Master (Shihan) Saotome is one of only a handful of people who were privileged to be personal students (uchi deshi) of the Founder of Aikido. Saotome Shihan studied with the Founder from about 1955 until the Founder died in 1969. He was a prominent instructor at World Aikido Headquarters in Japan when he decided, in 1975, to move to this country in order to spread aikido here. Beginning in a small dojo in Sarasota, Florida, Saotome Shihan now heads a large national organization, Aikido Schools of Ueshiba, and makes frequent trips abroad to conduct seminars. His aikido is inventive, flexible and inspiring. We consider ourselves fortunate to be his students.
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