ATJB instructors have trained in Aikido for twenty to thirty-five years, and hold ranks from 3rd to 6th degree black belt. They are some of the highest ranking Aikido practitioners in the region, forming a diverse group of experienced and dedicated men and women of all ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds. They aspire to offer an exciting and martial expression of Aikido in an atmosphere of friendship and camaraderie. Following are a selection of their biographies.
Yasumasa Itoh, Rokudan, Chief Instructor
Yasumasa Itoh Sensei currently holds a sixth degree black belt in Aikido. He began his Aikido training in 1973, at the Musashi University Aikido club in Tokyo, under the instruction of Norihiko Ichihashi Shihan. He went on to become captain of the club. Following his graduation in 1978, Itoh Sensei came to Boston, where he began studying under Mitsunari Kanai Shihan. A dear friend and confidante of the late Kanai Shihan (who passed in March, 2004), Itoh Sensei joined with other senior instructors to spread Kanai Shihan's style and interpretation of Aikido.
Gilda Bruckman, Rokudan, Senior Instructor
Gilda Bruckman, a sixth degree black belt, has worked as a progressive activist for many years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A co-founder of the former New Words Bookstore and now of the New Words Institute, Bruckman first began practicing Aikido in 1974 under the instruction of Mitsunari Kanai Shihan.
I am particularly interested in Aikido's ability to help us know our own bodies and enable us to understand that power is not only the application of more and more muscle. Gaining the knowledge required to unify the body and mind is far more challenging than that required to simply overcome an opponent. The application of physical or 'muscle' power alone results in an imbalance in the mind-body relationship, an imbalance that can effect the decisions that people make when in conflict. Unifying the mind and body through practice, and maintaining that connection makes the practice of Aikido endlessly engaging and gives the practitioner much to pursue regardless of their physical strength and size. The added benefit is that this form of practice has many applications for the rest of our lives, not just those moments when faced with a physical conflict.
Gilda Bruckman
Joji Sawa, Yondan, Senior Instructor
Joji Sawa, a forth degree black belt, was born and educated in Tokyo, Japan, and runs a technical communications business offering interpretation and translation services. Sawa started practicing Aikido in 1981 with Mitsunari Kanai Shihan.
The more I try to describe what Aikido is, the more it slips away from what I think it is. Aikido starts once you step on the mat, and it ends when you leave the mat. Aikido can be 'discussed' most fruitfully through the physical exchange between Nage and Uke. Of course, all Aikido practitioners are entitled to philosophize about Aikido. However, your development is attained through practice. I think this is the essence of Aikido. I encourage everyone to practice before philosophizing. This is the most beneficial approach.
Joji Sawa
Betsy Rodman, Yondan, Senior Instructor
Betsy Rodman, a fourth degree black belt, is a telephonic triage nurse and health educator in a community health center. She began practicing Aikido in 1982 under Mitsunari Kanai Shihan.
For me the practice of Aikido has provided an environment where I can grow on many levels, both physically and spiritually. The longer I practice, the more I find there is to learn, and that is an exciting feeling. It is important in Aikido to maintain a beginner's mind, to remain receptive to learn new techniques and old techniques in new ways. Doing so reminds all serious practitioners that a dan grade or black belt is merely the beginning of the journey, not the destination. Practicing in this way has afforded me the opportunity to be focused, inwardly and outwardly strong, and humble. It is this feeling or philosophy that I try to share in my practice and my teaching.
Betsy Rodman
Don LaLiberty, Sandan, Senior Instructor, Chief Iaido Instructor
Don LaLiberty holds a third degree black belt in both Aikido and Iaido, a sword art, and teaches both at ATJB. He began practicing Aikido in 1988, and Iaido in 1992. For LaLiberty, Aikido is a physical practice, not a verbal one. He finds that a productive practice for him is a quiet yet vigorous workout where both partners are tuned into one another. For LaLiberty, that is when Aikido is the most alive for him. As for Iaido, an intense sword art...
Not sure why I continue to practice Iaido. You can make fine progress in Aikido without ever doing Iaido. It requires extra equipment, extra time and extra effort beyond your Aikido commitment. You will never use it outside of a training session. It can be hard on one's knees, elbows and shoulders, and you do not have a partner to let you know immediately if you did it right or wrong.
Don LaLiberty
Difficult as Iaido is to master, the quiet intensity of the art coupled with the explosive movements of unsheathing the sword and completing a kata is mesmerizing to watch and addictive to Iaido students. Trained by master swordsman Mitsunari Kanai Shihan, LaLiberty continues to spread the art of Iaido to all interested students.