I started at Northeast Aikikai in October of 1980, when the dojo was still on Dutton Street in downtown Lowell, MA. I studied under Lou Perriello, Frank Reagan, Joe Caulfield, and Paul Keelan for about five years. After being promoted to Shodan, I moved to southern New Jersey. In the space of three years, I studied under Richard and Kathy Crane at Agatsu Dojo, Maruyama Sensei at the Philadelphia Aikikai, and briefly with Alex Rusinko at his Moorestown, NJ dojo. I returned to Massachusets and resumed practice (and teaching) with Mr. Periello in the new dojo location of Chelmsford, MA.
Since my return to Massachusetts, the years have been busy ones for me. Along with Periello Sensei, I help to start the children's program at Northeast Aikikai. I taught children's classes for about five years before turning it over to John Dore. Also during that time, I taught Aikido weapon techniques, largely using Iwama and Kashima styles.
I visited Japan under the sponsorship of Minoru Inaba, Sensei of Shiseikan Dojo at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo in August of 1992. Sekiya Sensei and Diane Zingale have visited with us once a year up to the time of sensei's death in 1996. In January of 1996, our dojo joined the American Aikido Association under the direction of Mr. Toyoda. Since that time, I have been challenged to absorb the differences in our styles and communicate them to our students.
Advancement has been slow but steady over the years. I tested for Nidan after returning to N.E. Aikikai. In 1996, I tested for Sandan with Steve Koon in Chicago. Most recently, I tested for Yondan in Dec. of 2000 under Fumio Toyoda. Sadly, Shihan Toyoda died not many months after that test.
Based on discussions I've had with Lou Perriello sensei and Walter von Krenner sensei, I have come to believe that there is a distinct style of American Aikido which is begining to emerge in this country. This collection of essays addresses how this style might be different from its Japanese origins and what it means to the people of this country.
Over the years, I have set down many of my personal opinions on Aikido and captured the examples, explanations, lectures, and thoughts of the many teachers I had. Please read them and take them for what they are: my attempt to describe what I have learned. Please do not consider them to be "the right way to do it". Rather, they are guideposts and signs which may be of use on your own personal Aikido journey.
This is my collection of essays and writings on Japanese weapon techniques and how they relate to the study of Aikido. Many of these are tens years old or more and may not represent my current views. Still, they might give insight as you explore the same ground that I did. Some of these essays discuss how to teach weapons to further enchance an understanding of Aikido.
