Steve Pimsler, 7th Dan Shihan
Chief Instructor of New York Aikikai
Personal story, January 9th, 2025
New York City 1964. The World’s Fair. A great exposition that introduced teflon cookware, nylon carpet, color TV, video conferencing, Diet Pepsi, the Monorail, the Ford Mustang and a young aikido instructor newly arrived from Japan named Yoshimitsu Yamada, who made his New York debut on a stage outside the Japan Pavillion.
He was sent to New York from Aikikai at the request of a small, not-for-profit aikido club located in the Chelsea district of Manhattan. And there he remained for nearly 60 years, building a world class dojo, the United States Aikido Federation and Sansuikai International. The details of his impressive history and accomplishments can be found in books and on the internet. But what I’ve been asked to talk about is Yamada Sensei’s legacy from the perspective of a student at his New York dojo.
A legacy is an inheritance. In the case of Yamada Sensei, that inheritance is both tangible and intangible. He left his dojo an energy, a love of training and a freedom of spirit hat has seeped into its very walls and is a part of the building as much as any wooden joist or steel beam. Yamada Sensei thrived in New York City; he fit right in to the excitement and daring of a city allows invention, reinvention and whatever future one can imagine. And maybe most of all, Yamada Sensei loved his students: The WWII vets who got exposure to martial arts serving in Japan; the dancers, musicians, artists and actors who were drawn to the power of aikido movement and to its creativity; the new age seekers of enlightenment; the crazies looking for the magic to vanquish devils with a single breath. And like the Statue of Liberty, Yamada Sensei welcomed them all. And they loved him right back. He never said much during class. Never gave much specific instruction. Never said you had to do a technique “his way”. But when he demonstrated irimi nage, it was electric. No need for words. He inspired on so many levels but maybe the most lasting inspiration he gave us was to train often, with a big heart, a big spirit and a big smile.
Yamada Sensei’s legacy for the New York Aikikai? “Make your aikido beautiful.”
