Tag: MMA

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

~ Antonio Aloia ~ 1 Comment

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 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

Interview with Siskiyou Aikikai Founder Darrell Bluhm: Aikido, Kazuo Chiba, and the Future, Part III

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Darrell Bluhm found aikido and started learning the art in 1970 while in college. Very enamored with aikido, after graduating in 1973 he traveled to Japan where he trained from June through August primarily in Iwama with Morihiro Saito Sensei, with visits to Hombu Dojo and to Shingu with Michio Hikitsuchi Sensei. When he returned … Continue reading Interview with Siskiyou Aikikai Founder Darrell Bluhm: Aikido, Kazuo Chiba, and the Future, Part III

Interview with North County Aikikai Founder Coryl Crane: Kazuo Chiba and Changes in Aikido

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Coryl Crane was first introduced to aikido through Tai Chi, beginning her training with Ki Society. By 1981, she heard of Kazuo Chiba’s arrival in San Diego and decided to see what the commotion was all about. She never looked back afterwards. Ten years later, she opened her own dojo, North County Aikikai and has … Continue reading Interview with North County Aikikai Founder Coryl Crane: Kazuo Chiba and Changes in Aikido

Interview with Longtime Ki-Aikido Joe DeCapua: Ki-Aikido Curriculums

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Joe DeCapua’s introduction to aikido was in the mid-1970s, watching an old, black and white film of Morihei Ueshiba. It was not until he relocated to Maryland, near Washington, D.C., that he attended his first aikido class in 1982. The class was part of the Eastern Ki Society, one of the groups belonging to Shin … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Ki-Aikido Joe DeCapua: Ki-Aikido Curriculums

Interview with Longtime Ninjutsu Practitioner Jeffery Prather: From Special Forces to Everyday Life

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Jeffery Prather first began karate before finding ninjutsu from the Bujinkan. After earning a shodan in karate and an epic fight later, Prather found ninjutsu and started to study under Stephen Hayes, traveling long distances to learn this new art. When Hayes brought over Masaaki Hatsumi from Japan, Prather’s interest soared. Staying under the tutelage … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Ninjutsu Practitioner Jeffery Prather: From Special Forces to Everyday Life

Interview with Aikido Author Liese Klein: Aikido’s Strengths and Weaknesses, Part II

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Liese Klein first stepped onto the mat after one of her friends cajoled her to tag along in 1989. She liked Aikido enough that she found a dojo when she moved to Florida. She then spent the better part of her Aikido career training with Kazuo Chiba and moved to Japan to train at Hombu … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Author Liese Klein: Aikido’s Strengths and Weaknesses, Part II

Interview with Tenshin Aikidoka John Araujo: The Balance Between Tenshin and Traditional

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After starting Shotokan Karate and judo at a young age, John Araujo found aikido, feeling that it was time to explore this new art. He trained in traditional aikido for a decade until he sought out something more. Araujo searched and found Luis Santos in Florida. After participating in a grueling initiation and relearning process, … Continue reading Interview with Tenshin Aikidoka John Araujo: The Balance Between Tenshin and Traditional

Interview with Granite Forest Dojo Founder Bruce Costa: The Impact of Karate Training, Part I

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Bruce Costa began training in Shotokan Karate under Teruyuki Okazaki in 1980 while at Temple University. What made him stay was the depth of content as represented by Okazaki himself, as opposed to what Costa had seen in popular culture.  Since then, he opened Granite Forest Dojo in 2002 and has been a consistent and … Continue reading Interview with Granite Forest Dojo Founder Bruce Costa: The Impact of Karate Training, Part I

Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Corky Quakenbush: Intention, Performance, and Takemusu Aiki, Part II

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Corky Quakenbush first saw aikido when he was learning how to fence and hoped to see the demonstration again the next week, but to no avail. He then saw the art again while in Los Angeles, where he was asked to participate and felt a powerful and painful nikyo, something that did not fully sit … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Corky Quakenbush: Intention, Performance, and Takemusu Aiki, Part II