VWA Chief Instructor: Ishu Ishiyama Shihan, 7th dan

Ishu Ishiyama Shihan received shodan from Seiseki Abe Shihan (O-Sensei's calligraphy teacher), 2nd dan and 3rd dan from Bansen Tanaka Shihan, and 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th dan by the recommendation of the Shihans on the North American Aikido Federation Technical Directors Committee (esp. Yamada, Kanai, and Kawahara Senseis).

Ishu Ishiyama Shihan has been studying Aikido since 1968. He studied with the late Tanaka Shihan (one of O-Sensei's close pre-war disciples), who founded an Aikido dojo in 1936 which later became Osaka Aikikai Foundation. In North America, he trained closely with Kanai and Kawahara Senseis. He has studied with Yamada, Chiba, Tohei, Nakazono, and Saito Shihans, and received occasional instructions from the late Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba and the current Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba over the past 30 years.

Sensei has been teaching Aikido since 1973. In 1974, he was invited to teach Aikido by the then National Coach for Judo Canada (Nakamura Sensei) and founded Aikido Kensankai at his dojo, Shidokan Academy of Martial Arts, in Montreal. Sensei also began teaching Aikido at several dojos and colleges in and around Montreal. In 1979, Ishu Ishiyama Sensei was invited by the then chief instructor Gary Mols (a student of Yoshioka Sensei, Hawaii) to head the Victoria Aikikai (located in Victoria, B.C.) and its affiliated University of Victoria Aikido Club. Sensei has since conducted many seminars across Canada.

Sensei moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1986, and founded Vancouver West Aikikai (formerly known as Point Grey Aikikai). He later built a full-time Aikido dojo located in the Jericho Hill Centre building where he has been teaching Aikido taijutsu (body work) and weapons (Aiki-jo and Aiki-ken) regularly as the Chief Instructor and the Executive Director (dojo-cho). He and his senior students offer three Aikido programs for children, adult beginners and regular adult classes.

Ishiyama Sensei was awarded the designation of Shihan on July 10th, 2012 from Hombu, the center for International Aikido in Tokyo, Japan. The title of Shihan roughly translates to “Master Teacher”. Ishiyama Shihan is a member of the CAF (Canadian Aikido Federation) Examination Committee.

Ishiyama Sensei (left) with Kawahara Shihan, Technical Director of the Canadian Aikido Federation

Ishiyama Sensei with a photo of Morihei Ueshiba

Bansen Tanaka Shihan (1912 – 1988)

Ishiyama Sensei, Osaka, Japan, 1969

Kawahara Sensei and Ishiyama Sensei. Practising in Kyoto Park, 1975

Kawahara Sensei and Ishiyama Sensei. Practising in Kyoto Park, 1975

Kawahara Sensei and Ishiyama Sensei, Montreal, 1975

Tohei Sensei with Ishiyama Sensei (uke), 1975

Akira Tohei Sensei and Ishiyama Sensei, Montreal, 1977

Tanaka Sensei, Osaka Aikikai, 1981

Saito Sensei and Ishiyama Sensei, Calgary, 1986

Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba at his home, 1987

Ishiyama Sensei with Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba at Hombu Dojo, 1987

Ishiyama Sensei and Chiba Sensei in Vancouver, 1987

Kanai Sensei and Ishiyama Sensei, BC Summer Camp, 1993

Ishiyama Sensei doing ganseki otoshi at Kitsilano dojo, 2005

Ishiyama Sensei doing iriminage at Kitsilano dojo, 2005

Ishiyama Sensei performing kokyunage, 2005

Chief Priest Kaya from Tanashi Shrine performing Shinto Purification at Vancouver West Aikikai dojo, 2007

Yamada Sensei, Ishiyama Sensei and Tamura Sensei in Montreal, 2007

Ishiyama Sensei and Hayato Osawa Sensei in Victoria, 2008

Ishiyama Sensei at Vancouver West Aikikai dojo, 2009

Ishiyama Sensei with Aikido friends in Montreal, 2009

Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba and Vancouver West members at Hombu Dojo, 2010

Ishiyama Sensei, Yonetani Sensei and members of Kamakura Wakamiya Aikikai in Kamakura, Japan, 2010

Tada Sensei and Ishiyama Sensei, Hombu dojo, 2010

VWA Honourary Dojo-Cho: Kawahara Shihan, 8th dan

Yukio Kawahara Shihan
Aug. 14, 1940 - June 2, 2011

For many years, Kawahara Shihan was the Technical Director of the Canadian Aikido Federation and the British Columbia Aikido Federation, as well as a member of the North American Technical Committee. He had been designated by the Hombu Dojo in Japan as their official representative to Canada. Kawahara Shihan was also the Honourary Dojo-Cho of Vancouver West Aikikai. The members of Vancouver West Aikikai are immensely saddened he is no longer among us and they will long cherish his memory .

