The Author

I have a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Psychology. My martial arts training and my interest in Aikido started about 1960. My initial arts were Judo and Karate. When Koichi Tohei came out with his book, Aikido The Arts of Self-Defense, I became fascinated with Aikido. We practiced from the book and I practiced with a Japanese student who had taken Aikido in Tokyo. Finally around the beginning of 1979 I was able to start formal classes. Aikido has been an overwhelming passion ever since and I have attained the rank of Yondan and Fukushidoin.

In 1993 Dok Lee published Hikuta The Art of Controlled Violence. Kuta is an amazing form of boxing that meshes very well with Aikido. Finally starting at the beginning of 2002 I was able to start getting formal training in Hikuta and attained the rank of Black Heart Warrior. Hikuta practice is structured very much like Aikido in that there is no sparing. Hikuta and Aikido use multi-partner attack situations for freestyle practice. Hikuta practice is centered on the stop thrust defense where Aikido as I practice it is centered on leading. The basic movement in Kuta is very similar to Irimi in Aikido and the basic strike is very similar to a Jo strike. A major variation of the basic Kuta strike is like the upward strike we use with our techniques. I love and combine both.

Kuta includes some mat work but it is not as comprehensive. I have studied Judo for the mat work and have been intensively studying Gene Simco's applied ground fighting. Judo also uses Randori extensively in training and has enabled me to develop safe ways of practicing Randori with Aikido.