Tag: Aikido

Interview with Longtime Kokikai Aikidoka Matt Shomo: Kokikai and Shuji Maruyama’s Legacy

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With him and his brother being interested in Steven Seagal films, Matt Shomo joined the Penn State University Aikido Club shortly after his brother. There he practiced diligently until meeting Shuji Maruyama at a Winter Camp. After a surprising experience with Kokikai Aikido’s founder, Shomo had more zeal to train. Today, Shomo took some time … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Kokikai Aikidoka Matt Shomo: Kokikai and Shuji Maruyama’s Legacy

Interview with Longtime Shin Budo Kai Practitioner Warren Wynshaw: A Future of Aikido

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Inspired by his uncle, Warren Wynshaw set out to find a martial art; he did not know what martial art to do, but he was determined to find one that was for him. He found Shizuo Imaizumi in New York City while waiting for his results for the bar exam in 1977. From watching his … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Shin Budo Kai Practitioner Warren Wynshaw: A Future of Aikido

Interview with Flemington Aikido Founder Rick Goodman: Finding Shuji Maruyama and Staying True to the Essence

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Rick Goodman, a dedicated martial artist and five decades long practitioner of Kokikai Aikido, reflects on the future of the art following the changes instilled by founder Shuji Maruyama Sensei. Goodman Sensei  discusses the challenges of maintaining unity within the Kokikai community, the diverse perspectives among senior practitioners, and the importance of preserving the core … Continue reading Interview with Flemington Aikido Founder Rick Goodman: Finding Shuji Maruyama and Staying True to the Essence

Interview with Aikido Sangenkai Chief Instructor Christopher Li: A Historical Perspective of Aikido’s Future

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Aikido Sangenkai chief instructor Christopher Li began training aikido in the early 1980s under Mitsugi Saotome and Yoshimitsu Yamada, later traveling with the latter to Japan to train at Aikikai Hombu Dojo. By the 1990s, Li began to explore the internal power side of both aikido and the martial arts, ultimately affiliating with Dan Harden … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Sangenkai Chief Instructor Christopher Li: A Historical Perspective of Aikido’s Future

Interview with Aikido of Madison Founder Robin Cooper: Aikido’s Future of Leadership

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Robin Cooper started aikido in a dojo affiliated with Akira Tohei. After moving to California in the late 1970s, Cooper trained with a variety of aikidoka and schools, ranging from Frank Doran, Bob Bryner, Bob Nadeau, and Bill Witt, to LA Aikikai and Ki Society Schools. It was not until 1977 that she encountered Mitsugi … Continue reading Interview with Aikido of Madison Founder Robin Cooper: Aikido’s Future of Leadership

Interview with Aikido Center of New Castle Founder Andy Demko: Aikido’s Uniqueness and its Future

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Andy Demko began training in martial arts and combat sports while he was in high school. After seeing an aikido class at Youngstown University, he joined, eventually meeting Koichi Tohei and Yoshimitsu Yamada in the mid-1960s. He later opened his Aikido Center of New Castle in 1971. Today, Demko returns to talk about the students … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Center of New Castle Founder Andy Demko: Aikido’s Uniqueness and its Future

Interview with Boston Aikikai Founder Vu Ha: Remembering Akira Tohei and Mitsunari Kanai

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Vu Ha first started aikido seriously while at the Texas Tech Aikido Club by invitation from a friend. Ha moved to Chicago after completing his studies to further train under Akira Tohei, who regularly came to the Texan aikido club. He stayed with Tohei until the latter’s passing and after much deliberation, moved to Massachusetts … Continue reading Interview with Boston Aikikai Founder Vu Ha: Remembering Akira Tohei and Mitsunari Kanai

Interview with Granite State Aikido Club Founder Michel Hovan: Remembering Donovan Waite

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After finishing schoolwork, Michael Hovan needed an activity to do and stumbled onto aikido through an international campus in 1981. For higher education and work, Hovan relocated multiple times, training under different instructors until he moved to New Jersey and met Donovan Waite in 1994. From then on, Hovan continued to train under Waite until … Continue reading Interview with Granite State Aikido Club Founder Michel Hovan: Remembering Donovan Waite

Interview with Keystone Kokikai Aikido Founder Todd Kupper: Students of Kokikai and its Future

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Todd Kupper began aikido in the early 1990s, with Steven Seagal’s popularity reaching a high point in the United States. He did not find Seagal, but rather Shuji Maruyama, founder of Kokikai Aikido. From his teenage years till now, Kupper experienced many things under Maruyama, including a very close, almost father-son type of relationship. Today, … Continue reading Interview with Keystone Kokikai Aikido Founder Todd Kupper: Students of Kokikai and its Future

Reflecting on Kazuo Chiba’s Life in Aikido

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Klein, Liese. The Life-Giving Sword: Kazuo Chiba’s Life in Aikido. Independently published. 2019. The amount of detail was unprecedented for any one aikido shihan. Such details seemed to be reserved only for O-Sensei or any political figure outside of the martial arts. Liese Klein dove headfirst into Kazuo Chiba’s life, from his humble beginnings in … Continue reading Reflecting on Kazuo Chiba’s Life in Aikido