Sensei, when did you begin your Aikido training?
I began in Chicago in the 60's. My first teacher was Isao Takahashi Sensei, who passed on in 1972. I have also received training from Sensei Kochi Tohei and Roy Suenaka. Until 1995, I received training from Rod Kobayashi Sensei, with whom I was affiliated.

Which one of your teachers influenced you the most?
That's a tough question, since each of these unique men contributed something valuable to my understanding of Aikido. I started my training with Takahashi Sensei, and I will always think of him as my teacher--a kind, dedicated, patient teacher who taught me the basics and whom I learned to respect and love. My experience with Tohei Sensei as a teacher was a result of the many seminars he conducted in those days. When he came to the United States from Japan, which was often, he would visit the Midwest and teach for a week or so. I also had the privilege of being tested by him once. The subtlety of his power in executing the Aikido arts left a lasting and powerful impression on me. All the others--Takahashi, Suenaka, and Kobayashi--had trained with Tohei Sensei. I think that Kobayashi Sensei's greatest contributions was that he was able to take some of the basic arts and further their development. I owe a lot to all my teachers.

Have you trained in martial arts other than Aikido?
Before Aikido, I studied Karate and a little Judo. I also boxed when I was young.

You are the founder and director of a new organization, the International Aikido Association (IAA) Please tell us about it.
The IAA, which was founded in January 1995, has several affiliated dojos in the U.S. and Mexico. It provides support as well as instructor training and development, promotion, and certification. It encourages its members to keep their training standards high and to keep up with the latest developments.

Your position as director of the IAA causes you to travel more than before, and it has placed new responsibilities on you. How are you adjusting?
Just fine. Good or bad, positive or negative, we must learn to adjust to everything. As the old saying goes, "Life is full of surprises, and the only certainty in life is uncertainty." Learning to blend and harmonize is the most important lesson of our Aikido training. I think that, as Aikidoists, we should be ready to apply that lesson to whatever presents itself to us.

How are you dealing with your new power as director of the IAA?
Power and responsibility are connected: you cannot have one without the other. People get into jams when they go off on crazy power trips and forget their responsibility. Power can be dangerous without the integrity and ability to exercise sound judgment. I have known people whose lives have been wrecked through the misuse of power. It is best to concentrate on doing the best job we can and to help our students to develop. We're only here for a little while. Power can be superficial and very fleeting.

I hear that you are writing a book.
Yes, my latest project is finishing the manuscript for a book, Police Aikido, which is to be published by Carol Publishing Group.

Where do you get the energy for all these projects?
I really enjoy teaching, and that in itself gives me the focus and energy I need to keep up with my rather hectic schedule.

What was it about Aikido that initially captivated your interest?
Aikido is a unique martial art in that it does not emphasize destruction of others. It is also a very sophisticated and complicated martial art in that it stresses overall character development--particularly the development of the mind. Many years prior to my involvement with Aikido, I became very interested in the study of the mind--its complexities as well as its many possibilities. After being introduced to Aikido, I decided that it was the one art I wanted to pursue. That turned out to be one of the most rewarding decisions I have made in my entire life. My love for the art grows and my interest deepens as my understanding of its principles becomes clearer.

Your first Teacher, Isao Takahashi Sensei focused on ki breathing, tenkan exercises, and kokyudosa. Do you still maintain the same emphasis?
I find myself emphasizing balance and the proper use of energy, but I still focus on the things I learned from my teacher. They are very important. Breath is the energy and force of life. By ki breathing (deep abdominal breathing), we can learn to make better use of our lung capacity. Many people breathe shallowly, and many are not aware of the impact that breathing has on the emotions and consequently on their health. If we pay attention to our breathing habits, we soon realize that we breathe differently when we're upset and angry from when we're calm and in control. When we get upset, our breathing becomes erratic and rushed. A person in this condition is easy to rattle. He or she can become confused and unable to make the simplest decision. As far as I am concerned, kokyudosa is the grandfather of Aikido exercises, because all the arts in Aikido employ the kokyudosa principle. Kokyudosa builds a strong center (one point), which is used in the execution of technique. Once a student builds a strong center and gains the ability to channel energy from his center, techniques become more powerful, smoother, and easier to perform. But this takes time and does not come easily for most of us. Tenkan means to turn. The tenkan movement is often used to step off the line-of-force and blend with an attack. Sometimes we use the full turning movement, and other times we use a part of it. It all depends on the nature of the attack.

Some call you a "serious" Aikido teacher. What do you think they mean?
I really don't know what they mean. If you look up the word "serious" in the dictionary, you will find that among other things it means "earnest," "thoughtful" "and important." I want my students to enjoy themselves in the dojo, and I remind them that we should learn to appreciate Aikido training and make it fun. But having fun in the dojo has its limits, and fun should not be the most important factor. In the dojo, learning Aikido must have priority over being entertained. We should be there to learn, not just to meet with friends and go out for beer and pizza afterward. There are students who have difficulty distinguishing having fun while learning the art from having fun at the expense of learning the art. Whether it's music, sports, or martial arts, a certain level of seriousness is required in order to learn well. I think anything less than an earnest effort by the student is a waste of time for everyone.

