Aikido-Aikibujutsu

Tucked away in Los Angeles' "Little Tokyo", one of the nation's top experts on Aikido and the founder of Shinkendo (Japanese swordfighting) gives hardworking students some of the best training in the world.

Do a Google search on instructor Toshishiro Obata and you'll likely find information on all the championships he's won, all the awards he's been given ... but in the short period of time I took his class, I was most amazed at his ability and eagerness to teach his students. He has always stricken me as a man more eager to pass the training and traditions onto his students than focusing on his own abilities, which I imagine are only paralleled by a small handful of people in the world.

His class is pretty much "invitation only." Someonevery serious and interested in training with him could probably write to the P.O. Box for the Honbu Dojo (World Headquarters, listed above) and request consideration.

Expect traditional Japanese training--strict and formal, but very effective. If you

Posted 12/25/04 | Report Abuse

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