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Old 05-26-2008, 04:55 PM   #22
Gary David
 
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Location: Long Beach, CA
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 332
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Re: More Seagal on YouTube

Folks
Just to add to the actual time line... When I started at Orange County Aikikai (Orange, California) in 1974 Steve Seagal (Segal) was an ikkyu in his early 20's in that dojo. Harry Ishisaka, 5 dan, was the chief instructor. Ishisaka Sensei was part of Rod Kobayashi organization here in So Cal, but was from the Big Island and had reached black belt there before coming to California.

Steve tested, or at least did his randori for shodan at Cal State Fullerton in the summer of 1974 when Tohei Sensei taught a week long seminar on campus. I was in attendance for the randori, but did not see the rest of his dan test. Steve went to Japan not to long after that. Steve was a young and full of it as I recall...not the most popular individual in the dojo. I had very little direct contact with him during those few short months. I did have several meetings with him in the intervening years, the last being (I think) in 1986 at LA Aikikai during a meeting with some of the local instructors. He always treated me with respect. I can't really comment other than on these few connects.
Gary
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