When he first saw Fumio Toyoda lead a two-week seminar in Sofia, Bulgaria, Toshko Getov felt something inside of him that made him know that he found his teacher. Excited, Getov volunteered to Toyoda’s uke and remained his Bulgarian uke until the latter’s passing. Enamored and ultimately influenced by Toyoda’s approach to technique, teaching, martial spirit, and personal development, Getov continues to pass on the legacy of Toyoda and helps mold it for future generations with Andrew Sato. Much thanks to Regina Stoitcheva for acting as translator during the interview.
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: Thank you for joining us today, Getov Sensei!
Toshko Getov: Thank you for having me here today!
MAYTT: How did you find yourself training under Fumio Toyoda?
TG: I first met Fumio Toyoda Sensei in 1999 when I hosted a seminar in Pleven, Bulgaria, where he attended as a guest. Shortly after the seminar, I had the opportunity to take my shodan examination in front of Toyoda Sensei, which became the beginning of a much deeper connection with him. After that visit, I became Toyoda Sensei’s main point of contact and host whenever he returned to Bulgaria. During each of his visits, I had the honor of serving as his uke, allowing me to train with him and experience his aikido firsthand.
In fact, the same year Toyoda Sensei passed away, I was scheduled to travel to Chicago to become an uchi deshi at his dojo. Unfortunately, that opportunity never happened. Bad luck.
MAYTT: What were your first impressions when you saw Toyoda in 1999?
TG: Before meeting Toyoda Sensei, I had trained with other Japanese instructors, including Yoshiaki Yokota Sensei and Masatake Fujita Sensei. However, the main difference with Toyoda Sensei was his presence on the mat. He was truly the embodiment of the aikido principles that he taught. That had a very strong impression on me, and I tried to follow that line for as long as possible. Today, I continue my journey as a student of Andrew Sato Sensei.
MAYTT: You mentioned that Toyoda was essentially the embodiment of aikido principles he was teaching. How different was his aikido and his approach compared to those you had already trained with up until that point?
TG: For the first time, I saw a very well-structured way of teaching aikido. I saw how to work on the technical aspects, which are connected to the body, but also a very different way of thinking from anything I had imagined before. Through Toyoda Sensei’s teachings, I was able to understand how aikido principles could extend beyond the dojo. For the past ten years, I have been organizing and providing corporate training through a program that I co-founded, which applies aikido principles within a corporate setting.
MAYTT: How else would you describe Toyoda’s teaching style and the way he approached teaching aikido?
TG: One of the elements that stood out to me was Toyoda Sensei’s warm-up. It was structured differently from what I had known before, and it included many elements that were probably taken from aiki taiso exercises, which became key parts of his aikido practice. I discovered that those exact elements were what truly gave you the presence needed whenever you teach, whenever you train, and whenever you are on the mat.
There is also an interesting story with Toyoda Sensei. Before I was about to give a demonstration, I asked him what I should do. His answer was simple: “Take a deep breath. Sense your ki. State your name, your level, and then show people what you actually do.” That is something I continue to teach in aikido.
MAYTT: I know you had an intense time with Toyoda whenever he came for a seminar. Did you see or notice any changes or evolutions in the way Toyoda either demonstrated or taught aikido?
TG: Toyoda Sensei had a very interesting approach toward everyone who trained aikido. He said that whoever wanted to be his uke always had to have a connection with him – to show their readiness to learn and their willingness to always try to do their best. Because of this, Toyoda Sensei could select ukes who truly wanted to learn. I was fortunate because he continued to choose me as his uke many times during his visits. Through this experience, I also noticed that my techniques developed during that time. They became more practical, with a direct application. They had a strong sense of my own center, as well as an awareness of the center of my uke.
MAYTT: You bring up being uke for Toyoda multiple times. What was that experience like and what was it like being thrown by him during the entirety of the seminar?
TG: Being Toyoda Sensei’s uke allowed me to sense, feel, and experience all the details and small things that actually made the techniques work. That experience had a major impact on my own teaching style. Since then, my path has been to teach and pass forward everything I received from Toyoda Sensei to my own students. Today, I try to transmit those lessons and principles to the next generation of aikido practitioners. One of the most important things I learned from Toyoda Sensei was that every technique has to be understood through its different parts. The way he structured his teaching allowed me to understand why and how techniques work, not just how to perform them.
Another thing I learned from him was how important it is to reach each individual student and find a way to teach that is particular to that person. Toyoda Sensei was a great example of this. Even today, his photograph is placed next to the shomen in our dojo as a reminder of his influence and teachings. I have trained with many different teachers, but Toyoda Sensei remains my main example of how aikido should be taught, how classes should be structured, and how the principles of aikido should be transmitted to students.
I truly regret that I was not able to become his uchi deshi at the time. However, I am also very grateful and happy that I had the opportunity to spend so much time with him. He would come to Bulgaria twice a year and stay for two weeks, and during those visits, I was fortunate to be by his side. After our first meeting, the way I feel about it is that Toyoda Sensei chose me to be there with him, to support him and learn from him. It was a very unique opportunity, and I am grateful for everything I received from that relationship.
