Mark Larson (Takuto) Shihan

Minnesota, USA

Mark Shihan travels to Winnipeg yearly to instruct a weekend aikido seminar at Tatami Studio's Winnipeg Aiki Shuren Dojo. Many Aikido students and instructors travel from Europe, USA and Canada to attend.

Mark Shihan is the founder and chief instructor of Minnesota Aiki Shuren Dojo, in Minnesota, USA, a dojo name bestowed upon his dojo directly by the late, great Morihiro Saito Shihan. In 1992, Mark Shihan's Aikido studies took him to Japan for nearly a decade where he experienced living, learning, and training as a live-in/direct student (uchideshi) of Morihiro Saito Shihan at the Founder’s Dojo in Iwama, Japan, the birthplace of Aikido.

Mark Shihan received the highest sword (aiki-ken) and staff (aiki-jo) weapons certification (menkyokaiden) from Morihiro Saito Shihan, and he currently holds a sixth-degree black belt (rokudan) from the World Aikido Federation (Aikikai) Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Mark Shihan makes annual trips back to Japan and serves as a technical advisor for a number of Aikido schools in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, travelling to various US states and countries teaching, disseminating, and preserving Iwama Aikido. For more information, visit aikido-shuren-dojo.com.

Tatami Studio-Winnipeg Aiki Shuren Dojo receives certification through Mark Larson (Takuto) Shihan and the Iwama Takemusu Aikikai organization which is currently affiliated with the World Aikido Federation (Aikikai) Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Tatami Studio is honoured to have received the name Winnipeg Aiki Shuren Dojo from Mark Shihan.

‘Larson Shihan trained as uchideshi with Saito Shihan’

DAVID GOTTLIEB sensei 5th DAN

Copenhagen, Denmark

David Sensei began Aikido in 1990 at Copenhagen Aikido Club and has been teaching there since 2000. David has been fortunate to train and observe Aikido directly from Morihiro Saito Shihan who was the founders longest live in student for 23+ years.

‘Sensei David has been teaching Aikido for over two decades’

David Sensei has trained Aikido at various seminars throughout the world such as Denmark, Sweden, USA, Germany, Slovakia, Italy, Portugal, Japan and Canada. In 2005 in Lake Tahoe, he met Mark Larson Sensei, (Morihiro Saito Shihan’s student for nearly decade). Since then, David has travelled to Minnesota every year since 2008 to support Sensei Larson's mission in keeping Morihiro Saito Shihan’s Aikido alive as it was taught to him by O’Sensei, Morihei Ueshiba.

JIM SULLIVAN SENSEI 5th Dan

Tennessee, USA

Jim Sullivan Sensei has ranking in, 5th dan Aikido, 3rd dan Aiki Weapons, 2nd dan Shotokan Karate and 1st dan Kendo. Jim Sensei travels to Winnipeg annually to instruct Aikido classes at Tatami’s Winnipeg Aiki Shuren Dojo.

Sensei Jim holds a PhD in Exercise Physiology and coaches track and field. He has been practicing martial arts most of his life and has coached at a number of universities including: Southern Illinois; Mankato State; Minnesota State, Akita, Japan; Stanford; Penn State and the University of Tennessee.

‘Jim Sensei served as uchideshi in Iwama under Morihiro Saito’

After many years of studying Judo, Taekwondo and Karate, he began training in Aikido in 1996 with Shigeru Kawabe in Akita Japan. He acquired his Aikido 4th dan through the World Aikido Federation (Aikikai) headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. He served as uchideshi (live in Student) nine times in Iwama under Morihiro Saito and later Hitohira Saito. When teaching he focuses on traditional Iwama style Aikido with an emphasis on principles of budo, health and fitness. He is a member of and serves on the Board of Directors for the Iwama Takemusu Aikikai, founded by Chief Instructor Mark Larson and created by Morihiro Saito Shihan.