Shudokan Aikido Association Master Instructor - Hiroshi Kato, 8th Degree Black Belt
Born in Tokyo 1935, Kato-sensei began Aikido training in 1954 at Aikido World Headquarters under the instruction of the Founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, otherwise known as O’Sensei. Introduced to the Aikikai Hombu Dojo through his mother’s network of connections when he was 19, he trained there daily as well as spending long hours perfecting his personal practice. Working during the day as a printer, he attended classes at night. (For this reason he was unable to be an uchideshi, and does not appear in early photographs with them.) He has continued to train for over 55 years at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo; although in recent years, he primarily teaches at his Suginami Aikikai dojo, but he still attends special events at Aikido World Headquarters.
After his first 10 years at Hombu Dojo, Kato Sensei occasionally had chances to personally serve the Founder. He is grateful for those opportunities to have had personal interaction with O'Sensei. Even now he continues to realize new and very real implications of what the Founder told him many years ago. He is still pursuing Aikido through the Founder’s image, as according to Kato Sensei, “To me, the Founder is not dead. He is still alive in my mind and in my heart.”
Kato Sensei has been attending Doshu’s class for three generations: the Founder, the second Doshu, and the current third Doshu. He received his first 6 black belts from the Founder and his next 2 black belts from the second Doshu.
His self-training in Aikido has been ascetic. In his early years, he often used to practice weapons by himself through the night, greet sunrise the next morning, and then go to work again.
Kato Sensei's Aikido has a measure of personal spirituality to it. Before every class, Kato Sensei has the practice of coming early to the dojo to meditate. Since he was a youth he has visited mountain shrines and stayed up all night practicing weapons and meditating.
Kato Sensei regards O’Sensei with utmost respect and considers him to be his only teacher. He states that the Founder didn’t teach him directly, rather that he learned from the Founder. Kato Sensei believes that others cannot teach us Aikido, it is something we must learn ourselves from others. He sums this up by saying, "Aikido is not something to learn from others, but to learn by oneself. Ideally, the practice should be for oneself, and it should be rigorous and sternly self-disciplined, by one’s own choice."
In 1965, an informal practice group named Yagyu-kai was formed under his guidance and direction. Most of the members were black belt holders and he enjoyed teaching, hard training, and lively conversation after practice.
In 1987, he formally established Suginami Aikikai in Ogikubo, Suginamiku, as a branch dojo under Aikikai Hombu Dojo. The former Yagyu-kai was then incorporated into Suginami Aikikai. At this time, he continued to train at the Aikikai Hombu dojo.
Several years ago, he retired from his work as a printer and now teaches Aikido full time.
In 1994, he received 8th dan and in the same year, he began to teach Aikido in the US. Currently he travels to North America to teach Aikido at his branch dojos in California, Texas, and Mexico twice a year. He also offers seminars at other Aikikai affiliated dojos as a guest instructor such as his recent visits to Brazil and Venezuela in South America. Recently, Kato Sensei has also been petitioned by dojos in other nations as well and he has received dojos in Mexico and in Indonesia as his affiliates. Kato Sensei now has over 80 affiliate dojos throughout the world.
From 1999 through 2001, he received commendation for his contribution of promoting Aikido in Houston from the Mayor of Houston, Texas.
In 2001, “Suginami Aikikai” received commendation from the Governor of Tokyo as an Excellent Organization. This year, he also began to teach Aikido at the OASIS Sports Center in Tokyo. That program continues, and is expanding.
Reflecting its depth and maturity as a dojo, there are now quite a few high level yudansha (such as 6th, 7th, 8th dans) in Suginami Aikikai, and new members are steadily joining. As in his early days, he enjoys intense training with everyone. Members both in Tokyo and abroad have been enjoying brisk international exchanges, as visitors from various dojos come to train with him in Tokyo.
Truly “every person’s" aikidoist, Kato Sensei exemplifies one who has persevered in his own practice, was recognized, and rose to high rank on his own merit. Like most of us “normal people,” he is a person who worked a regular job and trained in what spare time was available, persevering by training hard and never giving up.
Kato Sensei is a living resource as an authentic link to modern Aikido's
origins. That is attested by the fact that his Aikido World Headquarters card number is the number 6.
Succinctly, Kato Sensei is a superb and creative guide for his students in establishing “Wa” (harmony), both in spirit, in daily life and in Aikido.