MAYTT: Being his uke for the entire two weeks, did you get to know Toyoda on a personal level or was it strictly aikido-based?
TG: I was very young at the time, so I couldn’t say with certainty whether there was something more personal in our relationship or whether it was strictly about aikido. What I do know is that Toyoda Sensei had a very personal effect on me. He was the one who gave our dojo its name: “Shiseikan,” meaning “to reach the truth.” He personally made the calligraphy for the shomen in our dojo, so that connection is still physically present in our training space.
Those visits, twice a year for two weeks at a time, were really great for me. It was the right time in my life to soak up as much as possible because I was very hungry for this knowledge. Even today, there are certain movements that have stayed with me from Toyoda Sensei. For example, after some techniques, I still do a little tap with my back leg. I still do it. Even today, with techniques like kokyu nage and kote gaeshi, the basic forms are very much Toyoda Sensei’s. You can still see his influence in those movements.
As far as the personal contact, maybe it was not so much about getting to know him on a personal level. But he definitely had an effect on me on a personal level. I believe that for him to change me so much as a person, there must have been something personal coming from Toyoda Sensei as well. Something that allowed this to happen and allowed him to touch me so deeply. It was from heart to heart.
MAYTT: It sounds like, to him, you had that personal connection. During those two weeks, twice-a-year seminars, how do you describe training under Toyoda?
TG: The seminars back then were different from the seminars that we host and organize today. Toyoda Sensei would always include Zen meditation, as well as lectures and shodo, or calligraphy sessions. So, it wasn’t just aikido; it was also mixed with other aspects of Japanese culture. We would be in the dojo constantly, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. A lot of people would find this difficult, but for me, it was easy. It was not hard at all.
MAYTT: With all of that, was the most memorable or impactful lesson Toyoda imparted to you, whether it was related to Aikido or not?
TG: One thing that really stayed with me was something Toyoda Sensei said about the difference between us and other people: we train, we practice, and no matter what happens, we continue. No matter what happens, we have the strength to accept it and continue our training. That idea is still in my head today. It is like “never give up,” but I think he said it in a much more poetic way.
Toyoda Sensei’s way of teaching aikido was very unique, particularly because he would always say that he was Japanese, but he had to teach in English. In the end, I got much more from him not so much through the words, but through the actual movements, techniques, and bodywork. Even though his English was not that great, I could understand Toyoda Sensei perfectly. For the first seminar, I had actually hired a translator, and the translator admitted that he could not understand much of what Toyoda Sensei was saying. But I could understand him. Whether that was simply the power of aikido or something else, I did try from the beginning to create a bridge of understanding between the two of us. Apparently, Toyoda Sensei responded to that, because our partnership continued.
When Toyoda Sensei passed away, I immediately reached out to Sato Sensei and tried to continue along this lineage of his teachings.
MAYTT: Since you are following Sato – and I do not mean any disrespect from this – how does he compare with what you experienced with Toyoda?
TG: Aikido naturally has evolved over the years. But Toyoda Sensei always showed us how the techniques were originally performed and how they had changed as aikido evolved. He would point out how a technique had changed from the original execution, so he really tried to preserve that legacy by making sure students understood how and why the techniques had evolved. In a sense, aikido is a living body that continually evolves. Even during the three years that I was training with Toyoda Sensei and the other Sensei, I could already see developments and changes in his techniques. So, it is only natural that with more time, the techniques would evolve even more. Even today, the weapons classes here at Seishikan Dojo are still being taught using Toyoda Sensei’s methodology. That is one of the ways we continue to preserve his teachings and keep his legacy alive.
MAYTT: Timeline-wise, how did Toyoda find himself teaching in Bulgaria?
TG: Toyoda Sensei was invited to Bulgaria by the Bulgarian Aikido Association in 1998. Some of the Sensei who invited him were Edward Germanov Sensei, Krassi Tsvetanov Sensei, and Plamen Yurukov Sensei. Before that, they had already had some experience with Toyoda Sensei in Chicago, and then they invited him to Bulgaria in 1998. That was his first visit to Bulgaria.
MAYTT: Going further back, how did aikido arrive in Bulgaria?
TG: Aikido actually started in Bulgaria in 1986, but at that time it was only for a small group of people because, during socialism, the socialist regime here in Bulgaria forbade it. In 1989, the socialist regime fell, and that allowed aikido to spread a little more. Germanov Sensei started training in 1990 at one of the first aikido clubs in Bulgaria, in Pleven. Georgi Yordanov Ivanov was his first Sensei. Then, in 1993 and 1994, Yokota Sensei became the first Japanese Sensei to come to Bulgaria, again in Pleven. The Bulgarian Aikido Association officially joined Aikikai in 1994 or 1995. I would have to check the old books to be certain. I still have my old books, including my first aikido passport, which is from 1991. I also have my Bulgarian Aikido Federation books.
