1. Yoshimitsu Yamada was a Japanese-American aikido instructor.
18 Facts About Yoshimitsu Yamada
1. 2.
Yoshimitsu Yamada was chief instructor at the dojo New York Aikikai, and president of the United States Aikido Federation.
3.
Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Yamada became interested in aikido through his father's cousin, Tadashi Abe, who trained at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo.
4.
Yoshimitsu Yamada entered Hombu Dojo as an uchi deshi in 1955 at the age of 17.
5.
Yoshimitsu Yamada first came to the United States in 1964 to do an aikido demonstration at the 1964 World's Fair in New York.
6.
Over time Yoshimitsu Yamada's students have grown to have students of their own, and have risen to ranks as high as seventh dan.
7.
In 1988 Yoshimitsu Yamada invited Seiichi Sugano to join the dojo, making it one of the few dojos outside Japan with two eighth dans shihan in residence.
8.
Yoshimitsu Yamada continued to keep an active teaching and travelling schedule, holding seminars in the US as well as Latin America, Russia, France, Germany and other points around the world.
9.
In Germany, Yoshimitsu Yamada taught a summer seminar at Bernau am Chiemsee.
10.
Yoshimitsu Yamada was well known for his clear and strong basic technique.
11.
Yoshimitsu Yamada's students have become some of the most well-known and high-ranking aikidoka in the Americas.
12.
Yoshimitsu Yamada taught seminars all over the world where thousands of students attended his classes.
13.
Yoshimitsu Yamada was a direct student of the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, for more than ten years.
14.
Yoshimitsu Yamada was president of the United States Aikido Federation and chairman of the Latin America Aikido Federation.
15.
In January 2011, Yoshimitsu Yamada accepted an invitation to become the patron of Aikikai Australia.
16.
Yoshimitsu Yamada is the author of the book Aikido Complete, and has made multiple aikido training tapes, including the "Power and the Basics" series, which outlines the requirements for rank testing of all levels.
17.
In February 2010 Yoshimitsu Yamada founded Aikido Sansuikai International during a seminar in Dominican Republic.
18.
Yoshimitsu Yamada died in New York City on January 15,2023, at the age of 84.