Kato Shihan visits the Shudokan Aikido Association dojos twice a year in Texas to teach and conduct Aikikai rank testing.
Shudokan Aikido Association Technical Advisor - Yasuhiro Sakahara, 4th Degree Black Belt
Yasuhiro Sakahara was born in 1979 in Kamogawa City in the Chiba prefecture in Japan. He graduated from Dokkyo University with a degree in German in the late 1990's. It was there that he first learned about Aikido and he joined the University Aikido Club led by Nobuyuki Watanabe Sensei, 8th dan. Sakahara Sensei later spent time in Germany to further his studies in the language and there met and trained under Shihan Katsuaki Asai. After returning to Japan, he continued his Aikido training at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo where he studied under Doshu and the other major teachers at Aikido World Headquarters. It was there that he met Hiroshi Kato Shihan and decided to train under Kato Sensei at the Suginami Aikikai in Ogikubo, Suginami-ku.
At Kato Shihan's direction, he has taken teaching duties serving as an instructor of Aikido at the Oasis Sports Center. Sakahara Sensei occasionally substitute teaches for Kato Shihan's classes when he is overseas doing seminars.
In the last three years, he has been privileged to accompany Kato Shihan on his visits to the U.S. having visited San Francisco, Palo Alto, and San Jose, California. In the last two years, he has begun to accompany Kato Shihan to the Texas seminars where he has visited Houston, Midland, and Corpus Christi serving as the principal uke to receive Kato Shihan's techniques. Recently, he also traveled to Mexico accompanying Kato Sensei to his Seminars there.
In October 2006, Sakahara Sensei accepted the position of Technical Advisor for the Shudokan Aikido Association. He will be serving as a technical liaison between the Association and Kato Shihan in Japan and will keep us informed of the latest developments in Aikido from Japan.
Sakahara Sensei is also a practitioner of Brazilian Jujitsu and he has trained in mixed martial arts as well. Under the guidance of Kato Shihan, Sakahara Sensei has sought to elevate his Aikido to the highest level by studying and comparing Aikido techniques and principles to those of other martial arts. By taking Aikido waza to reality based training formats, Sakahara sensei hopes to improve himself at every level in order deepen his understanding and penetrate the essence of Aikido waza.
In the first part of 2007, Sakahara Sensei received two great honors. The first was that Shihan Hiroshi Kato promoted him to 4th degree black belt in Aikido. Sakahara Sensei has proven to be one of the bright lights among the young deshis at the Suginami Aikikai.
The second honor was that he placed first in the blue belt division of a tournament in Brazilian Jujitsu. Soon afterward, his instructor awarded him the purple belt in Brazilian Jujitsu thus making him an instructor in the art. In November of 2007, Sakahara-san placed 2nd in the grappling (no gi jiu-jitsu) East Japan tournament in an open weight class.
In 2008 Sakahara san was promoted to brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu after he placed 2nd in the light weight Class (Purple belt) at the De la Riva Cup East Japan Tournament. He placed 1st in light weight class (purple belt) All Japan Open Tournament and 2nd place in Open Weight class (purple belt). In early 2010, Sakahara placed first in the brown belt division of the All East Japan Brazilian Jiujitsu Tournament.
Sakahara Sensei has worked very hard in order to reach these levels in these difficult martial arts and we in Shudokan are very proud of his efforts and accomplishments.
Sakahara Sensei visits Texas twice a year spending 30 days a year advising and updating SAA instructors and acting as a special guest instructor in the dojos of the Shudokan Aikido Association.
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Shudokan School of Aikido Chief Instructor - Jorge Garcia, 4th Degree Black Belt
Jorge Garcia began his practice of Aikido in 1995 at the Corpus Christi Aikikai under Sensei Eddie Martinez in the Midwest Aikido Federation led by Akira Tohei Shihan, 8th Dan. Jorge was privileged to train in seminars under Tohei Sensei and was received his early kyu rankings directly from him. In 1998, the Garcia's moved to Houston,Texas where Jorge first attended a seminar taught by Hiroshi Kato Shihan. After experiencing Kato Sensei's powerful Aikido, Jorge decided to dedicate himself to Kato Shihan's teachings and he continued to train under Kato Shihan's supervision since.
