Tag: Shuji Maruyama

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

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

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 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 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 Chester County Kokikai Founder Jason Martin: Kokikai’s Future

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Growing up with a fascination for the martial arts, it was no wonder Jason Martin found himself in an aikido school under Philadelphia pioneer Sensei Shuji Maruyama. Since then, he has continued following the teachings of Maruyama, even opening his own school, Chester County Kokikai Dojo in 2010, spreading what he learned from the Silent … Continue reading Interview with Chester County Kokikai Founder Jason Martin: Kokikai’s Future

Interview with Aikido Kokikai Pittsburgh Founder Barbara Litt: Kokikai in America, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

For Barbara Litt, aikido was not on her mind until one of her friends invited her to try a class; and that class was led by Shuji Maruyama, Kokikai Aikido’s founder. That first class and how the community welcomed her on the mat convinced her to train. Since she has joined the Kokikai Aikido community, … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Kokikai Pittsburgh Founder Barbara Litt: Kokikai in America, Part II

Interview with Aikido Kokikai Pittsburgh Founder Barbara Litt: Kokikai in America, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

For Barbara Litt, aikido was not on her mind until one of her friends invited her to try a class; and that class was led by Shuji Maruyama, Kokikai Aikido’s founder. That first class and how the community welcomed her on the mat convinced her to train. Since she has joined the Kokikai Aikido community, … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Kokikai Pittsburgh Founder Barbara Litt: Kokikai in America, Part I

Interview with Aikido Kokikai of Queens Founder Alan Tamayo: Lessons from Shuji Maruyama

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Alan Tamayo began training in aikido in 2005 after purchasing a martial arts supply company. He walked into the Aikido Kokikai of Rochester and immediately felt the camaraderie and have yet to stop training. In 2016, Tamayo established his Aikido Kokikai of Queens where he continues to teach and learn from Shuji Maruyama. Today, Tamayo … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Kokikai of Queens Founder Alan Tamayo: Lessons from Shuji Maruyama

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 Athens Ohio Ki-Aikido Founder Stan Haehl: Ki-Aikido from Kansas to Ohio, Part II

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Stan Haehl heard of aikido before, but it was not until 1978 that he found a class in his small town in Kansas. He first learned the art under Barbra Bloom, then traveled to Boulder, Colorado to train under the Midland Ki Federation head Koichi Kashiwaya, and lastly, under Andrew T. Tsubaki. In 2008, his … Continue reading Interview with Athens Ohio Ki-Aikido Founder Stan Haehl: Ki-Aikido from Kansas to Ohio, Part II