Aikido Seikikai Mountlake Terrace

"Kurita Sensei began his study of Aikido at the age of 17. He says that his older brother ""made"" him go the Hombu Dojo to watch O-Sensei (Kurita Sensei's older brother was uchideshi to OSensei at that time). Kurita Sensei was slightly unimpressed that this old man was throwing around young men. He thought it was just showmanship. O-Sensei noticed this and invited him to ""experience"" his Aikido. From that time on Kurita Sensei began serious study with O-Sensei.

Kurita Sensei traveled with O-Sensei as an assistant and as uke during his term as uchideshi to Iwama and other locations for demonstrations and other events. His face and the bottoms of his feet appear in quite a few photos from that period. Kurita Sensei stayed with O-Sensei as both a live-in and later a commuting student until O-Sensei's death in 1969. Kurita Sensei was the last live-in uchideshi to O-Sensei and the last person to take ukemi for him before his death.

Kurita Sensei was promoted to the position of Shihan (Master Instructor) by O-Sensei and has chosen to teach independently of other schools in order to further the art as he received it from the Founder. Kurita Sensei founded the Seikikai School of Aikido in order to further the principals of Aikido as taught to him by O-Sensei.

Kurita Sensei, in addition to serving as personal student to O-Sensei, has instructed Aikido at the Aikikai world headquarters in Tokyo while O-Sensei was alive.

Kurita Sensei was also a student of the late Mr. Tempu Nakamura, well known in Japan as the leading exponent of Shin Shin Toitsudo (the Way of Coordinating Mind and Body)."