In January of 2004, Jorge received permission from Kato Shihan to establish the Shudokan School of Aikido and Kato Shihan personally approved the name "Shudokan" for our dojo.
In the spring of 2004, wanting to learn more about the roots of Aikido, Jorge also became a student of Daito ryu Aikijujutsu Roppokai. He was one of four founding members of an officially sanctioned Roppokai Aikijujutsu private study group in the city of Houston, Texas. The Houston Roppokai Study group is authorized by Soshi Seigo Okamoto from Tokyo, Japan and is supervised by the Regional leader of the Southern USA Regional Headquarters of the Roppokai, Jose Lopez (4th dan, Jun Dairi Kyoju) from Fort Worth, Tx.
In the Spring of 2007, due to the growing needs of the Shudokan Aikido Association, Jorge voluntarily withdrew from the Roppokai so as to concentrate fully on Aikido. Jorge is deeply grateful to Seigo Okamoto Shoshi and to Sempai Jose Lopez for allowing him to study Daito ryu Roppokai. Jorge respects this fine martial tradition wishes his former classmates the best.
In February of 2005, at the invitation of Dojo-cho Michael Wise, Jorge began teaching Aikido at the Shindokan dojo in west Houston. This dojo became a satellite dojo of the Shudokan School of Aikido and a member dojo of the Shudokan Aikido Association family of dojos and experienced steady growth.
In the spring of 2005, Jorge began studying Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido in the Houston San Shin Kai with Craig Hocker Sensei. The Houston San Shin Kai is under the auspices of the North American San Shin Kai directed by Shihan Roger Wehrhahn and was overseen by the late Grandmaster Takeshi Mitsuzuka of the San Shin Kai of Tokyo, Japan. In April of 2007, Jorge voluntarily withdrew from the Houston San Shin Kai. Jorge's participation in his many Aikido activities would not allow him the time for him to attend the various Iaido activites. Jorge trains privately in Muso Shinden ryu Iaido every day.
In the fall of 2005, at the invitation of Dojo Cho Rick Torres, Jorge began teaching Aikido at the dojo of Torres Sensei in Victoria,Texas. With the help of other instructors, Jorge made sure the Victoria dojo had black belt instruction until Rick Torres was able to test for Shodan.
The new Aikido group was named Ikuseikan by Kato Sensei and is now led by Torres Sensei in their new facility, the Integrity Martial Arts dojo founded by Rick Torres Sensei.
In May of 2007, Jorge resigned his "day job" and became a full time Aikido Instructor.
Since 2007, Jorge has combined his two dojos, the Shudokan School of Aikido and the Shindokan dojo into one group. He closed the YMCA program and combined it with the Highway 6 dojo and then moved to the Fry Road location. After realizing that this location was not good for the dojo, Jorge along with the financial help and advice of Russell Thomas, Samuel Biggs, Jorge Verar, and Mike Wise led the new united group to the current Kieth Harrow location. It is here that he hopes to rebuild the group, stronger than ever before in a new day for the Shudokan School of Aikido in Houston. This Aikido group now has its own location, secure in its pursuit of Aikido in the future. In the first year at the new location, the dojo has grown to 60 students and shows continued signs of strong growth and is on its way to becoming one of the strongest dojos in the Houston area.
Since 1998, Jorge has been privileged to have studied in 36 seminars led by Kato Shihan, each ranging from 10, and up to 29 days at a time. In total, Jorge has attended over 60 Aikido training seminars, all with master level instructors and in the last decade, he has trained in seminars with most of the leading instructors of the art in this country.
On March 19, 2009, the Shudokan Aikido Association met for their 5th Anniversary dinner in Houston, Texas. At that dinner, Jorge was presented a special black belt by Yasuhiro Sakahara that had the words "Shudokan" on one side and on the other side, the words "Garcia Kansho". Jorge was deeply honored by this special gift. That weekend, the Shudokan Aikido Association received Hiroshi Kato in seminar in Texas for the 8th time. At this seminar, Jorge was tested by Hiroshi Kato Shihan and was awarded the 4th degree black belt in Aikido.
Jorge teaches every day of the week and he does his personal training in Aikido at the advanced classes and in private classes with his senior students.
Jorge has been married for 31 years to his lovely wife Patricia, who is the dojo secretary and she accompanies him every day as he teaches and trains in Aikido.
