 |
| Damon Apodaca Sensei demonstrating shihonage |
Damon Apodaca Sensei is the Dojo-Cho of Newport Aikikai (Enshinkan Dojo)
in Newport, Rhode Island. Apodaca Sensei was instrumental in the stabilization
of Zenshinkan Dojo after the death of its founder Edward Haupt Sensei. Originally
from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Apodaca Sensei began his training in Aikido and
Kototama at age 14, under the direction of Masahilo Nakazono Shihan. After
Professor Nakazono retired from Aikido, Apodaca Sensei moved to San Diego,
California, where he became a student of T. Kazuo Chiba Shihan. After earning
his nidan rank and training for six years with Chiba Shihan, Apodaca Sensei
founded the UCSD Aikido Club and was an assistant instructor at Sunset Cliff's
Aikido, an Iwama Style dojo. It was here that he received his first and
second level instructor certification in Iwama Style Weapons from Morihiro
Saito Sensei, the longest term uchi-deshi to O-Sensei. After traveling around
northern California and training with instructors such as Robert Nadeau,
Frank Doran, and Patricia Hendricks, Apodaca Sensei would move back to Santa
Fe to open a dojo that was unaffiliated. It was called Roninkai Aikido.
After two years in Santa Fe, Apodaca Sensei joined the Aikido Association
of America under the direction of Fumio Toyoda Shihan and earned his sandan
rank. With a flurry of Aikido growing in the South West and a barren landscape
of Aikido dojo in the North East, Apodaca Sensei traveled to Newport, Rhode
Island to found Newport Aikikai (also known as Enshinkan Dojo) and build
what is today a thriving group of Aikido practitioners in the Newport area.
Currently, Apodaca Sensei continues to run Newport Aikikai as a full-time instructor
and has joined the United States Aikido Federation (USAF) under the direction of
Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan, from whom he has earned his godan rank.
As a friend of Haupt Sensei, Apodaca Sensei accepted the Chief Instructor role at Zenshinkan Aikido Dojo after his death. For nearly two years, Apodaca Sensei brought the Zenshinkan students over 26 years of Aikido experience, having trained under four Shihan, all of whom trained with the founder of Aikido, O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba. A dedicated practitioner of Aiki Weapons, Apodaca Sensei holds various levels of instructor certification, granted by Saito Shihan in both Aiki-Ken and Aiki-Jo weapons. The weapons that Apodaca Sensei taught continue to be a part of our practice at Zenshinkan Dojo. His dynamic and powerful technique raised the quality of Aikido at Zenshinkan and improved the teaching methodology of the current instructors.
|
