Our Team of Instructors
Respect for one's partner is a core philosophy of Aikido training.
Paul Neuman
Chief Instructor
I was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. My Aikido training began in 1988 at Renfrew Dojo under Yukio Kawahara Sensei, Chief Instructor of the Canadian Aikido Federation. At the time he was teaching almost all of the five classes during the week.
I moved to Tokyo in 1994 to continue my training at the Aikikai Foundation-Aikido World Headquarters and have been very fortunate to train under some of the best teachers on the planet. I met my wife doing Aikido and all three of our children trained in our classes. I am the luckiest guy in the world to do what I love and to have such a wonderful family all thanks to Aikido.
I am humbled to have been promoted to the rank of 6th dan (6th degree black belt) by the Aikido World Headquarters on January 8, 2023.
Hiroyuki Tateno
Instructor
I began training Aikido in 1990 while living in Taiwan. My boss encouraged me to try it, and I’m grateful he did—Aikido has been a big part of my life ever since. I was promoted to 6th Dan in January 2019. I worked at a Japanese pharmaceutical company here in Japan and still train and sometimes teach at the company’s dojo. It’s a pleasure to assist Paul Sensei with his classes, and I hope we can all enjoy the spirit of harmony through Aikido.
Two things stand out most for me. Aikido has given me friends all over the world—I keep in touch with Aikido friends across five continents. And Aikido’s receiving techniques (ukemi) have helped me avoid injuries many times in daily life.
Tetsuro Shimoyama
Instructor
My Aikido journey began in 1978 when I joined the Aikido club at Gakushuin University. There, I had the privilege of training under Seishiro Endo Shihan, one of the last apprentices of Aikido’s founder, Morihei Ueshiba. To this day, I continue to learn from him, especially the importance of cherishing the connection with one’s training partner.
Through many years of continuous training, I have been awarded the 5th Dan ranking from the Aikikai Foundation. The essence of Japanese martial arts lies in respect for the opponent, but the core philosophy of Aikido is Harmony.
While training the mind and body through techniques is an incredibly difficult path to master, I firmly believe that continuity is strength. I look forward to moving forward on this journey together with every one of our students.
Tamayo Neuman
Instructor
Born in Shinjuku, I began my Aikido journey 30 years ago at the Aikido World Headquarters (Hombu Dojo). I currently hold the rank of 3rd Dan from the Aikikai Foundation.
My commitment to the art came from my father, an 8th Dan, whose influence taught me the profound wonders of Aikido.
As a mother of three, I am deeply involved in running our children’s programs and believe strongly in the importance of education and character development through martial arts. It is my greatest pleasure to witness the growth and confidence of our students every day. I truly value the time we spend on the mats and look forward to sharing the joy of training with every class.
Kazuhiro Arita
Instructor
Spike
Overseas Scout
My interest in Aikido began when I was watching an NHK World show featuring the different martial arts of Japan. I was fascinated by the philosophy of Aikido being non-competitive and non-aggressive. I started Aikido in 1989 at the Manila Aikido Club (est. 1963) in the Philippines. When I started to work in Japan for NEC in 1998, I made sure that I would continue my training to which I still do now and earned my 5th Dan in 2016. It is an honor to be part of Paul Sensei’s Pacific Aikido team.