​Sueyoshi Akeshi

Sueyoshi Akeshi 

Yamabushi and Warrior Monk

Japan is a land filled with tradition and ancient cultures. The martial arts of Japan are no different except that there is one martial arts master that is far and distant from the others. His name is Sueyoshi Akeshi.

Master Sueyoshi Akeshi is the head master of Raku Yu Kai Iaido. He is also skilled in Naginata (halbred), Yari (spear), Kenjitsu (sword Fighting), Jo Jitsu (48” staff), shuriken and several other samurai arts. He has also practiced Tai Ki Ken a Japanese form of self defense.

When we asked Master Sueyoshi how he felt about the katas in martial arts he profoundly said that he believes 99% of katas in Japanese arts are useless at best. He does not conform to traditional teachings of the martial arts yet he is also a Tendai monk who has the rank of Gon Rishi and in Shingun Buddism he is a monk who has earned the title of Ajari which translates to a Monk who has been enlightened. He is also a Shugendo monk. In his training he has been tested in many ways including living in a hole in the ground 4’x4’x8’ for 10 days without food, starring into a fire for 7 days non stop and repeating the same mantra non stop for 21 days only taking time for bathroom and food. These rare types of monks are called Yama Bushi which has been miss interrupted by many as mountain samurai when it actually means a monk who does his training in the forest or out of doors. He said his training in Buddism consisted of several different stints at the main temple for Shingun Buddism.

It was during his stay in the hole that he reached satori or enlightenment as he nearly went crazy he said and he now understands what pure energy is, although he nearly died from heart palpitations and could barely breathe before he was taken out of the whole.

Back to his martial arts though, he was a student of the various arts of the samurai under Kono Yoshinori and as well he received some training by the famous founder of Tai Ki Ken master Sawai Ken’ichi who was legendary for his technical skills that he learnt in China under Wang Xiang Zhay.

His honbu dojo is in Tokyo Japan and although he still lives in Tokyo he is a world traveller as has visited and taught in over 20 different countries his martial arts and Buddism. When we asked him why he was in Los Angeles and he told us that he wants to try and break into the film industry so that he can propagate both his Buddism and martial arts. Hopefully one day having a temple in the USA. He presently has students in Portugal, Spain, Norway, Austria, Brazil, England and here in the USA he is the personal sword instructor for Dave Lee Roth of Van Halen fame.

His passions in life though are three fold 1. Is his love of Buddism, 2 is his love of martial arts and 3 is his love of falconry. He owns 2 rare birds a Golden Eagle and a Barn Owl plus in his apartment in Tokyo he also has a ferret that he admits lives in hell. Although the ferrot has never been attacked by the two birds of prey.

His skill with the katana is unequaled for speed and uniqueness as he demonstrates his techniques at lightening speed and it is sometimes difficult to understand how they can be of any value until you see him do them in slow motion against an attacked and then the practicality of the moves becomes self evident to all. His favorite techniques are his Ina Zuma which translates to lightening draw simulating lightening when it strikes. He is also partial to Gun Dari which translates to the Kundalini draw. He learnt these from his Iaido teacher close to 30 years ago.

Sueyoshi Sensei as he prefers to be called, believes that the physic powers that he was taught while in his training to become a professional monk have helped him in his martial arts and vice a versa as the repetition of the mantras purpose is to wake up the hidden energy we all have within us. By doing martial arts and or the mantras we are able to relax completely so that this life force or energy can flow freely through out our entire body.

When we asked him as a Buddhist monk why was the Lotus flower the symbol of enlightenment he said that in life we as human beings must go thru all kinds of difficulties and in the end we will hopefully become better people because of these trials and tribulations. This is similar to the lotus flower which grows in a pond filled with bad water and in terrible conditions. It ends up as a beautiful flower that beautifies the world.

The author of 4 books and ove 20 DVDs on martial arts he is continuing to demonstrate and teach his art forms around the world but never forgetting to make his regular pilgrimage to Kinpusenji temple each year where he makes his trek back into the Japanese mountains to Nachi Seigantoji temple. This year only 6 dared to do the walk that has been going on sense 1200 and only three were able to complete the entire distance of about 124 kilometers thru some of the most treacherous terrain in Japan some days only being able to travel 15 or 16 kilometers and then other days as much as 30 kilometers.

In summary it is obvious that Sueyoshi Akeshi is a true man of contrast as he is able to walk that fine line between Japanese way and the Western way of life and can move freely between the two back and forth and in and out in the true steps of a master of Buddhism and a master of martial arts.