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 I
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
Danielle Smith began training under Stanley Pranin in 1973, eventually taking over Pranin’s Aikido of Monterey three years later. As she continued through her aikido journey, she had the opportunity to experience many different early instructors, like Frank Doran, Mary Heiny, Linda Holiday, and Motomichi Anno. She also trained in Hakko-ryu Jujutsu, Seibukan Jujutsu, and … Continue reading Interview With Aikido of Monterey Dojo-Cho Danielle Smith: Aikido in Northern California, Part II
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 