On July 21 of this year, the world of martial arts and Eastern philosophy sadly marked the passing of John Stevens Sensei.

Stevens Sensei was much more than an Aikido instructor; he was a scholarly interpreter, a literary bridge connecting esoteric traditions of Japan with a global audience seeking a pathway to harmony and peace.

With over forty books to his name, Stevens Sensei’s enduring impact stems largely from his ability to synthesize these disciplines, consciously writing about the philosophical and spiritual facets of Budo to create a profound body of work.

John Stevens Sensei’s books are considered indispensable for modern Aikidoka. As a scholar, he specialized in translating complex Japanese cultural concepts, like kototama and misogi, making them understandable and actionable for a global readership unfamiliar with Shinto mythology or esoteric Buddhism.

His most influential contribution remains The Art of Peace, a translation and compilation of O Sensei's teachings. This book’s reach far exceeded the traditional martial arts community, introducing millions to the philosophy of Aikido. (And, as evidenced by its appearance in The Walking Dead, will come in handy during a Zombie apocalypse.)

Stevens Sensei's articulation of Aikido as a path for lifelong physical and spiritual development and his view of the dojo as a mirror of an ideal society offers a vital antidote to stress and conflict.

To explore the continuing vitality of this legacy, I sat down with Wilbert Sluiter Sensei, a long-time student of Stevens Sensei and a torchbearer for the lineage of Stevens and his deeply revered teacher, Rinjiro Shirata Sensei.

Sluiter Sensei leads the Heiwakan Dojo in The Hague, Netherlands—a name bestowed by Stevens Sensei, meaning "Peace Hall," aptly suited for a city that hosts the International Court of Justice and embodies the philosophy of peace.

Demands on his time highlight the practical necessity of this philosophical lineage: he currently maintains a busy life as an physician and family man while dedicating his remaining energy to preserving and teaching “Classical Aikido”.

This balance underscores a central tenet of the art: true practice extends beyond the dojo mat into the chaos of daily life.

A cornerstone of Sluiter Sensei’s teaching, and the philosophy championed by John Stevens, rests on the experiences of Stevens’ own teacher, Rinjiro Shirata Sensei. Shirata Sensei began his training in the founder’s hard-style Aiki Budo, entering the Kobukan dojo in 1931 as a young man.

His path, however, was dramatically altered by historical conflict.

Shirata Sensei was drafted into the Japanese army during the Second World War. As an officer and commander, he endured terrible experiences, evidenced later by the scars of bullets and cuts he bore on his body.

This intense experience with mass death and destruction led him to harbor a deep disdain for fighting and fueled his dedication to the non-violent, spiritual core of Aikido. This background gave him a unique filter through which to receive the founder’s teachings, focusing intently on the philosophy of peace and reconciliation.

This transformation is perhaps best illustrated by Shirata Sensei’s instruction on the technique shihonage (Four Directions Throw). While many view it merely as a physical technique, Shirata Sensei interpreted it as a fundamental lesson in gratitude. He linked the technique to O Sensei’s practice of shiho hai—a morning prayer bowing in four directions—expressing thanks to one's parents, teachers, and environment.

For Shirata Sensei, having survived the horrors of war, the simple ability to practice shihonage was a profound act of thankfulness. This practice offers a powerful emotional and mental tool, as it is impossible to be fearful or depressed while genuinely summoning gratitude. This spiritual focus ensures that the practice remains a means of unification and personal transformation.

This distinctive system inherited by Sluiter Sensei is known as Classical Aikido. This system, established by Stevens Sensei with the approval of Shirata Sensei, is a deliberate effort to preserve the spiritual and philosophical vision of Aikido.

Classical Aikido operates on O Sensei’s dictum that "study and practice are the two wheels of the path". It rejects the notion of simply rote memorization of techniques. Instead, physical training should be coupled with contemplation and intellectual study of the art's deeper origins, including examining O-Sensei's calligraphy, poetry, and history. This approach embraces the founder’s three levels of the art: the manifest (physical techniques), the hidden (ki and breath power), and the divine (spiritual transformation).

The curriculum is structured around Shirata Sensei’s philosophical framework (originally six, later nine pillars) designed to make the comprehensive and sometimes overwhelming techniques of the lineage accessible to "working people who visit the dojo three times a week". These principles ensure techniques must be "true, good, and beautiful"—meaning they must be martially effective ("true"), beneficial to both partners ("good"), and aesthetically harmonious ("beautiful").

Furthermore, Classical Aikido integrates core spiritual methods, such as misogi (purification), kototama (the chanting of sacred syllables), and Chinkon Kishin (calming the spirit).

As Sluiter Sensei explains: the core principle of Classical Aikido is irimi (entering), defining it not merely as a physical movement but as a means of "becoming one" with the partner, the spouse, or the world, moving together in a grateful and unified way.

Through his dedicated work teaching and upholding the complex, spiritual, and physical curriculum of Classical Aikido—a task he performs while balancing the intense responsibilities of an emergency physician—Wilbert Sluiter Sensei is ensuring that the integrated legacy of John Stevens and Rinjiro Shirata Sensei continues to inform and enrich the lives of practitioners across the globe.

For more information, check out his FB page

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