-Iwama style includes the combined study (riai) of traditional Japanese weapons (bukiwaza), specifically Aiki-jō (staff) and Aiki-ken (sword), and of empty-handed aikido (taijutsu). Among non-Iwama practitioners, a common opinion is that Iwama style mainly is Morihei Ueshiba's aikido of the 1940s and 1950s not taking into consideration his later years; this viewpoint is considered to be too simpli
stic by Iwama-style practitioners...
-Dento Iwama Ryu Aikido opened at the direction of Dennis Tatoian Sensei to propagate O'Sensei's Aikido in the kota kinabalu. Our Keiko is patterned at the way Aikido is being taught by O'Sensei in Iwama as handed to us by Morihiro Saito Sensei. Saito Sensei, the longest serving student of O'Sensei, is acclaimed to be the master of Aiki Ken and Aiki Jo, the Iwama Aikido weapons curriculum taught by the Founder of Aikido. Our dojo name Dento Iwama Ryu Aikido is the Japanese word for the Traditional Iwama Ryu Aikido.
-Dennis Tatoian Sensei ,7th dan Shin-shin Aiki-shuren-kai started Aikido training with Gozo Shioda Sensei in 1965. In 1969 he was transferred to Sagami-Ono where he trained with Sugawara Sensei and began going to Iwama to train with Morihiro Saito Sensei, under whom he trained from 1970 - 1977. He translated Volumes Three and Four of Saito Sensei's "Traditional Aikido" texts.
