Itsuo Tsuda (津田 逸夫, Tsuda Itsuo, 3 May 1914 – 10 March 1984)[1] was a Japanese philosopher and a practitioner and teacher of aikido and Seitai.
Tsuda was born in Japanese-ruled Korea.[1] When he was 16 years old, he defied his father, who wished for his eldest son to remain home and manage his family's estate. He left his family home and begin wandering, searching for new philosophies that would free his mind.[2]
In 1970 Itsuo Tsuda came back to Europe to disseminate the regenerative movement (or katsugen undō 活元運動, かつげんうんどう, a basic Seitai practice) and his ideas on Ki. In 1973 he published his first book, "Le Non-Faire"[3] while waiting to open his first dōjō, in Paris, L'Ecole de la Respiration (also the title of his series of books).
He died in Paris in 1984, but his practical philosophy is left in his work and his books and taught in several European "School of Breathing" dōjōs.
^Paris: Courrier du Livre; Translation: "Not Doing". Sum. ISBN2-88063-007-X. Out of print; Italian Translation: "Il Non-Fare. Scuola della Respirazione". Milano, Luni Editrice, 2003; ISBN88-7435-023-6
École Itsuo Tsuda, dōjō in France: Paris, Toulouse, Le Mas d'Azil; in Italy: Milano and Ancona; in the Netherlands: Amsterdam.
Itsuo Tsuda on YouTube, video of Tsuda explaining his teaching followed by an Aikido demonstration: Tsuda's "pratique solitaire" (breathing practices including funa-kogi undo 船漕ぎ運動 ふなこぎうんどう), kiai and randori.
Maître Tsuda.wmv on YouTube, includes photos of Tsuda with Aikido founder Ueshiba and Seitai founder Noguchi.