Indigenous Tomiki Aikido Alliance

02/04/2025

There’s a blowhard who’s been creating drama in our local martial arts community for decades. He claims to be a “samurai” and boasts about teaching “walking one-year-olds” and making advanced martial arts practitioners in “just a few months.” He’s also skilled at revisionist history. His latest rewrite was revealed while he bragged to his students, a group of children:

“The Japanese failed Jack Mumpower during his 3rd Dan test because they thought he was terrible at Aikido.”

What a thing to say about the teacher of one’s teacher, the man who opened the first Tomiki Aikido dojo in North America in 1960, and the source of all pre-competition-based Tomiki Aikido in North Carolina! I don’t think a guy could possibly say something more diametrically opposed to the truth. If anything, this self-styled “samurai” definitely has 9th Dan skills in the art of the bald-faced lie. He exhibited these skills years ago when he claimed this same Jack Mumpower sent him an 8th Dan certificate IN THE MAIL while Mr. Mumpower himself was only a 6th Dan (a rank awarded to him by the widowed wife of his teacher, Kenji Tomiki because, in fact, the Japanese were so impressed with his knowledge and his skill after a public demonstration at one of their seminars). When an elderly Jack Mumpower learned of this bald-faced lie being propagated on the internet, he made one phone call. Mr. 9th Dan in the art of the bald-faced lie immediately pulled the website down.

Let the record now correct this latest bit of prevarication from a man with a 9th Dan in the art of the bald-faced lie.

Jack Mumpower “failed” his 3rd Dan test, huh? Here is his 3rd Dan certificate posted below. Note the date—June 15, 1963— and the two signatures. If you are an AIkidoist worth a grain of salt, those names will immediately mean something to you. That’s a 3rd Dan straight from the source. The second image posted below is Mr. Mumpower’s 6th Dan certificate, a rank he never sought or even cared about (real martial arts masters and real “samurai” care about knowledge, not rank). It’s all in Japanese because “the Japanese thought he was terrible at Aikido,” right? Give me a break. That’s Mrs. Tomiki’s stamp on that certificate.

Now, this is where it really gets interesting. Note this self-styled “samurai’s” own 3rd Dan Test, taken during one of the early National Aikido Alliance meetings. I have the VCR camera footage from the early 1990s. That’s “Mr. Samurai Institute” in blue picking up his 3rd Dan certificate off the floor after it was awarded to him by a student of both his teacher and Mr. Jack Mumpower. That student, the first head of the NAA, was once a fellow student with Mr. Samurai Institute. Sonny Lackey, one of Jack Mumpower’s top students, was their teacher Mr. SI outranked him, but then Mr. SI left the dojo for an extended period of time. When he came back, he found himself lower in rank and very bitter about it. Notwithstanding, the more honorable of the two showed grace and respect for many years thereafter, even allowing one of the first NAA meetings to be a platform for Mr. SI to test for his 3rd Dan. Now, all these years later, bitter Mr. SI rewrites history, curses the one who showed him grace and respect he didn’t deserve, and lies to kids about Aikido’s North Carolina heritage.

The last thing this prevaricator should be doing is teaching children. But hey, don’t blame him … blame the parents. Last night, Mr. Samurai Institute sent a threatening text to one of the teachers in this dojo simply because he “liked” a facebook post. It read, “Ok, you asked for it.” We’ve heard it before. Our doors are always open during class. Anyone can walk in at any time. Needless to say, “Ok, you asked for it” won’t mean closing those doors on Thursday at 6:30pm. They will be open as they always are. If Mr. Samurai Institute wants to drop by, perhaps he will let me show him Mr. Kenji Tomiki’s own artwork bearing his own stamp. It was gifted to Mr. Jack Mumpower by Mr. Tomiki, and Mr. Mumpower many years later gifted it to our dojo. Why? Because “the Japanese thought he was terrible at Aikido,” RIGHT? Great, big, giant LOL.

Beware the 9th Dan in the Art of the Bald-Faced Lie. There are many in today’s martial arts culture.

08/22/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI93ojrCX9M

06/30/2023

Back in August of 1960, Jack Mumpower became the first American ever promoted to the rank of Nidan in Tomiki Aikido by Mr. Tomiki himself. At that time, Mr. Mumpower was told by Kenji Tomiki out of his own mouth that he henceforth possessed the authority to promote UP TO HIS RANK in the art. To this day, Jack Mumpower honors his teacher, teaching exactly as he had been taught (apart from the corrupting influences of competition), and following instructions that he was given more than 60 years ago.