Kawahara Shihan was born in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, in 1940. He began Aikido at age 17 as a student of Bansen Tanaka Shihan in Osaka and became uchideshi. Kawahara Shihan was Assistant Instructor at Osaka Aikikai from 1960 to 1972.

Kawahara Sensei was dispatched by Tanaka Shihan to Taiwan as a resident Shihan at Taiwan Aikikai from 1972 to 1973. From 1973 to 1975 he was Deputy Shihan at Osaka Aikikai under Tanaka Shihan’s leadership, and also taught for various university Aikido clubs in the Kansai area of Japan. From 1975 to 1976 Kawahara Sensei became Shihan at Okayama Aikikai.

Kawahara Shihan came to Canada in 1975 (5th dan at that time), at the invitation of Ishiyama Sensei. Kawahara Shihan’s first two years in Canada were spent in Montreal, and then he re-located to the West Coast in 1977. As a Hombu-dispatched instructor, Kawahara Shihan taught extensively through North America, Japan and Europe. He worked with other Japanese Shihans such as Yamada, the late Chiba, the late Kanai, and the late Tohei Senseis. He taught summer camps in BC and Atlantic Canada and gave highly popular seminars throughout Canada and the world.

Kawahara Shihan passed away peacefully in Victoria on June 2, 2011, after many years of battling cancer. He was held in great respect and affection by all who knew him. He dedicated his entire life to Aikido, improving our lives through his teaching and by example. He will be sorely missed by all of us in the Aikido community.

Sensei's ashes were dispersed at a ceremony in T'souke.

Some archival videos of Kawahara Sensei may be found on the CAF YouTube channel, as well as in our video gallery .

VWA Instructors

Liz McKinlay, 5th dan, is the primary instructor for the Children's Program and an assistant instructor for the Regular Adults Program at VWA. She has been practising Aikido with Ishiyama Sensei since 1979. She practised Judo for 6 years before that.

Bruce Riddick, 5th dan, is an instructor for the Regular Adults Program at VWA. Bruce started learning Aikido in Victoria in 1985. His primary instructors have been Kawahara Shihan, Ishiyama Sensei, Paris Sensei, and Macphail Sensei. He attends many of the training seminars in B.C., and he has trained at Hombu dojo during several trips to Japan.

Ramin Arvin, 5th dan, started Aikido in Toronto at YMCA(Shugyo Dojo) with Fran Turner Sensei. Later he became a live-in student (uchideshi) with Donavan Waite Sensei. Ramin co-founder Naka Ima Aikikai in Toronto. Currently he trains at Mountain Coast Aikikai under Jobe Groote Sensei, and at VWA under Ishiyama Shihan.

Sharon Bader, 4th dan, started her Aikido training in 1991. She uses her Aikido experience in her daily life to help her stay focused and relaxed while moving smoothly with strength and stability.

Boris Mandlis, 3rd dan, began Aikido with Gadi Marcus Sensei (Israel) in 2002, continued with Frank Doran Shihan (California) from 2010 and joined VWA to train under Ishiyama Shihan in 2012.

Valentine Kabanets, 3rd dan, started practicing Aikido at VWA in 2005 under Ishiyama Shihan's guidance, obtaining his 1st dan in 2010, 2nd dan in 2013, and 3rd dan in 2017. Valentine's Aikido has also been influenced by other Aikido teachers, in particular, by Tada Shihan, Osawa Shihan, and Tissier Shihan.

Nadine Seepaul, 2nd dan, started Aikido in Toronto at Aikido Shugyo Dojo. She continued at Granville Aikikai (currently English Bay Aikikai) upon her return to Vancouver. She later became a member of VWA to train under Ishiyama Shihan.

Hannah Gatz-Miller, 1st dan, began Aikido in 2007 at Two Rivers Aikikai in Portland, Oregon, with Spiros Koyanis Sensei and Lynn Marshall Sensei. Before moving to B.C., she trained in Philadelphia, Edinburgh, and, most recently, at Albuquerque Shin-Budo Kai in New Mexico. Hannah started training at VWA under Ishiyama Shihan in 2017.

Megan Sekiya (she/her), 1st dan, has been practicing Aikido since 2015 when she joined Vancouver West Aikikai. She travels regularly to the US for training.