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Suenaka Sensei with Koichi Tohei at Iwama; April, 1964.

As their relationship grew, Tohei took Suenaka with him on his frequent travels throughout Japan as his personal deshi, teaching aikido and lecturing and, after the day’s work was done, spending the night on the town. “We did a lot of things together,” Suenaka recalls. “We went out together, partied together, went nightclubbing together, ate together. . . . He had a lot of friends, and was a very popular person all over Japan.” In his position as chief Hombu instructor, Tohei Sensei pretty much set his own schedule, arranging his own demonstrations and lectures, departing and returning to the Hombu as he wished.

Kisshomaru Ueshiba and Suenaka Sensei, at O’Sensei’s Iwama dojo; April 1964. The figure seen in silhouette in the doorway behind them is O’Sensei.

Suenaka Sensei with Kisshomaru Ueshiba at the Aikikai Hombu; December, 1993.

Where his relationship with Tohei Sensei was close, Suenaka’s relationship with Kisshomaru Ueshiba Doshu was more formal. This was not so much a function of temperment as it was position. As the son of the Founder, Doshu was charged with the day-to-day administrative duties necessary to run the organization. Suenaka describes his relationship with Doshu as “. . . business-like. Knowing that Tohei Sensei and I were very close, and I was one of his deshi, Doshu didn’t ignore me, but he left me to Tohei Sensei’s guidance.” Still, there were many times during the years Suenaka studied at the Hombu during which he accompanied Doshu to the Aiki Jinja in Iwama to meditate and say prayers. Whenever he traveled to the Hombu, Suenaka would formally request permission to spend a few moments with Doshu, both out of respect for Doshu’s position and out of curiosity and a sincere desire to get to know him better. “He always had time to talk to me,” Suenaka says. “Of course, I would bring gifts. In Japan, you have to bring gifts . . . they bring gifts, you bring gifts. I brought real good gifts—Napoleon brandy and Henessey cognac—so they were very appreciative! But I wasn’t buying favors, and they understood that. He gave me his time, and I respect him for that. Whenever we got together, [Doshu] was such a warm person. He is reserved, but very humble, self-effacing. He is a very gracious person.”