About Roy Suenaka:
Roy Y. Suenaka Sensei began his martial study at age four under his
father in their birthplace of Honolulu, Hawaii. This early
tutelage in judo, ju-jitsu, kempo and boxing was soon augmented by
instruction in Kodenkan ju-jitsu under founder Henry Seishiro Okazaki,
kendo under Shuji Mikami, and Kosho-ryu kempo under the renowned James
Masayoshi Mitose.
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Following
Koichi Tohei's inaugural visit to Hawaii in 1953, at age twelve Suenaka
Sensei commenced what was to become his lifelong study of
aikido. Suenaka Sensei studied under Yukiso Yamamoto until
1958, when he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Following his
initial service in Sacramento, California, where he became one of the
first instructors to teach aikido on the U.S. mainland, in 1961 Suenaka
Sensei was assigned to Tokyo, Japan, and later to Okinawa.
From 1961 until 1972 – interrupted only by a mandatory two-year
assignment to Honolulu – Suenaka Sensei studied extensively with aikido
founder Morihei Ueshiba O'Sensei, son Kisshomaru Ueshiba Sensei (then
doshu), and Koichi Tohei Sensei, serving when military duties permitted
as uchi-deshi (live-in disciple) at the Aikikai Hombu (headquarters),
during which time O'Sensei presented |
| Suenaka Sensei
with a menkyo-kaiden certificate of aikido mastery. At age
21, Suenaka Sensei became the first person to open a successful aikido
school in Okinawa, in Kadena. While there, he also commenced
private study in Matsumura Seito karate-do and kobudo under the
legendary Grandmaster Hohan Soken Sensei, with emphasis on Hakutsuru
Shorin-ryu technique. He also continued his study of judo and
ju-jitsu at the Kodokan world judo headquarters, particularly under
Kyuzo Mifune and Kazuo Ito, the latter of whom sponsored Suenaka
Sensei's promotion to sandan in judo and ju-jitsu. |
| Following O'Sensei's death in
1969 and Koichi Tohei Sensei's subsequent separation from the Aikikai,
Suenaka Sensei allied himself with Tohei Sensei's then-infant
International Ki Society, receiving from Tohei Sensei an okuden
certificate of advanced Shin-Shin Toitsu Aikido proficiency and serving
as an International Ki Society shihan (chief instructor). |
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In 1972, Suenaka Sensei was
assigned to Charleston, S.C., where he opened the Southeastern U.S. Ki
Society dojo. Disillusioned, however, by the escalating
factionalism within both the Ki Society and the world aikido
organization, particularly the political and philosophical conflicts
between Koichi Tohei and Kisshomaru Ueshiba Doshu, in 1975 Suenaka
Sensei resigned from the Ki Society and created his own organization,
the American International Ki Development and Philosophical Society,
under which he taught Suenaka-ha Tetsugaku-ho Aikido and Hakutsuru
Shorin-ryu karate-do.
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| Roy Y. Suenaka
Sensei is ranked nidan (second dan) in kendo, sandan (third dan) in
judo and ju-jitsu, and rokudan (sixth dan) in Matsumura Seito and
Hakutsuru Shorin-ryu karate-do and kobudo, the latter rank awarded by
Grandmaster Hohan Soken himself. In addition to his aikido
menkyo kaiden presented to him by the Founder, he is recognized as
hachidan (eighth dan) in aikido by the International Black Belt
Federation. Suenaka Sensei also saw active combat duty in
Vietnam, where he taught unarmed combat skills to Army Special Forces,
Navy SEALs and others. |
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For
a more comprehensive look into sensei Suenaka's life, you can read his
book which is available at bookstores and Amazon.com.
Link
to Amazon.com |
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Neither Aikido of Richmond, LLC, nor any of its instructors, is currently
affiliated with Sensei Suenaka or the American International
Ki Development and Philosophical
Society.
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