Tag: Aikikai Hombu Dojo

Interview with Albuquerque Shin-Budo Kai Chief Instructor Ralph Bryan: Always Coming Back to Aikido

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Ralph Bryan experienced many different styles of aikido throughout his time before settling with Shizuo Imaizumi. He first started in Hawaii with Aikikai, and then with Bill Lee of Ki Society in Austin, Texas, and later with Mitsugi Saotome’s Aikido Schools of Ueshiba in Takoma Park, Maryland. He joined Shin-Budo Kai in 1994 with Wade … Continue reading Interview with Albuquerque Shin-Budo Kai Chief Instructor Ralph Bryan: Always Coming Back to Aikido

Interview with Longtime Aikidoka John Bieszk: Fumio Toyoda in the Midwest, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

John Bieszk first started judo after going through not the nicest part of Chicago. After finding some time between schooling, he arrived at the Illinois Aikido Club under Akira Tohei. After taking a leave of absence due to college work, he found Fumio Toyoda in 1980 and he never stopped. Once he earned his shodan … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Aikidoka John Bieszk: Fumio Toyoda in the Midwest, Part II

Interview with Boulder Aikikai Founder Hiroshi Ikeda: A Journey with Mitsugi Saotome

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Hiroshi Ikeda first trained judo in his high school years before finding aikido at Kokugakuin University, in 1969. There, he began studying directly under Mitsugi Saotome, and soon enrolled in his Reimei Juku Dojo the next year. When an American aikidoka (Bill McIntyre) invited Saotome to teach in Florida in 1976, Ikeda followed him to … Continue reading Interview with Boulder Aikikai Founder Hiroshi Ikeda: A Journey with Mitsugi Saotome

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

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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

Interview with Shin-Budo Kai Instructor Warren Wynshaw: Past, Present, and Future with Shizuo Imaizumi

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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 Shin-Budo Kai Instructor Warren Wynshaw: Past, Present, and Future with Shizuo Imaizumi

Interview with Aikido of San Leandro Founder Patricia Hendricks: Morihiro Saito, Iwama, and the Legacy, Part II

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Patricia Hendricks Sensei stumbled into an aikido class led by Mary Heiny in the San Francisco Bay area in 1974, quickly finding a teacher and lifelong friend in Stanley Pranin. They eventually moved to train at the Oakland Dojo – Aikido Institute – that focused on Iwama-ryu, propagated by Morihiro Saito Sensei. After a handful … Continue reading Interview with Aikido of San Leandro Founder Patricia Hendricks: Morihiro Saito, Iwama, and the Legacy, Part II