Shishida Sensei, 8th Dan, to Teach at Vassar College

September 2003 through June 2004

Fumiaki Shishida, one of the world's highest ranking Aikido practitioners and also one of Japan's leading Martial Arts historians, will teach Aikido at Vassar College during the 2003-2004 school year. 

Professor Shishida is on sabbatical from his teaching duties at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.  He is spending his year off spreading Aikido around the world, and has seminars scheduled in four countries as well as several US cities.  Fortunately for Vassar students, the vast majority of his time will be spent in Poughkeepsie, teaching them Aikido.

Professor Shishida holds an 8th degree black belt in Shodokan (Tomiki) Aikido.  As one of the two highest ranking practitioners of Tomiki Aikido, he serves as the Shihan for Eastern Japan (the Kanto area).  He was also the man chosen to lead Tomiki Sensei's dojo at Waseda university after Tomiki Sensei's death in 1979, and is the co-author of Aikido: Tradition and the Competitive Edge.