Michael Hackett

The "Koga Method" is still being taught in all of the California police academies, but not under that name. Many of his techniques came from aikido and those have been adopted and essentially renamed today. For example, what most aikidoka know as ikkyo into a pin was made easier and stronger by Koga Sensei and subsequently is still being taught as a single arm takedown. His actual program is considerably longer and far better than what the average police agent is taught - and considerably more expensive. As a result, many, if not most agencies choose to pass on providing actual Koga training for the lesser training required by POST for defensive tactics work. California cops today, whose fathers weren't even born when Bob Koga was an LAPD sergeant, owe him a great debt and don't even know it.

Koga Sensei's stuff has a purpose - that of equipping street cops with an effective means of controlling violent suspects. It probably won't do you much good when performing aikikai testing, and probably isn't the best game in town for personal self-defense, but it is a great toolbox for the intended purpose. And as Ledyard Sensei said in effect, it is worthless unless you train and practice. That holds true for ballroom dancing, high diving and open heart surgery too, I suspect.