Yoshimitsu Yamada at Aikido Celebration Hawaii 2011 the 50th Anniversary of O-Sensei’s 1961 visit to Hawaii Pat Hendricks taking ukemi Yoshimitsu Yamada was sent to the United States in 1964 by the Aikikai in order to help spread and develop Aikido in America. He was followed by Mitsunari Kanai Sensei, Akira Tohei Sensei and Kazuo Chiba Sensei, whose cooperation eventually led to the formation of … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Yoshimitsu Yamada, Part 2 »

Yoshimitsu Yamada on Kauai, Hawaii in 1966 seated between Hawaii Aikikai instructors Yukiso Yamamoto and Sadao Yoshioka Yoshimitsu Yamada was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1938, entered Aikikai Hombu Dojo as an uchi-deshi in 1956 and was dispatched to New York to aid the development of Aikido in the United States in 1964, the year that I was born. I last saw him in 2011 … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Yoshimitsu Yamada, Part 1 »