Congratulations to Sensei Mike Arney who was recently promoted by Mr. Mumpower himself up to his own rank of 6th Dan. What a testimony of humility and loyalty to one’s teacher in this humble act of recognition where recognition was due. Humility and loyalty have become nearly extinct in martial arts circles these days. God bless Jack Mumpower for passing the torch to one truly deserving. I have worked with many martial artists and Aikido practitioners over the years. Aside from Jack Mumpower himself, Mike Arney is hands down the BEST. He has learned and taught well what he himself has been taught, passing it on to others untarnished.

I am honored to call both Jack and Mike teachers and, more importantly, FRIENDS. God bless them both.

-Jesse Boyd

10/12/2021

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Jack Mumpower's faithful wife of many years. Mrs. Meg was born in Japan of a Japanese Christian heritage with an incredible story. Her father was a pastor whose church and orphanage were the only buildings in her hometown that survived Allied bombings during WWII. Her family was very instrumental helping survivors during this time, so much so that the Emperor of Japan actually visited their Christian home after the War to offer his personal gratitude.

Jack met his bride in Japan while serving with the United States Air Force at the Fu Chu Air Station, the same time he started training personally with Mr. Tomiki and Mr. Ohba. The Mumpowers were married for more than 60 years.

Meg was more than just Jack's wife. Her parents were aquaintances of the Tomiki family, and she herself proved a great friend of Tomiki Aikido over many years, one who faithfully stood by and supported her husband in his efforts to bring to the United States and preserve what he had been taught personally by Mr. Tomiki and Mr. Ohba. Meg was very knowledgable and a wealth of information concerning Tomiki Aikido's history and its roots. I will never forget the hours upon hours that Sensei Michael Arney and myself spent sitting around her kitchen table talking martial arts and Aikido principle with Sensei Mumpower. Mrs. Meg was always actively involved in those conversations, and her words often gave us pause.

She will be greatly missed. Please pray for Sensei Jack Mumpower and his family during this time of great loss.

This photo was taken in the Mumpower home back in 2017. Mrs. Meg prepared an incredible Japanese meal for Sensei Mike Arney and me, and some of our black belts. That was a special night.

While Mr. Jack is and will always be our Aikido sensei. Mrs. Meg was our friend.

11/28/2020

This fake link is making its rounds on Facebook regarding martial arts classes in North Carolina. As one of the leading instructors in the ITAA, my response is three-fold. #1 LOL #2 Whoever wrote or forwarded this garbage ain't the boss of me or my dojo. #3 NO THANKS.

Our classes will continue as normal as they have from Day 1 of this ridiculous pandemic where the mortality rate is less than 1%. Masks, social distancing, and lockdowns obviously don't work or we wouldn't be going through this crap all over again. This past Tuesday night, we had 13 students, no masks, and no social distancing. That will continue 2-3 nights a week going forward. We are students of MARTIAL ARTS not dabblers in sport aikido addicted to fear po*******hy. Each dojo needs to make its own decision based upon the will of its instructors and students. And no dojo is under the authority of anyone like the fool sending this stuff around Facebook. And hey, if you are a local martial arts instructor who doesn't like my take on this: don't be a pansy tattle-tale, come on over to my dojo like a man and let's talk about it. I tell you what, if you think I should be wearing a mask, I'll put one on . . . IF, a big IF Mr. Sensei . . . IF you can put it on me, I'll wear it and make my students do the same.

If you want a good laugh, read what follows (the link doesn't even work, LOL). And to whoever wrote it, please, for the sake of your students, learn how to write and how to spell and punctuate properly. Also please RETIRE . . . hang up that big Size 10 belt for the last time.

"Okay Instructors in North Carolina, I just talked to the DOH about our present phase of covid we are in. Bad news is....NO SPARRING or any contact with a partner. NO GRAPPLING OR GROUNDWORK. SOCIAL DISTANCING MUST BE ADHERED TO. Mask is to be worn. limits on how many you can have in your dojo at any time. Limits are based on square footage and occupancy. You can get further info on the DOH website.
Let's all try to get this pandemic under control so that we all can go back to living our normal lives. This can only be done if everyone does their part to stop the spread!!!!!"

NOPE.

