Month: February 2023

Interview with Aikido of Kohala Founders Rikko and Kristina Varjan: Aikido, Hawaii, and Kazuo Chiba Legacy, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Kristina Varjan found aikido after watching Koichi Tohei Sensei at a Manhattan high school while Rikko assumed the role as uke during his first-ever aikido demonstration. By the late 1980s, they found Kazuo Chiba Sensei, and enrolled in his Kenshusei teacher program. After four intensive years of aikido, iaido, and zazen, the couple emerged as … Continue reading Interview with Aikido of Kohala Founders Rikko and Kristina Varjan: Aikido, Hawaii, and Kazuo Chiba Legacy, Part II

Interview with Aikido of Kohala Founders Rikko and Kristina Varjan: Aikido, Hawaii, and Kazuo Chiba Legacy, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Kristina Varjan found aikido after watching Koichi Tohei Sensei at a Manhattan high school while Rikko assumed the role as uke during his first-ever aikido demonstration. By the late 1980s, they found Kazuo Chiba Sensei, and enrolled in his Kenshusei teacher program. After four intensive years of aikido, iaido, and zazen, the couple emerged as … Continue reading Interview with Aikido of Kohala Founders Rikko and Kristina Varjan: Aikido, Hawaii, and Kazuo Chiba Legacy, Part I

Interview with Olympic Judo Coach Willy Cahill: A Career in Review

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Born in 1935 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Willy Cahill’s mother, Abbie, started him in judo at five years old, under his father, John Cahill’s, tutelage. Willy’s family moved to South San Francisco, California in 1947, opening a judo dojo there in 1948. After John Cahill’s death in 1962, the dojo moved to San Bruno, CA, in … Continue reading Interview with Olympic Judo Coach Willy Cahill: A Career in Review

Interview with Ken-Zen Founder and Kenshi Daniel Ebihara: The Beginning of the Journey

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Daniel Ebihara first started kendo while he was a youngster in Japan but did not show much interest in it until he moved to New York and sparred a European fencer at a party. Spurred by his new friend and student, Ebihara searched for a certified kendo instructor, finding a Buddhist minister Rev. Shunshin Kan … Continue reading Interview with Ken-Zen Founder and Kenshi Daniel Ebihara: The Beginning of the Journey

Interview with Shin-Budo Kai Instructor Andrew Bordwin: Shizuo Imaizumi and Beyond

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Because of a friend’s recommendation, Andrew Bordwin entered Shizuo Imaizumi’s dojo in November of 1990 and was immediately captivated. In addition to Imaizumi’s vigorous aikido instruction, Bordwin was drawn to Imaizumi’s emphasis on weapons. Today, Bordwin took some time to talk about his aikido journey, how Shin-Budo Kai interacts with other aikido styles, and the … Continue reading Interview with Shin-Budo Kai Instructor Andrew Bordwin: Shizuo Imaizumi and Beyond

Interview with Mushinkan Dojo Founder Mark Uchida: Training with Giants, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Mark Uchida first saw Chūshingura when he was a child and was immediately hooked on Japanese swordsmanship. Unfortunately, he never really found a place to train until 1973. From there, he dived deeply into both kendo and iaido, which he started learning a year after kendo. He would later become the first head of the … Continue reading Interview with Mushinkan Dojo Founder Mark Uchida: Training with Giants, Part II

Interview with Mushinkan Dojo Founder Mark Uchida: Training with Giants, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Mark Uchida first saw Chūshingura when he was a child and was immediately hooked on Japanese swordsmanship. Unfortunately, he never really found a place to train until 1973. From there, he dived deeply into both kendo and iaido, which he started learning a year after kendo. He would later become the first head of the … Continue reading Interview with Mushinkan Dojo Founder Mark Uchida: Training with Giants, Part I

Interview with Retired HEMAist Michael Edelson: HEMA in the Northeast, Part II

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Michael Edelson began studying Yagyu Shinkage-ryu in the early 1990s and happened onto historical fencing by chance. From there, he bought himself a fight book, gathered some friends together, and started figuring out what the historical sources said to do. In 2005, Edelson established his New York Historical Fencing Association. Becoming friends with influential personality … Continue reading Interview with Retired HEMAist Michael Edelson: HEMA in the Northeast, Part II

Interview with Retired HEMAist Michael Edelson: HEMA in the Northeast, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Michael Edelson began studying Yagyu Shinkage-ryu in the early 1990s and happened onto historical fencing by chance. From there, he bought himself a fight book, gathered some friends together, and started figuring out what the historical sources said to do. In 2005, Edelson established his New York Historical Fencing Association. Becoming friends with influential personality … Continue reading Interview with Retired HEMAist Michael Edelson: HEMA in the Northeast, Part I

Interview with Hawaiian Ki-Aikidoka Christopher Curtis: Ki and Shinichi Suzuki in Hawaii

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Christopher Curtis first encountered aikido through a meeting with Yoshimitsu Yamada as part of a theatre group. Later, when participating in a three-year meditation retreat, he found his lifelong instructor Shinichi Suzuki and quickly joined the Maui Aikido Dojo. Staying with Suzuki, Curtis had the opportunity to train in Japan at the Ki-Aikido/Ki Society Hombu … Continue reading Interview with Hawaiian Ki-Aikidoka Christopher Curtis: Ki and Shinichi Suzuki in Hawaii