This interview was conducted in April 2026. The questions were prepared by Ladislav Kořan. Special thanks go to Michelangelo Oscari Sensei, the son of Giorgio Oscari Sensei, who arranged, transcribed, and translated the interview.
How did you learn about aikido? Who was your first teacher? Could you tell us a little about him?
Giorgio Oscari: I started practicing aikido in Turin in 1968 (I was living there and became interested in martial arts practice).
My first teacher was Gramendola, and at that time he was a 2nd dan black belt. He followed Japanese masters who were part of the Aikikai of Italy.
Could you tell us a little about Motokage Kawamukai Sensei?
Mr. Kawamukai was the first to officially bring aikido to Italy and the first to teach it professionally, but he was also an industrialist and entrepreneur. So he practiced aikido when he had time.
Which Sensei had the most significant influence on you when you started practicing aikido?
Initially, I attended many seminars with Tamura, Kawamukai, (Hirokazu) Kobayashi, and finally I followed Master Saito.
When did you first meet Takeji Tomita Sensei? Did you attend his seminars often? Do you still see him sometimes?
Tomita came to Italy to accompany Master Saito.
Tomita lived in Sweden and was the first student of Master Saito. When Saito came to Italy for the first time in 1984, he asked Tomita to be his partner during seminars… and that’s when I met Master Tomita in Turin in 1984. I collaborated with Master Tomita from 1984 until around the 1990s. I haven’t seen him for a long time.
When did you first meet Saito Sensei? What made him so special to you?
Every high-level master has their own charisma.
For me, Master Saito was unique.
Was it difficult to convince Tomita Sensei to recommend you for the Uchi-deshi program with Saito Sensei?
It happened naturally. Tomita and I got along well, there was mutual respect, and for him it was normal to introduce me to Master Saito.
After an hour of discussion with Master Saito, Tomita, and Stanley Pranin, I had the opportunity to be admitted to Iwama.
In what year did you first travel to Japan, and could you describe your early experiences there?
My first trip to Japan was on December 4, 1986. That experience is impossible to describe in a few words for an interview… it would take a whole book.
Did you register in the student registry at that time? If so, who owns that registry now?
Everyone who went to Iwama signed a register kept by Master Saito. I don’t know who has that register now.
Who were the Uchi-deshi at that time, and could you tell us a little about each of them?
At that time, the Uchi-deshi I socialized with the most were Wolfgang (Baumgartner), Mic Marelli, Carlos Nogueira, Pat Hendricks, and Philippe Voarino.
Could you describe a typical day in the life of an Uchi-deshi?
There was a one-hour difference between summer and winter. In winter we woke up at 6:30 and trained at 7. In summer we woke up at 5:30 and trained at 6. There were two keiko sessions per day, one in the morning and one in the evening at 7 PM.
Do you have any funny stories from your time as an Uchi-deshi?
There are so many stories that they cannot be written in an interview.
Was Hitohiro Saito Sensei training in Iwama at that time?
Hitohiro trained with us every day, every morning and every evening.
Did Saito Sensei’s aikido change while you were training under him?
Aikido taijutsu did not change, but in weapons, as he refined the ken tai jo program, he modified some movements over the years… only small details. Over 15 years, he changed a few movements.
It is said that Saito Sensei focused primarily on Tanren and rarely taught Ki no nagare. Is that true?
Partly it’s true, because he saw that many teachers who taught too much ki no nagare had personalized aikido too much. He wanted aikido to remain very traditional, so his aikido was mainly basic aikido with more focus on kihon.
Is it true that training always included kiai?
Sometimes it’s enough the breathing.. the kiai need to be learned.
Did the Ueshiba family and the Hombu Dojo instructors attend the Aiki-jinja Taisai? Did Rinjiro Shirata Sensei come there? If so, do you have any special memories of him?
All the most important Aikikai masters came on the last weekend of the month for the Taisai. I don’t have particular memories of Shirata; high-ranking masters did not speak with everyone.
Was Saito Sensei in contact with other students of O-Sensei outside of Iwama? Was there anyone with whom he was in close contact?
Master Saito knew all of O-Sensei’s students, of course. He maintained friendly and respectful relationships with all of them.
Around March, students from Hirosaki, Tohoku, Tokushima, Iwate, and other universities traveled to Iwama for the Gasshuku training camp. Did the Uchi-deshi participate in the lessons during these Gasshuku alongside the university students?
We were very happy because we trained five times a day instead of two, and we could practice with them.
Did Saito Sensei talk about Tohei Sensei?
He said it was very difficult to apply yonkyo on him because he had very strong arms. He was a very important chief instructor and belonged to the generation before Saito.
Did Shoji Nishio Sensei ever visit Saito Sensei? I don’t mean specifically for training sessions, but whether they met in Iwama.
I never saw him, but I think I met him at Master Saito’s funeral.
It is said that Gozo Shioda Sensei asked Saito Sensei to take over Yoshinkan after him. Did Shioda Sensei ever visit while you were there?
No, I don’t know, I don’t think so.
Did Saito Sensei talk about the philosophy of aikido?
Saito didn’t talk much about philosophy. He only trained you in what he considered correct and simply told you “this is correct” or “this is wrong.”
Were there any other instructors teaching in Iwama at that time besides Morihiro Saito Sensei?
No, if Saito had commitments or was ill, he was replaced by his son or by the highest-ranking person present in the dojo.
Could you tell us when Saito Sensei introduced the Mokuroku system?
Regarding the introduction of Mokuroku , I don’t remember the specific date of the introduction.. I think he started from 87-88 ..
Could you describe Saito Sensei’s Mokuroku system in detail?
I believe Master Saito feared that all the material studied over time might gradually be lost, so he tried to codify the entire bukiwaza program within the mokuroku to preserve it. His goal was not to lose this technical value.
Did Saito Sensei teach Ganseki-otoshi?
Dangerous techniques were forbidden in the dojo.
Are there any Kuden you remember that you could share with us?
All of Saito’s teaching was kuden… there are too many to list here.
Saito Sensei must have often spoken about O-Sensei. Do you remember any stories?
I saw Master Saito speak about O-Sensei several times; sometimes he would become emotional.
If I’m not mistaken, after Morihiro Saito Sensei’s death, his students largely split into three different groups. The first were those who remained in the Aikikai. The second group consisted of those who joined Hitohiro Saito Sensei in his organization, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai. And the third group consisted of those who joined Takemusu Aiki, Inc., under the leadership of Saburo Takeyasu Sensei. Did this cause any confusion or disputes, or did everything go smoothly?
I don’t think that interpretation is correct.
Everyone chose the path they could choose.
Sensei, do you have any previously unpublished photographs of Saito Sensei? If so, would you be willing to provide scans of them for the Aiki-wiki archive?
The photos are online.
Kisshomaru Doshu is said to have profoundly transformed O-Sensei’s aikido. What do you think about that?
I think that over time all martial arts have changed compared to their origins, and aikido too, due to its spread, has undergone small transformations.
We have an interview with Philippe Voarino Sensei on Aiki-wiki. If I’m not mistaken, you took the 5th-grade Buki-waza Mokuroku exam together. Are you still in touch?
In August 1991 we took the mokuroku test together.
We remained friends on a personal level but followed two different paths.
Do you use only Saito Sensei’s buki-waza system, or do you sometimes incorporate techniques you learned earlier, for example from Tada Sensei or Kobayashi Sensei?
No, I use only the buki-waza of Morihiro Saito.
Do you feel that aikido is moving in the right direction?
Like everything, it is evolving—only time will tell.