Created  7-15-09   Revised  None

 Japanese Aikido

Below is a slide show of the reunion and the seminar dinner.

On the weekend of May 16, 2008,a reunion took place between the two

highest ranking martial artist in the United States! Sensei Hidetaka Nishiyama,

and Sensei Takashi Kushida, the night of the reunion before Mr Nishiyama

arrived I asked Mr. Kushida: "How long hasit been since you have seen

Mr. Nishiyama"? Mr. Kushida answered: " a half century"! I said

"a half century, 50 years"? He said "yes, 50 years, in Japan Mr. Nishiyama

is famous like a movie star, very big, very very big".  They were last togehter in

Mr. kushida sensei's dojo training. Sorry to say that Mr. Nishiyama

passed away November 7, 2008.

He was born in  October 10, 1928 in Tokyo, Imperial Japan.

Mr. Nishiyama was a student and teacher of Shotokan Karate,

he was the founder of Janpanese Karate Association in Califorina.

His teacher was the founder of Shotokan

Karate Funakoshi Gichin. Some of his notable students were:

 Hiroshi Shirai,Takeshi Oishi,Robert Skinner,Vincent Cruz,Robert Fusaro,James Yabe

The reunion dinner took place on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday

Mr. Nishiyama was in town doing a seminar for about 40 students from around

the United States and the Dojo owners went to dinner that Friday night.

This Seminar would come to be his almost if not his last one

ever put on for the group of us.