Then Sensei went to the trucking supervisor of Kahului Railroad Co. Suzuki Sensei went to ask Mayor Eddie Tam for the use of the present dojo site, empty except for an old shack, and the mayor gave permission. Sam Takaki remembered, “We bought it for five hundred bucks.” Omori was in charge of housing for HC&S, and he knew of a two-room nurse’s cottage available for moving from the old Puunene Hospital. Members of the committee were Masaru Omori, Sadao “Popsie” Hyakumoto, Jiro Arakaki, Isamu “Sam” Takaki, and Masao Shoji. Therefore, a committee was formed to find a permanent site and plan a dojo just for Aikido. The Wailuku Aikido students were practicing at the old Wailuku gymnasium with instructor Shinichi Suzuki Sensei that year when they were told that the YMCA was going to use the space and break down the old building to construct a pool. The second president was Masao Shoji, from 1956 to1964, followed by Takeo Larry Shishido from 1964 to 1994.Ī home dojo for the club became necessary in 1960. The first president was Seichi Tabata, from inception to 1956. In that year the various local clubs formed the Maui Aikido Club. In 1953 the members started training at both the Wailuku and Lahaina Hongwanji temples, then practiced at the Puunene Community Center (which was the site of the Japanese School), the Puunene Gym, and finally in 1956 moved their practice to the old Wailuku Gym, located on the Wells Street side of the present gym. The Wailuku Aikido Club, which is today Maui Ki-Aikido, had to move their training to various places. All of these clubs were assisted by Maui Chief Instructor Shinichi Suzuki, who traveled around to all of them to teach. Aikido was very popular and had many students – men, women and children. Aikido began at Haliimaile in 1954, in Paia in 1957, at the Wailuku Hongwanji for children’s classes in 1958, and at the Kahului Hongwanji in 1959. Tohei Sensei returned every two years to correct their mistakes and advance their training, and in 1959 Shinichi Suzuki traveled to Japan to continue learning from Tohei Sensei.ĭuring the first seven years, Aikido Clubs formed in Wailuku, at the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, and at other locations around the island. This cadre quickly attracted many more students. Suzuki, Seichi Tabata, Kenneth Taguchi and Susumu Furukawa organized and led a group that continued to practice Aikido arts. This group included police officer Shinichi Suzuki who went on to become an 9th dan himself, Head Instructor of Maui Ki-Aikido, and a very important influence on Aikido in Hawaii, the United States Mainland and beyond.Īfter that first month when Tohei Sensei intensively trained policemen and other interested individuals for up to 7 hours a day, Master Tohei returned to Japan, charging a highly promising student, Shinichi Suzuki, with the reponsibility of keeping Aikido alive on Maui. Tohei Sensei, at that time an 8th dan Aikido instructor, began teaching a core group of Maui men in the arts of Aikido. The original dojo’s construction in 1960, all by the volunteer labor of the Aikido students and instructors, is an example of the mutual help, frugality and volunteer spirit, characteristic of Hawaii’s plantation communities.Īikido had been brought to Maui in 1953 when the Nishi Kai organization, a health club of mostly older Japanese, invited Professor Koichi Tohei to teach in the islands. It was called the Wailuku Aikido Club and was the precursor of the present Shunshinkan Dojo, built in 2000. ![]() For more information, email or call (808) 357-5172.This is the story of Maui Ki-Aikido’s beginnings and its first dojo building at 194 Market Street, Wailuku. No pre-registration is necessary, but participants should arrive by 8:45 a.m. ![]() 20 class is the first of an ongoing, weekly course that will take place each Thursday at the same time. The class fee is $10 to the public, with no fee for members of Maui Ki-Aikido. It will focus on ki breathing and meditation, light exercise and the exploration of ki principles. The class will take place at Maui Ki-Aikido’s Shunshinkan Dojo at 194 S. 20 titled “Meditation and Mind Body Unification.” 20 titled “Meditation and Mind Body Unification.” - Courtesy photoĬhristopher Curtis Sensei, 8th dan chief instructor of the Hawaii Ki Federation and retired head instructor of Maui Ki-Aikido, will teach a public workshop on Oct. Christopher Curtis Sensei, 8th dan chief instructor of the Hawaii Ki Federation will teach a public workshop on Oct.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |