Celebrity Aikidoka

[Please visit our sponsor:]

[Dean H.]

Does anyone know of any celebrity Aikidoka?

Thank you,
Dean
:triangle: :circle: :square:

[ChrisDuSCAMB]

Originally posted by Dean H.
Does anyone know of any celebrity Aikidoka?

Thank you,
Dean
:triangle: :circle: :square:

Hi Dean,

Sorry, but I don't understand what do you mean with Celebrity Aikidoka ?
Can you explain us your question ? :freaky:

thanks

Bye

Chris

[JJF]

How about Steven Seagal ? I'd recon he would qualify.

I have heard once that Sean Connery have been training aikido, but I don't know for sure.

[ndiegel]

I think I've only heard of Steven Segal. Well, unless you count O Sensei and some other Shihan as celebrities. :p

Noah

[Dean H.]

I really just wanted to know who, in your own opinion, would qualify as a celebrity Aikidoka. In my opinion, certainly Shihans qualify, but I am sure there are others who deserve to mentioned as well.

Thanks,
Dean
:triangle: :circle: :square:

[ndiegel]

O Sensei, Shihans, and Steven Segal. :p

Noah

[Chuck Clark]

John Denver was a serious student of aikido before he was killed in a plane crash.

Arlo Guthrie used to train off and on many years ago.

Mike Marshall, a famous ballet dancer is a yudansha in both judo and aikido, I think.

Talk show host, interviewer, and comic Dick Cavett was a serious student of Yamada in NYC.

There are a couple of world government leaders that practice aikido and judo. I can't think of their names just now. President Putin of Russia is a judo yudansha and I think Vaclev Pavel was a student of aikido. There are others.

Regards,

[PeterR]

Originally posted by Chuck Clark
There are a couple of world government leaders that practice aikido and judo. I can't think of their names just now. President Putin of Russia is a judo yudansha and I think Vaclev Pavel was a student of aikido. There are others.
Not to mention a recently deceased Japanese Prime Minister (Japan Aikido Association/Tomiki)

[Dean H.]

Thank you.
-Dean

[Reuben]

Well Malaysia's agricultural minister is studying with my sensei but i wouldn't call him exactly a celebrity. His reputation with women is a bit unsavoury:). Don't quote me on this hahaa.

And the princes of brunei also learned aikido too.

[sceptoor]

John Denver?? REALLY??

I'm quite surprised by that.

:O

[Choku Tsuki]

At one time or another and for what duration I dunno, but these are names I've heard and remembered and I'll try to note the attribution:

Loundon Wainwright III, father of Rufus
Mike Ovitz, ôber-mench and former Disney bigwig
Jerry Seinfeld (Ovitz biography)
Sean Connery, nidan (said so on Tonight Show; also said Mr. Seagal broke his wrist before Never Say Never Again started filming; didn't blend with the Shomenuchi and said it was his own fault)
Joan Baez (Aikido in America)
John Denver (Sensei was Thom Crum in Aspen; appears in credit for Mr. Crum's Aiki Energizer video)


--Chuck

[Chocolateuke]

sean connerys a ni dan didnt know that... no wonder he could escape in the Rock.

[akiy]

Although the IMDB entry for actor Philip Akin (http://us.imdb.com/Name?Akin,+Philip) lists him as a "forth [sic] degree black belt," he's now actually a fifth dan in at the Yohsinkan headquarters dojo in Canada. He's a great guy and can do a heck of a nikyo, too.

-- Jun

[Hogan]

Actor Michael Rooker also was an Aikido student a long time ago in Chicago. He came back for a seminar at our dojo that was held in '96 or '97.

[sceptoor]

It says on Michael Rooker's filmography he was "guy in bar" in Above the Law.

http://us.imdb.com/Name?Rooker,+Michael

Could the filming of this flick be where/how he got started in Aikido??

[Hogan]

Originally posted by sceptoor
It says on Michael Rooker's filmography he was "guy in bar" in Above the Law.

http://us.imdb.com/Name?Rooker,+Michael

Could the filming of this flick be where/how he got started in Aikido??

No - he started Aikido in the 70's....

[sceptoor]

Originally posted by Hogan


No - he started Aikido in the 70's....

Any info on what org?? Does he still train regularly?? He must be highly ranked by now, right?? Does he teach anywhere??

[Hogan]

Originally posted by sceptoor


Any info on what org?? Does he still train regularly?? He must be highly ranked by now, right?? Does he teach anywhere??

He started with the late Fumio Toyoda (Aikido Association of America in Chicago) in the 70's sometime...he last visited the dojo, I believe, in 96-97 ??? He was wearing an old beaten-up brown belt - he had stopped when he was brown belt, and only occasionally trained - so, no, he didn't get that high in rank.

[suebailey]

Hey Sceptoor
Do u really want to know about Seagal and what he's doin'?
If it's because u want to train with him u'd b
out of luck he can teach but he doesn't, mainly cos of time i surpose.
If u wnat any thing with Segal i'd be on ur way to america and find out where the top dojo is there they'd point u in the right direction!

sue :p

[Choku Tsuki]

Does anyone know of any celebrity Aikidoka?
Franka Potente, co-star in The Bourne Identity and star of Run Lola Run.

[Neil Mick]

Franke Polente?? REALLY? I think I'm off to Germany (lol)! I've had a crush since Run Lola Run :)

Add Joanie Mitchell to the list. She trained briefly with a nearby dojo in CA.

[BC]

How about Donovan Waite? I seem to remember reading an interview with him in which he mentioned amaking a brief appearance in a movie ("Johnny Suede" was it?).

[batemanb]

I was just browsing the following web site for something else and noted on the Bio page that Bo Svenson is listed as a black belt in Aikido

http://www.bosvenson.com/index.html

[Creature_of_the_id]

To all of those brits (and aussies) out there who who know who he is...

I heard a rumour that Rolf Harris studied aikido.

I would love to have that confirmed.

I can just imagine him teaching.. "can you guess what it is yet?"

and his kiai would be very interesting.

[suebailey]

it is true i used to be really sad a love ralf harris mainly for his art but to keep fitr he practiceed aikido.

hope he was better at it than his music though!

[siwilson]

Elkie Brookes (singer - "Pearls A Singer", etc. - best known in the 70s) is 1st Dan (Shudokan) and trains in Devon. She got her 1st Dan quite some time ago, and although still trained, she never tested again.

I didn't know that Sean Connery trained Aikido. I know that some time after "Live And Let Die" he was at a show in the Theatre Royal, Stratford, London, for a charity night called, "A Night Of The Stars". My late Master had been invited by Joan Littlewood to give an Aikido display there. After the show Sean Connery came in to Master Stratton's changing room saying how impressed he had been with the demo. It would nice to think that started him off in his interest in Aikido.

Also, Reuben. For you I would think Master Thamby Rajah should be a celebrity Aikidoka, as it was he who first brought Aikido to Malaysia in the 50s. His dojo is in Seremban and I have trained with him a number of times, both in the UK and on 2 trips to Malaysia. It is worth it. :ai:

Best Regards.

[JPT]

Just seen a magician on TV called Criss Angel do the old push me over ki trick, maybe another celebrity Aikidoka?

:triangle: :square: :circle:

[siwilson]

I didn't know that Sean Connery trained Aikido. I know that some time after "Live And Let Die" ...
Err, I meant "You Only Live Twice!"

Hey, it was late!

;)

[norman telford]

hi chuck.just out of curiosity how long ago was it that sean connery said he was nidan on the tonight show :cool:

[Choku Tsuki]

hi chuck.just out of curiosity how long ago was it that sean connery said he was nidan on the tonight show :cool:
A while ago; probably when he was doing the talk shows to publicize "The Rock"; that's 1996.

And he pronounced it "eye-kid-do"

--Chuck

[norman telford]

hi chuck the eye-kid-do will probably be his dodgy accent (im not saying the scots accent is dodgy just his) you know the way hes says "yes" as "yesh" and "shimple ishnt it" sort of thing :D

[JPT]

According to a few websites Jonny Lee Miller from the film Trainspotting also practises Aikido.

:triangle: :square: :circle:

[Kelly Allen]

I keep forgetting his name! Its something Paul. He plays Duncan Macload in the TV series Highlander, and the new si fi series called the Tracker. He is constantly using Aikido technics in his show. I can't count the times I seen him use a tenkan or an Irimi move in his shows.

[Bronson]

I keep forgetting his name! Its something Paul.

I believe it's Adrian Paul. Don't know if he actually practices though.

Bronson

[Kelly Allen]

I believe it's Adrian Paul. Don't know if he actually practices though.

Bronson
Yes Adrian! Thanks! Apparently he does. I don't know his rank though.

[John Boswell]

Kelly,

I remember Adrian Paul using Aikido moves in the series. I thought that sounded familiar when you first mentioned it. However, it could be just good choreography by the lead stunt man in the series.

I've seen many movies with aikido moves but not nessecarily an aikidoka doing the technique. /shrug

[akiy]

I remember Adrian Paul using Aikido moves in the series. I thought that sounded familiar when you first mentioned it. However, it could be just good choreography by the lead stunt man in the series.
I mentioned Philip Akin in my previous post (http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=17258#post17258) in this thread. If I remember correctly (since I've never seen the show), Philip played a character named Charlie in the Highlander television series. As I mentioned before, Philip now holds a 5th dan in Yoshinkan aikido. I wonder if he had any input into the choreography in the show...

-- Jun

[Peter Klein]

in germany HAS to do aikido this is a rule in german acting schools

[Choku Tsuki]

Peter Sagal of NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me."

[darin]

Anyone mention Edward Norton yet? He lived in Japan and did aikido.

http://www.japantoday.com/jp/newsmaker/97

I think Jackie Chan trained in Seagal's dojo in Osaka. Richard Norton and Chuck Norris also learnt aikido.

[Alex Megann]

Loundon Wainwright III, father of Rufus

--Chuck

Yes, I remember Loudon being on the mat at a weekend seminar with Yamaguchi Sensei in England in the 1980s. He wore a hakama, and I think someone mentioned that he was sandan at the time. I practised with him just the once, and remember him feeling very strong and soft.

Alex

[Peter Goldsbury]

Alex,

Were you around when Michael G Wilson was practising? I distinctly remember training with him in Ryushinkan (in Albany St) when I was still in England, between 1975 and 1980. I have looked him up on IMDB and he is still around--his connection is with the James Bond films, though I do not know whether he still practises aikido.

[Aikibu]

Celebrity Aikidoka??? Are you kidding??? LOL I live in Malibu California...and work in the Film Biz

We have quite a few celebs over the years, but since they're still practicing I am not mentioning any names. :)

William Hazen

[aikispike]

Philip played a character named Charlie in the Highlander television series.
-- Jun

Philip recently got a lot of good press for his most recent work - playing the title role in Othello in Stratford On..

Spike

[Ron Tisdale]

Othello?? hmmm, no aikido in that one...

:D

Best, and to Philip as well,
Ron

[dbotari]

[QUOTE=Ron Tisdale;191591]Othello?? hmmm, no aikido in that one...

:D/QUOTE]

But he does have to kill off Desdimona (sp?);)

[Aiki1]

Back in about 1985 I used to hang around Seagal's dojo in the Valley sometimes for fun.... this was around the time he was getting his first movie deal - Rickie Lee Jones used to practice there, don't know how long she studied though.

[senseimike]

I remember reading years ago in a music magazine that Dave Mustaine from Megadeth studied several martial arts, including Aikido.

[Ethan Weisgard]

Louie Bellson, one of the all time great jazz drummers is an Aikidoka. He and Buddy Rich are to most drummers two of the most important players in this field of music. Buddy Rich - now deceased - was a karateka. He did a skit on the Mppet Show once where he appeared in keikogi and smashed a board etc. Louie Bellson has been more low-key about his aikido practice. I found this text on the Net when Googling Bellson:

"Writings
Jeff Kahn
Aikido Report
“Aikido”
December 20th 2002
I first heard about Aikido when I was 18 years old. I was attempting to make my way as a Jazz drummer, and I was attending a drum clinic by my favorite drummer at that time, Louie Bellson, (the guy who invented the double bass drum way back when). I have been in awe of this guy for years, have seen him play several dozen times by then, and was taking private lessons from his brother. What was striking about him, I noticed then, that although he can play faster, cleaner, and more precise than any young whippersnapper on the scene, (at this time he was well into his 60’s) he was always so relaxed, smiling, present, and happy. It seemed that the faster he played, the more relaxed his shoulders became, the more calm his breaths, the more peaceful his smile. He was able to pull off a one-handed drum roll, that sounded as smooth, and, if he wanted, as quiet as the tearing of rice paper. He is of same era as the more famous, Buddy Rich, who, although a master no doubt, I always felt that their styles were so different, Buddy being far more aggressive, his face held tight in a constant grimace, cocky and arrogant. (I later learned he practiced Tai Kwan do) Anyway, after the seminar, I asked Louie for advice on how a mere mortal could possibly learn to do what he does. He replied, “Well, have you ever heard of Aikido”? As I had not, he explained briefly that by relaxing completely, with his energy focused below his navel, feeling his weight underside, and extending his energy, which is called Ki, outward, and feeling the joy of what he is doing, and allowing himself to smile, all things were possible. He explained that he had studied Aikido, a mostly amazing practice that had a lot to do with the development of his art of drumming. A few short months later, back in Boulder, Co, my roommate, a guitarist, comes to me with an ad in the paper, saying, “Isn’t this that thing that Louie told you about”? Indeed it was, and the next week we started a class with Kashiwaya sensei."

In Aiki,

Ethan