Shudokan Auxiliary Instructor-John Stephen Garcia, 3rd Degree Black Belt 
John Stephen Garcia began practicing Aikido in July of 1995 in the Midwest Aikido Federation led by Akira Tohei Shihan, 8th Dan. He trained diligently at the Corpus Christi Aikikai under Eddie Martinez Sensei for four years and and as a teenager, he was given his first adult Aikido ranking directly by Akira Tohei Shihan. After moving to Houston in 1998, he continued his training under Senseis Tom Oreck and Rick Laue at the Tumbleweed Aikikai and then under Sensei Nelson Andujar, 6th Dan of the Nations Aikikai where he not only trained in Aikido but also in Miyama Ryu Jujitsu for a short time.
It was during this time period that he attended a seminar taught by Hiroshi Kato Shihan from Tokyo, Japan and he experienced the power of Kato Shihan's technique. For the next 5 years, he continued to train and practice the things he learned in that seminar and was able to train personally with Kato Shihan in many seminars in Houston, Corpus Christi, and San Francisco.
In March of 2001, Kato Shihan promoted John Stephen to first degree black belt. In October of 2004, Kato Sensei promoted John to second degree black belt.
Since 2002, John Stephen's employment has been working in various positions with companies specializing in internal security and has had many opportunities to test his martial arts skills in real life situations.
John Stephen has traveled to many places to train under the foremost instructors of Aikido in the U.S. including such people as Jo Birdsong, Peter Bernath, Damon Apodoca, Pat Hendricks, Hiroshi Ikeda, Seiichi Sugano, T.K. Chiba and Yoshimitsu Yamada among others.
John Stephen also trains in Brazilian Jiujitsu under Travis Tooke. Coach Tooke is one of the best Jiujitsu instructors in the U.S. and John Sensei enjoys learning this reality based martial art along with his practice of Aikido.
John Stephen is now serving as an auxiliary instructor for the Shudokan School of Aikido and he teaches as needed.
John Stephen trains in Aikido 3 days a week and hopes to continue studying under Kato Shihan in order to continue to develop and grow in his knowledge and practice of Aikido.
On March 7, 2010, John Stephen was tested for 3rd dan in Aikido by Hiroshi Kato Shihan. John had an excellent exam and the dojo leadership was very proud of his demonstration.
Since 1998, John Stephen, along side his father, has personally served Kato Shihan when he is in Texas. John also continues to be a vital help to his father in running the local dojo.
Shudokan School of Aikido Assistant Instructor - Joe Cavazos, 2nd Degree Black Belt
Joe started Aikido in April 1991 under Bill Sosa Sensei, 6th dan and trained under him for a number of years. For many years, he also was active in his study of Aikido by attending many seminars from other styles other than his own. After Sosa Sensei's death, Joe continued his training under Lynn Fabia Sensei in a new organization called the Society of Aikido Centers. In 2005, Joe was granted the 4th dan.
Eventually, after leaving that group, Joe found his way to Shihan Hiroshi Kato and petitioned to become a personal student of his. Since then, he has moved to Houston, Texas.
Joe Sensei is the founder and Chief Instructor of the Aikido Center of Mission, Texas. He is also now one of the two Regional Directors of the South Texas-Mexico Region of the Shudokan Aikido Association. He is also serving as an Assistant Instructor at the Shudokan School of Aikido.
In 2007, Joe joined the Aikikai with the help of Hiroshi Kato Sensei and was started off in his new home by being awarded the rank of 2nd dan directly by Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba.
Joe teaches adult classes in the dojo every other Monday and on Tuesdays. He also assists Garcia Sensei with his advice and support in the adminstration of Shudokan Association activities.
Shudokan School of Aikido Assistant Instructor - Russell Thomas, 2nd Degree Black Belt
Russ Thomas began studying Aikido at Koshinkan Dojo, in Morgantown, West Virginia as a student of Mark Allen in 1995. Allen Sensei was a student of Shihan Fumio Toyoda, 6th dan of the Aikido Association of America headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Russell studied with Allen Sensei for three years.
Subsequently, Russell moved to southern Virginia for two years where he commuted to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to train at Choshinkan Dojo with Ned Daneily Sensei (yondan).
When Russell accepted a new job in Raleigh, North Carolina, he began training with Hiroshi Tajiri Sensei (godan) at Seibukan Dojo. Russ trained in Raleigh between July 1999 and September 2002. At that time, Russell and his family relocated to Houston, Texas.
