Lineage
Aikido of Arlington
O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba (–)
Founder of Aikido
Aikido was founded by Japan's Morihei Ueshiba, honorifically referred to as O'sensei. As a youth, Ueshiba studied many different martial arts and weapons styles. Although he became strong and won many matches, he was troubled by the idea that winning at someone else's expense was not really winning. As a result, he searched for a martial art which would divert harm from one's self without inflicting permanent injury on an aggressor. In this way, Aikido was born as the “Art of Peace”.
Morihiro Saito sensei (–)
Morihiro Saito (9th dan) began training under O'sensei in 1946 and continued to train directly under him until the founder's death in . Before passing away in , Saito sensei turned over the responsibility of teaching at Iwama to his son Hitohiro (now Hitohira). Hitohira leads Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai.
Pat Hendricks shihan
Pat Hendricks (7th dan) began studying Aikido in with Stan Pranin and Mary Heiny. She moved to Iwama, Japan in to study with Saito sensei from whom she earned a menkyo kaiden in weapons. Hendricks served as Saito sensei's representative in the U.S. and runs the Iwama division of the California Aikido Association (CAA), of which Aikido of Arlington is part, as well as her own dojo, Aikido of San Leandro. Hendricks sensei has been a close friend and mentor to Aikido of Arlington.
Aikido of Arlington
Est. by sensei Don Lyon (-)
Sensei Yvonne Thelwell (6th dan, dojo cho) is assisted by yudansha: Scott Aune (3rd dan), Sean Palka (3rd dan), Dave Kohls (3rd dan), Teresa Liao (2nd dan), Roger Glasgow (2nd dan), Sarah Gunther (2nd dan), and Vladimir Yankov (1st dan).
