- Amos Lee Parker
.
Amos Lee Parker was born the 7th of 16 children in
Houston, Texas . At age 18, he joined theUnited States Navy .Amos Parker first came into contact with aikido in 1958 while a member of the US Navy onboard the
USS Bradford (DD-545) . Another member of the crew, Signalman Hill, was demonstrating techniques and Amos was shocked at how easily Hill was able control him and others.In 1962, Amos Parker received his orders to Japan and was deployed to the
Yokosuka Naval Base. The Monday after his arrival he found an aikido dojo on base that was under the direction of Yukio Noguchi, 7th dan Yoshinkan Aikido. His training with Noguchi only lasted a couple of months as the later accepted an invitation to teach aikido inHawaii . Aikido classes were taken over byKiyoyuki Terada , 9th dan. Amos Parker would spend the next 35 years training and teaching in Japan.Amos Parker received his
Shihan in 1986, making him the first non-Japanese instructor to receive such an honor. In 1995, he received the rank of hachidan (8th dan), making him the highest ranking non-Japanese Yoshinkan Aikido instructor in the world. Amos Parker is senior to many of the Japanese shihans and served as a presiding judge at several yearly embutaikai’s (demonstrations)Amos Parker currently resides in his home town of
Houston ,Texas . He travels several times during the year to teach clinics inLondon ,Ontario ,Indianapolis , IN andSacramento , CA. He is has also been invited to other schools inCalifornia ,Minnesota ,Texas ,Canada ,Brazil andEngland . In 2005, along with members of the Seikeikan USA, he participated in a special demonstration in Oakland, CA for some 200+ kids at the EastOakland YMCA .Sources
* [http://www.seikeikan.com/ayy/id13.html Interview with Amos Parker]
Videos
* [http://www.myaa.info/media/Parker_Embu_Shihonage.wmv All Japan Enbu Taikai 1991- Shihonage]
External links
* [http://www.yoshinkan.net Yoshinkai Aikido Foundation, Inc]
* [http://www.yoshinkan.net/indexE.html International Yoshinkai Aikido Federation]
* [http://www.seiseikai.org Aikido Yoshinkan Seiseikai, Terada honbu]
* [http://www.seikeikan.com/ayy Aikido Yoshinkan Yoseikai]
* [http://www.seikeikan.com Aikido Yoshinkan Sacramento, Seikeikan USA]
* [http://www.tigerlilyonline.org Tigerlily Eastern Arts, Shinrikan]
* [http://www.aikido.on.ca Aiki Budo Center]
* [http://www.aikidolondon.ca Aikido London]
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