I left the Bulgarian Aikido Federation in 1998 and joined the Bulgarian Aikido Association that same year. My first examination with Toyoda Sensei was in 1999, when I took my shodan examination. I am very grateful that I met Toyoda Sensei. I attribute everything I have now – the dojo, my way of training, and my style of aikido – to Toyoda Sensei. After Toyoda Sensei’s death, I trained again in association with Germanov Sensei, but then I switched to Sato Sensei and have been with him ever since.
Sato Sensei was the technical director of Toyoda Sensei’s organization in the early 2000s. My goal and vision had always been, first, to become an uchi deshi under Toyoda Sensei and then to have this partnership with Sato Sensei and continue the lineage. Back then, it was really hard to get a passport. I had a black stamp in my passport, and I couldn’t even get to the interview for a visa. Because of that, I had to go back to Germanov Sensei and train under him. But my vision was always to continue in the Toyoda Sensei and Sato Sensei lineage.
MAYTT: Toyoda had a large following in Eastern Europe. Why do you think he gained such a following in Eastern Europe?
TG: People in Eastern Europe are really dedicated, and they are very loyal to the person they select as their teacher. I believe that this is one of the main reasons Toyoda Sensei had such an influence there. His presence really affected and influenced people in Eastern Europe. It made people look up to him, follow him, and be inspired by him. With Toyoda Sensei, there was no going back. It was always about moving forward, and I think that was something that really resonated with Eastern Europeans. In Eastern Europe, everything is personal. That is very different from other places, particularly in Western Europe. If you show a certain attitude toward someone, you will get that back. People respond personally to what they see.
MAYTT: It sounds like it was a part of the culture and the way Toyoda treated people that resulted in a positive outcome for everybody.
TG: Exactly.
MAYTT: In 2001, Toyoda passed. What was the overall feeling with you and within the larger organization when he passed?
TG: On a personal level, Toyoda Sensei’s passing was a very, very great loss for me. In fact, I was considering stopping my aikido training altogether. I changed a lot from that point on. I decided to move to another city, Varna, where I am currently based, and start my own thing. This was all because of Toyoda Sensei’s passing. I wanted to quit, but people were actually looking for me. They were interested in my teachings, and that is what kept me in aikido.
His passing also, of course, affected the organization I was with at the time, under Germanov Sensei at Tendokan Dojo. From my perspective, they started to lose their focus. We were at our peak back then, with many dojos and many students, but after Toyoda Sensei’s passing, we could not really keep that line and that focus. Even until today, I don’t think they have been able to regain what Toyoda Sensei brought to the organization. A lot of people simply stopped training aikido within one or two years, which was a really big loss. That is why I keep saying that Toyoda Sensei’s presence and what he gave to the aikido community were unique and could not be replaced. When he was gone, a lot of people also left with his passing. In a sense, it is very similar to Sato Sensei at the moment.
MAYTT: What do you feel are Toyoda’s legacy and contributions to the wider aikido community?
TG: First of all, what I received from Toyoda Sensei was the power, strength, and presence of standing in front of a class and actually teaching. There was also a clarity to his training sessions that made a strong impression on me. I was also influenced by his attitude toward aikido as a martial art, with “martial” being with a capital “M.” There was actual contact and fighting in it; it was not just the artistic side. He brought together the purely technical part of aikido with the spirit of aikido, and I think this was what was unique about Toyoda Sensei. As much as people have tried to recreate that, it is just not possible to have the same presence as him. There is no one who can completely maintain the focus of the path that Toyoda Sensei laid out.
For Toyoda Sensei, aikido was truly a way of life. It was not just a motto. As I said earlier, he was actually the embodiment of those principles. Regardless of where he was in Europe, I am certain that Toyoda Sensei left that same impression and the same legacy behind him wherever he went.
MAYTT: Why do you feel that these contributions and this legacy are important for future and younger aikidoka to remember?
TG: Something that I notice today is that people are just going after what they see. They want to be able to do what they see as fast as possible. That is why we mentioned the McDojo effect, and this idea of wanting fast results. With the other Sensei, without hard work and without a lot of practice, it was not possible to really evolve in aikido. And it is not just the physical practice. It is also the mental practice, the way of thinking, and the spiritual practice as well. It really requires a lot of hard work and time to have the results that you can actually see in yourself. I think this is something that would be useful today and for future students to understand.
MAYTT: Is there anything else that you would like to add or expand on that you didn’t feel that we had enough time on?
TG: The only thing I would like to add is that I really feel that, in a sense, I am part of Toyoda Sensei’s legacy. Even the fact that I now train under Sato Sensei is also part of this legacy. I believe that each one of my students also carries a little bit of that legacy. This is what I believe in.
MAYTT: This had been a great conversation, Getov Sensei!
TG: I did enjoy it too.
