Sensei Harry Ishisaka
Orange County Aiki Kai was founded in 1964 by Harry Ishisaka (c. 1927-1978). Born on December 25, 1927, he began martial arts as a child, practicing sumo, kendo, judo & boxing. After graduating high school, he joined the U.S. Army where his tour of duty took him to Japan. In 1953, Koichi Tohei introduced Aikido to the United States. Ishisaka was impressed by the spirituality and effectiveness of Aikido so he began his formal training. In 1964, with Tohei Sensei’s encouragement, Ishisaka Sensei founded the dojo.
Ishisaka Sensei moved the dojo to different areas within Orange County, in Southern California, eventually settling in Orange, California. Sensei often participated in Aikido demonstrations and taught many students including “at-risk” teenagers in the community.
Before Ishisaka Sensei’s passing in 1978, he held the rank of godan (5th dan). His love for the art and the people around him taught his students the importance of fellowship, skill and innovation.
The Legacy Continues
Since the dojo’s inception, its instructors and members have strived to learn, teach and live the art of Aikido. Our primary focus is increasing the awareness of Aikido throughout our area and to spread its harmonious philosophy to all. Many great martial artists have either taught or conducted aikido seminars at our school, including Koichi Tohei, Fumio Toyoda, Shoji Nishio, Frank Doran, Hiroshi Ikeda, Robert Kubo, Walter Muryasz and many others. Orange County Aiki Kai has also produced a number of exceptional black belts, including James Nakayama, Steven Seagal, Jim Friesen and others. To see a list of all the instructors and black belts who have taught or trained with us click here. Our dojo has come a long way since its inception and is fortunate to have dedicated members who strive to improve their art. Our official style is Aiki Kai, however the dojo’s philosophy continues to be one of minimal restrictions as to how one explores the art. Due to this lack of restriction to one set style, our members are free to adapt the art to their own body and personality. This allows our mind, body and spirit to be free to find what works best for each individual, minimizing injury and stiffness in technique.
Chief Instructors
Following Ishisaka’s passing in 1978, the dojo became registered as a California Non-Profit Corporation. Since then, all of our instructors, including our Chief Instructors, have served on a voluntary, unpaid basis. Since 1978, our Chief Instructors have been:
John Kapu – 1978 to 1983
Jim Friesen – 1983 to 1994
Henry Oshiro – 1994 to 2010
Pilli Luna – 2010 to present