After seeing a poster for aikido in San Francisco in 1972, Peter Bernath quickly signed up. After moving to New York, he lost no time in joining Yoshimitsu Yamada’s New York Aikikai. By 1980, Bernath found himself in Florida at the request of Yamada, working with Florida native and future wife Penny. Today, Bernath joined … Continue reading Interview with Florida Aikikai Cofounder Peter Bernath: Starting From Scratch
Starting kendo at the age of thirteen, Shawn Miller began something that would have a lasting effect on his life. A member of the San Francisco Kendo Dojo, Miller took some time to talk about his kendo journey and some San Francisco Kendo Dojo history that he was privy to. All images provided by Shawn … Continue reading Interview with San Francisco Kenshi Shawn Miller: The Personal Effects of Kendo
Originally written for an Urban History course during my graduate career, the following is the second part of a study that explores the connection between martial arts and community development/urbanization. This is the second part of a two-part article. Read the first part here. Martial Arts in Different Communities Judo to the Japanese immigrant communities, … Continue reading The Indirect Effects of Martial Arts on Community Development and Urbanization: A Look at West Coast Communities of the United States, Part II
Originally written for an Urban History course during my graduate career, the following is the first part of study that explores the connection between martial arts and community development/urbanization. This is the first part of a two-part article. Read the second part here. Introduction Martial arts and its effects on urbanization in the United States … Continue reading The Indirect Effects of Martial Arts on Community Development and Urbanization: A Look at West Coast Communities of the United States, Part I
Bill Witt Sensei began training in aikido in 1967, under Ueshiba Morihei – O-Sensei – at Hombu Dojo in Tokyo. After O-Sensei passed away in 1969, Witt Sensei began training under Saito Morihiro Sensei in Iwama, Japan. He cofounded the Takemusu Aikido Association in 2002, based in California, and currently has been teaching at Aikido … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Bill Witt: The Early Days of Aikido in Northern California
Russo, Charles. Striking Distance: Bruce Lee and the Dawn of Martial Arts in America. London: University of Nebraska Press, 2016. This is not your typical Bruce Lee biography. It does not address his child acting career nor does it discuss his time in Hollywood and Hong Kong as a film star. It does, however, look … Continue reading Reflecting on Charles Russo’s Striking Distance
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 