Instructors
James Friedman Sensei, 5th dan
Chief Instructor Suginami Aikikai, San Francisco
Born in 1959, Friedman Sensei began Aikido training in 1980 at the age of twenty at the Oakland Aikido Institute, in Oakland, California. After one year he moved into the dojo as an uchi-deshi (live-in student). James lived in the dojo for eleven months, training many hours a day in a strict and demanding environment. After receiving his first-degree black belt in the Iwama style, he moved to San Francisco and continued his training at Turk Street Dojo around 1984.
In the late 80’s James started traveling to Tokyo at least two times a year to practice at Hombu dojo. In 1995 he met Kato Hiroshi Shihan at Hombu Dojo, shortly there after inviting him to San Francisco to teach his first San Francisco seminar. After one-year Suginami Aikikai San Francisco than known as, “Skidrow Dojo” became Kato Sensei’s first official branch Dojo in America.
James Friedman became Kato Sensei’s first American student. James Friedman also had a very close relationship with the late master Terry Dobson, they had met at one of Terry’s verbal Aikido seminars and become close friends. James would invite Dobson sensei to San Francisco two times a year to teach intense two-week workshops. Terry had a profound and lasting influence on Friedman Sensei’s Aikido and overall views on the art. Respectfully Terry Dobson tough his last class at Suginami Aikikai than Skidrow Dojo. Terry’s girlfriend Niki, gave James Friedman Terry’s Black Belt after he passed away.
James received his second-degree black belt from Robert Nadeau Sensei, his third-degree black belt through Jack Wada Sensei. Fourth and fifth-degree black belts came directly from Kato Sensei. James started Suginami Aikikai SF (Skidrow Dojo) in 1986 as an Aikido club for his friends, mostly off beat artists and punk anti-musicians, the Dojo soon grew to one of the city’s largest martial arts centers “Kismet”.
Friedman sensei’s approach to Aikido is unique he stresses hard training and conditioning with an emphasis on practical application, while retaining a very relaxed physical state. James has an extensive background in highly competitive sports; he brings that intensity and focus into his teaching style in Aikido. Friedman Sensei is very dedicated to cross training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Thai Kick boxing.
Guest Instructors
Christian Tissier Sensei, 7th dan
Chief Instructor Circle De Tissier, Paris France
Christian Tissier was born in Paris, February 7, 1951. He started studying Aikido in 1962 with Jean-Claude Tavernier, then soon afterwards with Master Nakazono.
Christian Tissier was immediately seen as an exceptionally gifted student, and was awarded his second Dan by his Master in 1968, when he was only 17 years old. But it was in January of 1969 that he realized his dream: To go to Japan, to the world headquarters, to study under, and to train with, the great experts of this art that he chose, Aikido. He left for a six-month trip, but ended up staying seven years in the land of the rising sun.
He trained with all of the Aikido Masters, but mainly with Doshu and Seigo Yamagushi, to whom he became a favorite disciple, Mitsugi Saotome and the great Osawa Sensei, technical director of the Aikikai.
Outside his martial arts classes, Christian Tissier studied Japanese at the Tokyo School for the Japanese Language and at Sophia University. At the same time, and to make ends meet, he taught French at high school and at the French-Japanese Institute in Tokyo.
He was a 4th Dan when he decided to go back to France in July 1976. In the Paris suburb of Vincennes, he created the Christian Tissier Circle, from which many teachers were trained, as were most of the technical delegates to the French Federation of Aikido, Aikibudo and Related Arts (FFAAA). Frequently visiting Japan, the Aikikai awarded him his 5th Dan in 1981 and 6th Dan in 1986. The French National Committee of Interfederal Ranking gave him his 7th Dan in 1997 and Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba himself awarded him his 7th Dan, in Japan, in January 1998, in the presence of his future successor, his son, Moriteru Ueshiba.