Once in Houston, Russell began training with Zeljko Jericevic Sensei (sandan) at Tumbleweed Aikikai. It was under Jericevic Sensei's care that Russ earned his shodan in February 2004 through Andy Sato Sensei and the Aikido Association of America.
Russell first met Jorge Garcia Sensei while training at Tumbleweed Aikikai and was introduced to Shihan Hiroshi Kato's style of Aikido. In January of 2005, Jericevic Sensei gave permission for Russell to begin training with Garcia Sensei at Shudokan Dojo. Soon after, he became an official member of the Shudokan School of Aikido.
In October of 2006, Kato Shihan promoted Russell to Nidan in Aikido.
Aside from training in his private dojo called Seichukan, Russell also serves as an assistant instructor for the Shudokan School of Aikido where he teaches every Thursday night. Russell is a personal student of Garcia Sensei and he assists Garcia Sensei in all matters relating the Shudokan School of Aikido dojo and the Shudokan Aikido Association.
Shudokan School of Aikido Assistant Instructor - Molly Mockler, 2nd Degree Black Belt
Molly Mockler began her practice of Aikido in January of 2004 when the Shudokan School of Aikido was founded. Being one of the first members, Molly has attended every seminar that has been held with Shihan Hiroshi Kato in Houston since 2004. She has also trained with other high ranking instructors and has traveled to other cities to assist in presenting Shudokan Aikido to groups in both Texas and Mexico. Molly is an avid Aikidoist and is known for her powerful technique and great ukemi.
On November the 11, 2007, Molly was promoted to 1st degree black belt by Shihan Hiroshi Kato, 8th dan and she was presented her black belt personally by Kato Shihan. Molly is the first student in the the Shudokan Aikido Association to become a yudansha, only having trained within Shudokan.
On March 7, 2010, Molly Sensei was promoted by Hiroshi Kato Shihan to 2nd degree black belt. Most of the people in that room agreed that Molly presented one of the most comprehensive and powerful exams they had ever seen as she went through uke after uke without tiring or showing any pause. The person responsible for her training since January 2004 was very gratified by her performance.
Molly teaches the adult beginner's classes and the children's classes three days a week. Molly has trained 7 days a week for the last 3 years.
Shudokan School of Aikido Assistant Instructor - Guillermo Almaguer, 2nd Degree Black Belt 
Guillermo Almaguer is from Mexico City, Mexico. He earned his Shodan in Shotokan Karate while living in Mexico. He started training in the art of Aikido while still living in Mexico and continued in Aikido after moving to Houston, Texas. He was an unranked student at the Tumbleweed Aikikai when Garcia Sensei met him there on a day he was visiting the dojo cho, Željko Jeričević, 3rd dan. Guillermo continued at Tumbleweed from 1998 until 2007 when Jeričević Sensei decided to return to Croatia and he left Guillermo in charge of the dojo. Since that time, Guillermo has faithfully discharged his duties taking care of the dojo and teaching all classes and making sure that the dojo had the leadership it needed to survive. In his time as the dojo cho, Guillermo has resigned form his former Aikido group and joined the Shudokan Aikido Association and he registered Tumbleweed as a Shudokan dojo.
Guillermo Sensei teaches and trains every day except for Fridays and Sundays. Monday, he trains in Muso Shinden ryu Iaido with Craig Hocker Sensei of the Houston San Shin Kai. Tuesday, he travels to a nearby city with all of his students and they train together with another local dojo. Wednesday, Guillermo Sensei holds a weekly class at the Tumbleweed Aikikai in Spring, Texas. Thursday, Guillermo Sensei travels to northwest Houston where he does his personal training at the Shudokan School of Aikido. On Saturday, Guillermo Sensei brings all of his students to the Shudokan School of Aikido for all day training in conjunction with that dojo. Saturday afternoon, Guillermo Sensei teaches as an Assistant Instructor so he trains on Saturday morning and teaches on Saturday afternoon. Guillermo is a dedicated and consumate martial artist. He hold black belts in three martial arts, having a shodan in Shotokan Karate, a shodan in Muso Shinden ryu Iaido and a ni dan in Aikikai Aikido. Guillermo is a talented and respected member of the Aikido community in Houston, Texas, and we are proud to have him as an Assistant Instructor in our dojo.
