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Old 03-09-2013, 06:42 PM   #20
Chris Li
 
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Dojo: Aikido Sangenkai
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,313
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Re: Interview with Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan: The Free Mind

Quote:
William Hazen wrote: View Post
Having befriended and helped out Virginia Mayhew Sensei in the last few years of her life, I take anything Yamada Shihan says with a hefty grain of salt. The sad fact that some Aikido Shihan (both men and women) want to gloss over her huge contributions to Aikido, The New York Aikikai or that she was the first US woman who went to Japan to study Aikido ( despite the claims of another woman Sensei) with both O'Sensei and Shoji Nishio among others is a travesty that I am going to help rectify one of these days.

Mayhew Sensei did not think herself to be anything special, so she shunned the spotlight. As long as I am alive and practicing, I am going to remind folks of her joyful spirit and love for Aikido and do my best to see she gets her due in the historical record of our Art.

Here's something for starters: http://books.google.com/books?id=z9k...aikido&f=false

William Hazen
Well, he was always kind to me - he took me with him the first time that I went to Japan in 1982, although he knew that I was a Saotome student. Still, there's no denying that he has his warts (who doesn't?).

Anyway, what's most important about the interview is not who founded the New York Aikikai (and note that the bit about the New York Aikikai was part of the introduction by Leo Tamaki, not from a statement by Yamada, who has stated publicly in the past that when he arrived the dojo already existed), but his opinions on Aikido and Aikido organizations, IMO.

Best,

Chris

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