USAF Shihan

A Shihan in the United States Aikido Federation (USAF) is a high-ranking instructor of Aikido, holding the rank of at least 6th dan, associated with Aikikai Hombu Dojo through the USAF. Initially, the only Shihan in America came directly from Hombu Dojo, but since 2004, several notable North American instructors have been granted the title by Hombu Dojo as well. A distinction is usually made between the two groups, as the North American Shihan are all students of the initial group of Shihan sent by Hombu Dojo. The USAF is one of several American aikido organizations with direct ties to the Aikikai Hombu Dojo.

For a period of several years in the late 1980s and 1990s, a Shihan-kai was held every two years at the dojo of the late Akira Tohei Sensei in Chicago, Illinois, at which an aikido seminar was conducted for attendees.

Historical Background

The term Shihan is often used in budo. The word means teacher or model. It should be noted that the Shihan system is separate from (but more or less coupled with) that of dan rank. A translation of its current usage within Aikido would be that of "Master Teacher." It is what some would consider equivalent to a terminal degree of Aikido, and thus the term Shihan has sometimes been translated as Professor. This practice was more common in the early days of Aikido's influx into America, and has been falling into disuse as the general knowledge of Japanese Terminology becomes more widespread. In Aikido, it specifically refers to teachers of high rank who have been given the authority to award dan rank above that of 1st dan to aikido students upon the successful completion of a regimented set of testing requirements.

Below Shihan are the titles Shidoin (Journeyman Instructor, or Second-level Instructor) and Fuku-Shidoin (Assistant Instructor). Generally, Fuku-Shidoin and Shidoin certification is awarded by a national organization for testing and training purposes. Fuku-Shidoin are at least of dan rank, but usually 2nd or 3rd dan and teach in some capacity at a dojo. Shidoin are generally at least 4th dan or higher, and either perform the roles of Chief Instructor or a Senior Instructor at their dojo. According to USAF policy, Fuku-shidoin certification allows the holder to promote students up to the rank of 1st kyu, Shidoin certification allows the holder to promote up to 2nd dan, while Shihan allows for even higher promotion privileges. In most cases, higher-level dan promotion tests occur in the presence of several shihan; as such, it is common practice in America to take a dan test at a larger regional seminar.

The title was generally given by the Doshu to Aikido Instructors in Japan upon reaching the rank of 6th dan, but it was unclear about whether Western instructors could receive the title of Shihan as well. In 2004, Claude Berthiaume received the title of Shihan from Aikikai Hombu Dojo, and subsequently, several of the USAF's senior instructional staff have been awarded the title as well. In 2005, Hombu Dojo issued regulations concerning the awarding of the title of Shihan to non-Japanese instructors, shuffling away with at least some of the ambiguity surrounding the awarding of the title.

Notable exceptions to this practice were Sadao Yoshioka and Robert Aoyagi, two of the first non-Japanese instructors to receive the title, both of whom received it in the 20th century. These exceptions were made for several reasons. While both have American Citizenship, both are of Japanese descent. Concurrent with their respective receiving of the title of Shihan, each was serving as head instructor of Aikido of Honolulu, one of the few places outside of Japan visited by aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba and blessed by him in-person upon its opening. Both instruct in Hawaii, the first place outside of Japan where Aikido was introduced in its modern, post-war form.

Kazuo Chiba's dojo in San Diego, California offers a unique kenshusei program, which is inclusive of an indefinite training regimen that certified Shidoin may enroll in order to obtain the title of Shihan. At first, these titles were only recognized by Birankai, the trans-national Aikido Organization headed by Kazuo Chiba himself, but since the 2005 statement by Hombu Dojo, these titles were certified by Hombu as well. The course is quite stringent, requisites of which include a strong proficiency in zen meditation and batto-ho iaido, and spending several months at Aikikai Hombu Dojo, located in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Nikkei Shihan

*Akira Tohei
*Yoshimitsu Yamada
*Kazuo Chiba
*Mitsunari Kanai
*Seiichi Sugano
*Sadao Yoshioka (later formed the Hawaii Aikido Federation)
*Robert Aoyagi (assumed control of the USAF Hawaii Region, now defunct)
*Ichiro Shibata
*

American Shihan

*Claude Berthiaume
*Peter Bernath
*Shigemi "Eddie" Hagihara (Longest Active Aikido Teacher in New York)
*Harvey Konigsberg
*Paul Sylvain (posthumous)
*Clyde Takeguchi
*Donovan Waite
*Andrew Demko
*Robert Zimmermann
*Kristina Varjan (Birankai, formerly USAF-Western Region)
*Lorraine DiAnne (Birankai, formerly USAF-Western Region)
*Pablo Vasquez (Birankai, formerly USAF-Western Region)
*Michael Flynn (Birankai, formerly USAF-Western Region)
*Darrell Bluhm (Birankai, formerly USAF-Western Region)
*Juba Nour (Birankai, formerly USAF-Western Region)
*Jack Arnold (Birankai, formerly USAF-Western Region)
*Gloria Eiko Nomura (Birankai, formerly USAF-Western Region) Chief Instructor, Aikido Institute of San Francisco, Daly City, California.
*Elizabeth A. Lynn (Birankai, formerly USAF-Western Region) Chief Instructor, Eastshore Aikikai, El Sobrante, California.
*Robert Nadeau, student of Morihei Ueshiba - Founder of California Aikido Association, not part of USAF
*Frank Doran, student of Morihei Ueshiba - Founder of California Aikido Association, not part of USAF

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