07/31/2020

07/28/2020

It was a true honor to have Jack Mumpower, Eddie Mumpower, and Sonny Lackey show up at our dojo unannounced last night. Jack Mumpower taught class, and we had a great time of fellowship, just like the old days of Tomiki Aikido in North Carolina. Sonny Lackey and Mike Arney hold the highest ranks ever awarded by Mr. Mumpower, 5th Dan . . . and Mr. Lackey's Godan certificate was signed by Tomiki himself. Thanks, Mike Arney, for setting all this up last night and for keeping it a surprise.

As for Jack Mumpower, he has been teaching the same exact principles and the 15 Basics he was taught by Mr. Tomiki and Mr. Ohba for 60 years! He continues to teach what he learned at Fu Chu Air Station (not Waseda University) in the late 1950's, the indigenous aikido that preceded WWII and predated the styles deviation into formal competition. He is a martial arts treasure right here in the Carolinas, and we are honored to call him our teacher, our "O-Sensei."

03/01/2020

Great Aikido demo conducted by Sensei Michael Arney yesterday at Open Door Baptist Church in Longview, NC. Following Jack Mumpower’s model for a demonstration of how real aikido works, we didn’t bore the audience with a bunch of yammering, katas, sets, or pre-planned techniques. We just attacked each other with real attacks and used aikido to defend ourselves, it’s that simple. Then, Mr. Arney explained and showed some simple basic PRINCIPLES (not just techniques) that anyone can do or understand. It was a good time.

02/25/2020

Be careful with what you read out there concerning Tomiki Aikido and its history. As with other martial arts histories bereft of much official documentation, there is a lot of FAKE NEWS and false claims made to prop up one's credentials and the "authority" people think follows from that. And, its almost comical how most of these claims only come out after a patriarch is dead so that they cannot be challenged. Moreover, they rely heavily upon the cult mentality and ignorance of students who just believe what they are told and don't have the drive or the capacity to test or research things for themselves.

There is a local Aikido "master" here in North Carolina who used to claim that he had personally trained with Jack Mumpower and that he promoted him to 8th Dan with a certificate that was sent in the mail. This was even published on his dojo website, and there was an actual certificate. No one questioned it, even though Mr. Mumpower himself never accepted anything higher than the 6th Dan awarded by Tomiki's wife after Mr. Tomiki died, and the claim was generally accepted. A 6th Dan promoted someone to an 8th Dan? Sure, that makes sense, right? Unfortunately for this lying fool, Mr. Mumpower was alive and not afflicted with Alzheimer's as this ridiculous site claimed. He eventually discovered this perpetrated lie, for, though advanced in age, he was quite adept at utilizing and researching the worldwide web. With a simple phone call, the false 8th Dan claim immediately came down. Of course, in the true spirit of "a legend in one's own mind," this guy went right out and replaced his fake 8th Dan with a 10th Dan awarded by his students. And now, he fancies himself the ultimate Aikido authority in North Carolina. LOL. Such is the world of modern martial arts, 90% of which is a joke.

There is another fake news story peddled out there concerning Mr. Tomiki and who was supposedly first promoted by him with an English certificate and commissioned to teach here in the United States.

On the Tomiki Aikido of the Americas website (tomiki.org), there is a published interview with Bob Dziubla, the President of this organization. In this interview article by Erik Divietro (posted December 1, 2017) , Mr. Dziubla claims:

"Tomiki Sensei was my first true Aikido Sensei, and he was amazing . . . At the end of my first stay at Waseda in 1971, he took me out to dinner at the Waseda University Faculty Club, where he gave me my very first black belt . . . As he gave it to me he said, 'When you go back to America, please teach and spread Tomiki Aikido as much as you can because we Japanese are not very good dealing with foreigners.' I was deeply touched by that adjuration, and I still try to fulfill it! It took a year for me to receive my certificate because Tomiki Sensei had not, he explained, previously awarded any black belt certificate in English, so it took him a while to develop the wording and format. We use that to this very day as the model for our TAA black belt certificates."

Ok, so let me get this straight. Mr. Tomiki "explained" to someone in 1972 that he had never awarded a black belt certificate in English and that he needed a year or so to figure out how to translate and word it. The obvious implications, though not expressly stated, are that Mr. Tomiki wasn't very good at writing English and that Mr. Dziubla was the first American to be promoted to black belt and commissioned to teach Tomiki Aikido back in the States.

