I took twice a week Aikikai Aikido from Sensei Don Stratton with assistance from senseis Walt Peterson and Phil Groat for several years at the YMCA in Santa Rosa.

They had over 100 years of training and practice between them, and tough? I counted the falls and throws I took in one 90-minute class, over 125, but my teachers seemed completely un-concerned about that regular physical abuse.

On the Pacific-Aikido Website group picture, that's Sensei Don sitting immediately to the right of Shiohira Sensei.

Aikido (for me) was all about joint locks, and giving way to acquire an advantage, and getting knocked down or thrown but up quickly in an even better defensive position.

Oh yeah--always keep your elbows in, and your hara pointed at your opponent.

That's Sensei Walt practicing his wrist locks on me in the photo upper right. There were only three belts--white, brown and black. I was about to test for my brown belt (long overdue, as usual) when I moved to Lake County.