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Aikikiai
11th September 2000, 00:45
This is the style that sensei Steven Seagal teaches. Is it a harder style than other types of Aikikai? Who was the developer of Tenshin?

Thanks

Mike Hoff

Joseph Svinth
11th September 2000, 05:43
Seagal's instructor was ISOYAMA Hiroshi. There is an article about Isoyama-s in Aikido Journal 119, 27:1 (2000).

Also, have you checked Stan Pranin's aikido encyclopedia at http://www.aikidojournal.com/reference/encyclopedia/index.htm ? It covers a lot of topics, so might offer some leads.

Mike Collins
11th September 2000, 06:57
I'm pretty sure that Seagal Sensei also feels that Seiseki Abe Sensei is his teacher also. This is a pretty amazing teacher. I got to train with him once, when Matsuoka Sensei brought him to our dojo for a seminar. I was fairly new, so I still had a bit of a chip on my shoulder about "all of this energy crap", Abe Sensei, all 5'2"or3" of him and 95 lbs, soaking wet with lead weights in his pockets, almost tore my arm out of the socket doing an amazing shiho nage.

I don't know if he is even still alive, that was a long time ago, but I give him a lot of credit for "convincing" a non believer in Aikido. I think he had the absolute best sense of where to apply technique and energy I have felt.

I have no idea if this is where Seagal sensei got his hard edge, but based on what I felt of Abe sensei, I doubt it. I think he is more about finesse than applied hard technique.

Yamantaka
11th September 2000, 12:09
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mike Collins
[B]I'm pretty sure that Seagal Sensei also feels that Seiseki Abe Sensei is his teacher also.

YAMANTAKA : I think so too. After all, if I'm not mistaken, it was Abbe Shihan who gave Seagal Sensei his 5th Dan.

"I don't know if he is even still alive..."

YAMANTAKA : He is not just alive but teaching in Osaka. A friend of mine visited him recently and another is studying with him.

"I have no idea if this is where Seagal sensei got his hard edge, but based on what I felt of Abe sensei, I doubt it. I think he is more about finesse than applied hard technique."

YAMANTAKA : I think so too. Seagal Sensei learned primarily from Harry Ishisaka in the USA and in Japan periodically from Abbe Shihan, Isoyama Shihan and Tohei Shihan.