember ; coming from the Paris: had pink suit”.
After practice at Caulfield, Arthur told us tales of his teachers’ abilities and exploits which, as young eager kids growing up in the times of The Samurai, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and the rest, it was exactly what we wanted to hear. Arthur was particularly fond of describing Abbe sensei’s Judo which seems to me close to that of Mifune Kyuzo who can be seen on YouTube riding attempts to throw him and then quickly, almost imperceptibly countering. Arthur told us stories of his attending classes with both senseis in Paris.
Over the years, I have spoken to Aikido pioneers in the UK such as John Cornish, Ken Williams and Henry Ellis but unfortunately none of them could recall knowing Arthur.
Be that as it may, Moreshead sensei was a dedicated martial artist whose contribution to the introduction of Aikido to Australia was vital. Those who were there at Caulfield when Sugano sensei taught there for the last time remember the deep bow of respect he made to Moreshead sensei when they met.
Among the first students in Melbourne were Tony Smibert and Keith Townsend who both began practising late in 1964 after time spent learning Judo. They also learned Karate from Tino Ceberano sensei when he began teaching Goju-kai at Caulfield around the time (1966-7). Looking back, it appears that Arthur had an idea to create a martial arts academy at Caulfield built around top instructors.
In those days, Aikido students were all male, generally aged 20 and above, many former Judo players who’s competing days were over. These included John van Roessel and Mike Bennets. Some were under 20 and still at school like Tony, Keith, Bob Hill (1965), John Iouwalatine (1966) and Bruce Hatfield (1966) and others. The Caulfield curriculum in those days was esoteric. The core was mostly straight out of books by Doshu Kissomaru and Hombu Chief Instructor, Tohei Koichi which, apart from occasional articles in Black Belt magazine were the only sources of information about Aikido available in pre-Internet days.
Following the Judo model, Moreshead created an 8kyu grading system with associated coloured belts. (Note, Sugano sensei initially introduced a similar system which he explained in the article “Twentieth Century Samurai”.)
Arthur had promised us, the students at the time, that when there were 20 students he would contact Hombu dojo and request they send a teacher. When we reached the magic number Arthur kept his promise. Evidently, Hombu wrote back saying there already was an Aikido sensei in Australia, Mr Sugano, who had arrived on 25 April 1965. Arthur did not hesitate to get in touch.
In that spirit, I believe, he contacted Sugano sensei in Sydney and invited him to Melbourne. What happened next is unlikely to be generally broadcast. The outcame was that in 1966 Mr Sugano came down to Melbourne at Arthur’s invitation. They met and Sugano sensei got back on a plane and returned to Sydney.
What I remember about it was being excited about going to Caulfield to meet Sugano sensei. For a 15 year-old kid, mad keen on martial arts there was nothing on earth to match this opportunity. Several of us sat around for a few hours. No one arrived. Eventually, we figured that something was wrong. A couple of us went to the phone-box in Glenhuntley Rd which, in those days, had a phone book listing names, addresses and phone numbers. We found Arthur’s number, phoned him and got the devastating message that Sugano sensei would not be coming to the dojo. I believe Tony, who was at the meeting with Moreshead and Sugano sensei has started saying more about what transpired between them.
Despite this setback, our enthusiasm did not wane and when, in the Winter of 19967, the chance to practise under Sugano sensei in Launceston came along we jumped at it.
For those of us who went from Melbourne – Tony, Keith, John Iouwalatien, Bruce Hatfield and Bob Hill – and undoubtedly the locals of whom David Brown is one still practising, that weekend was a turning point. We all had a few years of solid practice, the books and enthusiasm by the bucket-full. But this was the real thing. We went prepared for magic and we were rewarded by the bucket full. I can still remember virtually every minute of that weekend. The simple fact that four of the dozen or so attendees of that weekend are still practising is testimony to the power of the experience. And, in spirit, without doubt, there is a fifth, Peter Yost who unfortunately died in 1999.
Christian Tissier sensei has spoken about the future direction of Aikido and he noted the contrast between his early days when there was a certain magic involved and now when there are so many other things available to capture their imagination. I think I speak for those of us around in the 1960s and 70s that we, too, experienced that same magic with Mr Sugano. Launceston was just the beginning of that journey.
Arthur Moreshead showed us the path to Sugano sensei. Sugano sensei took us to a different place altogether. Physically he resembled the photos of Tohei sensei. The photos in our precious books came to life. Everything he did was done with effortless grace, power and precision. Fortunately a small piece of it was captured by Tony on film. And then, on the Saturday evening at the Yost’s home, where Sugano sensei stayed, he showed us some films he made in Japan which included footage of Osensei. We were breathless. He also showed film of him and Yamada sensei at Tachikawa airbase. One I particularly remember was of the two of them in street clothes working out together outdoors in front of a wire perimeter fence. The magic just kept coming.
