Michele Benzamin-Miki Sensei is biracial, of Japanese and European-American heritage. She has a Fifth Degree Black belt in Aikido through the Aiki-Kai Federation, Hombu Dojo Japan, and a Fifth Degree Black belt in Aiki Toho Iaido through the Japan Iaido Federation, both under Shoji Nishio Sensei her lineage teacher.
Formerly Vice-President of the International Shinrenbukai Federation, a US based organization in Sosho Ryu Iaido. She has a Fifth Degree Black belt through Masakazu Tazaki Sensei.
She is also a member of The Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists (PAWMA), The National Women’s Martial Arts Federation (NWMAF),and The Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors (AWMAI) and periodically teaches at their training camps held on both the West and East Coasts. She is also a member of Jujitsu America (JA).
Koji Yoshida Shihan has been a direct student of Shoji Nishio Shihan for over 33 years. He holds the rank of 7th Dan in Aikido, 7th dan Renshi in Iaido, and 7th Dan in Aikido Toho Iai. He has been appointed by Nishio Shihan to represent his work in the United States and Europe. He is Michele Sensei’s current lineage teacher.
Masakazu Tazaki Sensei was born in Tokyo, Japan, on July 27, 1945. He has studied the martial arts for more than 40 years. He has been a student of Nishio Sensei for over 39 years in both Aikido and Iaido. He had the honor to first serve as uke (demonstration partner) in 1967 and on several other occasions during the following year. He has taught Aikido and Iaido in the United States and Mexico for the past 20 years.He is one of few direct students of Nishio Sensei teaching outside of Japan today. He is Founder and President of the International Sosho Shinrenbukai Federation, 6th Dan in Aikido, 6th Dan in Aikido Toho Iai through the All Japan Iaido Federation, 3rd Dan in Kodachi and Choken Goshindo and Karatedo 1st Dan.
Shoji Nishio Shihan, a direct student of O’Sensei, was born in Aomori, Japan, December 5,1927 and passed recently in 2005. Nishio Sensei started training in Judo at the Senbadojo in Tokyo in 1942, and on September 1st, 1945 began training at the Kodokan in Tokyo. He continued his study of martial arts by beginning to practice Shizenryu Karate in Tokyo and on January 1st, 1979, he was promoted to 8th Dan in Aikido.
In addition to his many other accomplishments Nishio Sensei is the founder of Aikido Toho Iaido. This style of Iaido is in direct relationship to Aikido movements and uses the sword to cut a path of non-harming, following in O’Sensei’s desire to take the war out of our hearts in training. He is a Japan Iaido Federation Master with the ranking of 7th Dan. He currently holds high levels of Black-belts in many martial arts, such as 6th Dan in Judo, and 5th Dan in Karatedo. In January 2003 in Tokyo Nishio Sensei received the Distinguished Martial Arts Award from the “Budokan” Japanese Martial Arts Organization.
O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, Aikido’s founder, was born in Tanabe City, Japan, on December 14, 1883.
In 1931 Morihei opened the Kobukan in Tokyo and established a dojo, giving instructions in Aiki-Budo. This was a period of great political and social turmoil in Japan, and when Japan began gearing up for war, this distressed Morihei. He was acutely aware of the contradiction between his contention that Budo was a way of love that fostered peace and preserved life and the massive death and destruction inherent in waging war.
True Budo is the one that defeats an enemy without sacrificing a single man. Even in war, the taking of a human life is to be avoided as much as possible. Give peace a chance each and every time you are faced with a confrontation. Morihei Ueshiba. Budo Renshu (1933)
Morihei worked behind the scenes to try to head off a war between the United States and Japan, a subversive act in the eyes of the military police that could have led to his arrest for treason. Morihei’s message largely fell on deaf ears.
After Japan’s crushing defeat, one military man confessed, “If we had really understood what Morihei was teaching us we would never have become embroiled in such a stupid war.” In 1942, pleading serious illness, Morihei resigned all his official positions and retired to his farm in Iwama in Ibaraki Prefecture.
It was in this year, one of the darkest in modern history, that Morihei vowed to dedicate himself to what he now called Aikido, “the Way of Harmony and the Art of Peace.”
In 1945 the war came to its disastrous conclusion for Japan, and the country was in ruins. Morihei recovered his health and announced the new goal for the warriors of Aikido: “We will train to prevent war, to protect the environment, and to serve society.”
Morihei spent much of his time in prayer, meditation,and practice, but he did also manage to travel extensively on instruction tours (including one to Hawaii in 1961). Right to the end of his life, Morihei was constantly refining his technique and expanding his art.
“This old man still has to train and train,” he told his students. He died peacefully on April 26,1969.
His final words of instruction to his students were:” Aikido is for the entire world. It is not for selfish and destructive purposes. Train unceasingly for the welfare of all.”
A lineage to look up to and be inspired by.