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About Collings SenseiHis first dojo in the 1960's was the budo of Isshin-ryu Karate, but even then he says he was searching for O'Sensei. "I never knew exactly what it was, but it had something to do with learning the true meaning of 'warrior'. At some point I learned about Morihei Ueshiba and his pursuit of something beyond 'fight or flight,' which he referred to as Takemusu Aiki." The discipline he founded was Aiki Budo, later called Aikido. After adding aikido to his martial arts training, and earning his black belt in 1976, Collings moved to Japan. He immersed himself in traditional martial arts, Japanese sword, and Zen practice for several years.
For a year and a half he studied with Kisshomaru Ueshiba and Moriteru Ueshiba, son and grandson of O'Sensei, at Aikido Hombu Dojo,Tokyo. Next was six months private study with Kazuo Chiba Sensei and Zen Master, Hogen, at Chogen-Ji Temple in Shizuoka. His search then led him to the village of Iwama , the small rural training compound where O'Sensei spent the last 25 year of his life. There Collings spent one and a half years with O'Sensei's closest disciple, Morihiro Saito, as both uchi deshi ("live in student") an later soto deshi commuting 7 days a week. Since his return to America in the 1980's, he has returned five times for further study in Japan and China, pursuing the paths of both O'Sensei and his predecessor, Tamo Bodhidharma. In 2015, Collings Sensei published his book "Searching for O'Sensei: Learning and Living the Wisdom of the Warrior." This is an excellent and must read book for anyone seriously interested in Aikido. |
Aikido Liniage |
Collings Sensei started his Aikido journey in 1973 with Yoshimitsu Yamada and Edward Hagihara Shihans in New York.
Although Collings Sensei considers Morihiro Saito Sensei his primary teacher, his training with Kisshomaru and Moriteru Ueshiba, Kazua Chiba, Koichi Tohei, and Michio Hikitsuchi have left lasting influences. In China he fell in love with the internal martial arts of Chi Gong and Tai Chi, crediting these disciplines with allowing him to practice sword and aikido as intensively at age 64 as he did at 24. He also credits martial arts and Zen practice with helping him survive 26 years on the "mean streets" of New York, as peace officer and self described "dharma cop." |
Current Aikido Practice |
Currently Collings Sensei holds 6th Dan Aikido Aikikai and teaches in Queens and Long Island. The art that he teaches he identifies as AIki Budo. His classes are full of energy and fun. As well as they filled with attention to details and spirit of true Budo.
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