6th Dan Aikikai, Meikikai Dojo, Lausanne, Switzerland
I met Yamada Sensei for the first time during a seminar in Lesneven; I was 18 years old at the time. It was also during that seminar that I met Malcolm Tiki Shewan, who would later become my teacher and whom I eventually assisted. That double encounter had a profound impact on my aikido journey.
Later on, I continued to follow Yamada Sensei’s teaching during seminars in Switzerland and France — particularly in Lesneven and La Colle-sur-Loup. I would attend La Colle-sur-Loup very regularly, and from there, go directly to the seminar in Bernau am Chiemsee. This allowed me to attend three major seminars with both Yamada Sensei and Tamura Sensei. At Bernau, Yamada Sensei’s teaching had a particular prominence. It also increased the chances of being uke for him — an experience that was always precious and striking, as it allowed me to feel in my own body what he was trying to transmit.
For a long time, the seminars at La Colle-sur-Loup and Bernau took place back to back, making it possible to engage in intensive aikido practice. At Bernau, I would go with Malcolm Tiki Shewan, whom I assisted during the kenjutsu and iaidō classes, which complemented the aikidō taught by Yamada Sensei. I made it a point of honor to attend all the aikidō classes, including those offered by other instructors, which provided a great diversity of styles and approaches. I must admit, however, that I never managed to wake up for the very first class of the morning.
What always struck me was the kindness and joy that Yamada Sensei radiated in Bernau. He seemed very different from the person I saw in Lesneven or La Colle-sur-Loup. It was clear that he had a special affection for that seminar: he was more relaxed, very welcoming, and seemed to genuinely enjoy the atmosphere. It was also in Bernau that Yamada Sensei invited me to test for my 5th dan — a deeply meaningful moment for me.
Later, the two seminars began to take place during the same week, and Malcolm could no longer attend Bernau. Jochen then asked me to take over his class, knowing that I was close to Malcolm Tiki Shewan, that I was already well accustomed to the seminar, and that the previous year I had had to step in to teach in his absence. That first experience went very well, and Jochen, with Malcolm Tiki Shewan’s agreement, invited me to take over the teaching of kenjutsu and iaidō during the seminar. The first time I was fully responsible for a kenjutsu class during the week, Yamada Sensei came to see me and congratulated me on the work I was doing with the students. Knowing that he was there was, of course, a source of stress, but above all, a source of immense pride.
Unfortunately, I have no photo of myself with him. I was always too shy to ask. But perhaps that too is a kind of silent respect — one that reflects who I am. What I experienced at his side remains deeply embedded in me. Beyond any image.
All of these moments, small and great, now make up my memories of Yamada Sensei: his kind gaze, his quiet sense of humor, his calm and contagious serenity. He left a mark on generations of practitioners, and I was lucky enough to cross paths with him. That bond, born in the dōjō, continues to live on in me today.