Succinctly stated, both implications are false. And, I dare say, Mr. Tomiki never "explained" those things in 1971 or 1972. I have in my possession a copy of a manual written by Mr. Tomiki in English ("Beginner's Aikido, How to Learn 15 Basic Techniques") and handed to Jack Mumpower at Fu Chu Air Station in Japan when he started training under Mr. Tomiki and Mr. Ohba around 1957. Mr. Tomiki's English was very good. Secondly, an English black belt certificate was awarded to Mr. Mumpower on December 15, 1959, 12 years before Mr. Dzibula claims he was the recipient of the first Tomiki Aikido certificate in English. I have posted a copy of the 1959 certificate below. An English 2nd Dan certificate was presented to Mr. Mumpower on August 17th, 1960 and an English 3rd Dan followed on June 15, 1963 . . . all long before 1971! Moreover, Mr. Mumpower started teaching Tomiki Aikido in Charlotte, NC in 1960 and would have students who received English Aikido certificates with Mr. Tomiki's signature before 1971. Some of these worked for the North Carolina Highway Patrol in the troop commanded by my grandfather.

So, I am forced to draw one of two conclusions. Mr. Tomiki's explanation to Mr. Dziubla in 1971 or 1972 was a lying excuse, though it would not have benefited him in the least. Or, this story was completely made up.

Recorded history, from time immemorial, is riddled with holes and gaps, but these holes and gaps can often be filled with a trustworthy shovel, an understanding of human nature. People are pretty predictable, and human nature never changes. And as it says in Proverbs 20:6: "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?" I can prove Mr. Tomiki awarded English black belt certificates long before 1972 (see below). Can I prove Mr. Tomiki didn't "explain" such things to Mr. Dziubla in 1971 or 1972? No, I cannot. But human nature is a pretty good indication that this, like the 8th Dan claim mentioned above, is FAKE NEWS.

Jack Mumpower is and always will be the first to have taught indigenous Tomiki Aikido (not the post-WWII sport aikido) in North America, and he was the first American ever awarded the rank of 2nd Dan by Mr. Tomiki. He still teaches today exactly what he was taught in the 1950s, and he has never pursued rank above the 6th Dan he reluctantly accepted from Mr. Tomiki's wife following his teacher's death. Moreover, he would never even think about accepting a "promotion" from his students. He doesn't need rank, accolades, or legends to prove something about himself or to his students. He simply believes what he was taught, teaches it exactly like he was taught, and can easily prove it works both on the mat and on the street. Sadly, authentic Sensei like this are nearly extinct.

As for me, the author of this post, I'm not interested in debating any of the above. Save your facebook banter for someone who cares. I stand by the words of this discourse.

02/18/2020

I have attended many aikido classes and seminars under many different instructors, and Sensei Mike Arney is hands down the best Tomiki Aikido instructor I have ever worked with, second only to Jack Mumpower. I don't come away from a single class without learning something. Thank you, Mr. Arney. I am honored to be your highest ranking student. Your Monday night classes are at a level that Catawba County, North Carolina hasn't seen since the days that Mr. Mumpower was traveling up and teaching here. That was decades ago.

You are the best aikido student Jack ever had, and you and Jack are the best aikido teachers with whom I have ever had the privilege of personal training.

-Jesse Boyd, Sandan

Great class last night, by the way.

02/13/2020

Training with the best, Jack Mumpower, at his kitchen table.

10/15/2019

Congratulations to ITAA President Mike Arney who was promoted to 5th Dan by Jack Mumpower back in August. And this congratulatory statement is only two months late because said promotion WAS NOT announced, boasted about, or shared openly, subtle proof that unlike most Aikido dan promotions these days, there was nothing political about it. This matter was only just discovered, and therefore worth noting. Sensei Jack Mumpower, a student of Kenji Tomiki and Hideo Ohba, has been teaching indigenous Tomiki Aikido for sixty years, and anyone who has worked with him knows that Mr. Mumpower NEVER does certain things. He NEVER plays politics. He NEVER gives away belts. And he NEVER promotes to a rank where the skill and knowledge doesn't match the same level that was expected when he was a student at Fu Chu Air Station in Japan in 1959. Over a long and storied 60-year career of teaching Aikido, Mr. Mumpower has only ever promoted one other individual to the rank of Godan. And of all the high-ranks that currently float around Western North Carolina, none of them came from the source. Mr. Arney now stands in rare company. He teaches a class on Monday nights at Catawba Valley Martial Arts in downtown Hickory from 6:30-8:30pm. Serious students and those willing to empty their cups are always welcome.

Mr. Arney's promotion is a promotion for all who train with and learn from him, and it's a real blessing to all of us in the ITAA. Again, congratulations, sir, on what was earned and well-deserved.