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MIYAKO FUJITANI
Aikido
Miyako Fujitani, 6th Dan by the Tokio Aikikai and director of the Aikido tenshin Dojo in Osaka married Steven Seagal in 1975 when Seagal was in his twenties. Her father owned an aikido dojo in Osaka.
Aikido is a Japanese martial art that developed in the early 20th century. Aikido literally means "The Way of Harmony with Energy," and the essence of its practice is the cultivation of ki (internal power, mental/spiritual energy). Although it does use weapons such as swords or spears, Aikido is not an offensive fighting technique but an art committed to peaceful resolution of conflict. Its basic technique places great emphasis on circular motion and the dynamics of movement.
Miyako Fujitani, a pioneer female Aikido instructor in Japan, stresses that the most important factor in the art of Aikido is not physical strength but the skill to control the flow of energy. Ms. Fujitani, Head Instructor of Aikido Tenshin Dojo in Osaka, which she co-founded in 1976, discusses the history of Aikido, its spiritual/philosophical background, its connection with other traditional Japanese arts, her own techniques and style, and her experiences for more than 20 years as a leading female figure in a profession which, by tradition, has been dominated by men.
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