Bruce Bookman Sensei, Tenzan Aikido, Kai-cho
Bruce Bookman's practice includes early influences of Yoshimitsu Yamada, and later practice under Kisshomaru Ueshiba, and other prominent teachers in Japan at the Aikikai Headquarters such as Osawa, Yamaguchi, Arikawa, and Tada Senseis. Bookman Sensei spent 16 years practicing under T.K. Chiba Sensei, who was a very close disciple of Morihei Uyeshiba, the Founder of Aikido. For two of those years, he took private lessons with Chiba Sensei in Tokyo. During his stay in Japan he visited Iwama while Saito Sensei was still teaching and visited Nishio Sensei's community center dojo in Tokyo on several occasions. One person whom he met only once but whom made an enormous impression on him was Shirata Sensei, during a weekend seminar at his dojo in Yamagata Prefecture. He was O'Sensei's oldest living student and one of the humblest and most kind-hearted teachers that he had ever met. In Bruce's opinion, his dojo was by far the friendliest place in Japan to practice as a visitor. During Bookman Sensei's childhood, he remembered a week-long seminar in 1970 taught by Koichi Tohei, who was the chief instructor of Hombu dojo before he resigned to establish the Ki Society. Having Tohei, Yamada, Kanai and Maruyama (who later founded Kokikai Aikido) Senseis all sitting together to watch his 5th kyu test was the highpoint of his 12 year old life! In those days they tested one person at a time. At a young age he met Terry Dobson, O'sensei's first American live in student. He practiced with him during Terry's visits to the NY Aikikai and on trips that he made down to Terry's Bond Street Dojo. Those practice sessions and late night discussions were a real eye opener to Bookman Sensei, as an impressionable 16 year old.
Bookman Sensei has done extensive cross training in other martial arts including 15 years of Brazilian Jiu jitsu, 10 years of Iai-do (2 of those years studying with Takeishi Mitsuzuka Sensei in Tokyo), 2 years of Judo, 2 years of western boxing and 2 years of tae kwon do.
Professor Clovis Silva, 5th dan
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Team Carlson Gracie
Born in 1965 Clovis grew up in Rio. He began training 26 years ago and holds the rank of 4th degree black belt under the late Master Carlson Gracie. Clovis fell in love with the sport and embraced Jiu-Jitsu as a profession with full dedication to the fighting ground system or "smooth art."
Clovis Silva is considered one of the top ten most technical fighters Carlson Gracie ever produced. Clovis's teammates include: Ricardo De La Riva, Cassio Cardoso, Otavio Peixotinho, Richardo Liborio, Amaurs Bitteti, Murilo Bustamante and many others Jiu-Jitsu masters all from Carlson Gracie's Elite team.
Clovis won many title fights and was 4 Time Brazilian BJJ champion.
His goal in teaching is to help build a solid foundation in self-defense through the teachings of BJJ. As well helping a student build confidence and self-esteem. Clovis is currently a professional body guard in San Francisco.
Vajra Granelli
Muay Thai Kickboxing
Vajra Granelli is a third-generation boxer in San Francisco; he has been boxing for 23 years and kickboxing for 18 years. He started teaching 10 years ago and in that time has created fighting programs and trained fighters all over the world. He has trained many golden glove champions here in San Francisco as well as California U.S.A boxing champions. Over the years he has worked with many world champions in the boxing and kickboxing world. Along with his years of experience, he brings a long strong family boxing tradition to his teaching. Vajra is a second degree black in Aikido
Susannah Bruder
Susannah Bruder, Founder of Yoga Sita, has devoted twenty years to her practice of Yoga. A a full-time Yoga teacher for thirteen years, opening Yoga Sita represents a dream come true for Susannah. Prior to teaching, she developed and directed a Rehabilitation Therapy program at Mission District Chiropractors in San Francisco for many years. Susannah blends her practical understanding of Yoga and knowledge of the human body, with well-informed adaptations and occasional humor. Her teaching is precise, graceful, focused. Susannah taught six weekly classes at Piedmont Yoga Studio in Oakland over five years, ending in 2001, and completed two years of Teacher Training at Piedmont in 1997. Zhander (Shandor) Remete is her inspiration and her teacher for the past ten years. Susannah is a lifelong athlete and a lover of the outdoors. She enjoys long coastal walks with her beautiful dog, Sita, and hosting Kirtan for Krishna Das.
www.yogasitasf.com