In the 30 years you have been studying Aikido, how has the art changed? In what direction would you like to see it go?
This is my personal opinion based on what I have observed. Most of the pioneers of Aikido in the U.S. were instructors directly from Japan who were traditional in their instruction. In the early days of Aikido here, the sensei provided very limited explanation of technique. Students learned mostly by doing and paying close attention,. Now we have more instructors of non-Japanese origin, who offer different methods for teaching Aikido. As for the future of Aikido, I would like to see Aikido as an acredited course in the physical education curriculums of colleges and universities. That would give us a wonderful opportunity to bridge the gap between the physical and mental aspects of the art, to present the psychological advantage of Aikido in daily life.In one of my recent classes at a college I asked some of the students what they felt Aikido had done for them. Some answered that they had a surge in confidence, others mentioned improved balance in their physical movements, and others said that they had experienced improved mental concentration. I believe that anyone who participates in Aikido can benefit from it in one way or another.

Is the way you teach Aikido traditional?
My Aikido teachers were all Japanese, and in our dojos we still maintain the tradition. But, by nature, I am not one to be passively satisfied with the status quo. I do extensive research to find a new way of applying the principles, and I share what I find with the students. I read somewhere that O Sensei felt he was only a first grader in Aikido and that he would leave the further development of the art to those who came after him. I interpret this to mean we have the green light to discover and develop ourselves and the countless ways of applying the art of Aikido. My focus is helping my students to explore a more realistic assessment on what is practical and efficient. I personally choose to pursue my study of Aikido from both the spiritual and the martial aspect.

What have you learned by teaching Aikido year after year?
I've learned that Aikido is not always what it appears to be. I remember reading that, when O Sensei threw his students, they didn't know what had happened. All they knew was that they had to fall. I've personally had the same experience when my teachers threw me. I've learned that it is not so much the technique that makes the difference. Timing, balance, proper position in relation to the attacker (uke), and the proper use of energy (ki) are also parts of the secret.

You teach that there are different levels of Aikido training. What do you mean by that?
There are three levels of training in Aikido. First, when we begin our training we are very physical. New students--particularly, male students--tend to use their muscular strength, struggling to force the techniques simply because they do not know any better. Second, after months (in some cases, years) students begin to find their centers, to settle down and to make some sense of the training. The mental part starts when students become convinced that the mind is boss and that it leads the body. They become more concerned with their attitude and how they do things, and this helps timing, balance, and overall training habits. Third, there is a level that requires self-realization and, most likely, changes in lifestyle. Since we are spiritual as well as physical beings, the spirit should be developed as well as the body. O Sensei taught that there is no greater victory than victory over ourselves, and the scriptures remind us that knowing ourselves will make us free. As we begin to develop spiritually, we also begin to see the importance of peace and harmony with everything around us. The Founder, who was a very spiritual man, wrote, "When an enemy tries to fight with me, he is breaking the harmony of the universe. The moment he has the mind to fight with me, he is already defeated. There exists no measure of time, fast or slow." At this level, Aikido is a spiritual discipline and a way of self-purification. Aikido becomes a way of training oneself in self-discipline, harmony, and love.

In your classes, you teach that balance is a key element in Aikido. Will you talk more about that?
As you know, without balance on the mat the techniques are almost worthless. But balance, does not pertain only to the physical. If there is no emotional and spiritual stability, we will be less efficient in our daily tasks. The planets revolve in space in perfect balance and harmony, and we should strive for that perfect balance in all that we do.

Awareness is also a topic that you emphasize in your classes.
"Be aware!" is the first rule of self-defense. If we're not aware of danger, how can we defend ourselves against it? Our level of awareness also determines how we react to adversity and stress. Being aware of our emotions is a first step towards self-realization and development. The key is to live our lives with full attention--to stay in the present and do our very best at everything we attempt to do.

What do you find most challenging in teaching Aikido and what do you find most satisfying?
The biggest challenge, I find, is teaching students how to learn and convincing them to stay long enough to feel the benefits of their training. Many want instant, micro-wave learning. Many have a hard time slowing down in their practice. Many, it seems rush around all day long, going from one appointment to the next. Many come to the dojo with their minds still racing, and this makes it difficult for them to observe and listen properly to what is being taught. It is important to understand that speed can interfere with the learning process. Seeing my students grow and develop through the practice of the Aikido principles is most satisfying to me. From time to time, I receive cards and letters from people who have studied with me, thanking me for sharing Aikido and telling me that Aikido has influenced their lives in positive ways. Some of these people are no longer involved in regular Aikido practice, but something about Aikido made a difference in their lives. This is always very satisfying to me. I think it is important to understand that Aikido is not just a martial art, but a way of life.