Inaba Sensei
Nov 26, 1952 – Jan 26, 2009

Yasuhisa Inaba Shihan was a 6th Dan Black Belt, Chief Instructor and founder of Calgary Aikikai. From a young age, Inaba Sensei had exposure to the Martial Arts of Jujitsu, Judo, and Shorinji Kempo. He then began studying Aikido at age 21, under the direction of Yasuo Kobayashi Shihan (currently 8 Dan, Tokyo). Inaba Sensei soon developed a passion for the complexities and challenges of Aikido. He moved to Calgary in 1980 and immediately started his first dojo.

As a practitioner and teacher, he traveled around the world to seminars and demonstrations in the arts of Aikido and Oriental Medicine. Inaba Sensei ran the Japan Shiatsu Clinic out of the same location as the dojo. He also taught classes in Oriental Medicine through continuing education programs of the Calgary Board of Education, Edmonton Board of Education, as well as in Germany, the United States, Mexico and Japan.

One of Inaba Sensei’s real legacies was that of introducing hundreds of students to the art of aikido.  Many of his students went on to open their own dojos in Calgary: Tanren Juku Aikido Club of Calgary (Dan Jones Sensei), Aikido Dai Etsu Dojo (Dzung Nguyen Sensei), Big Rock Aikikai (Steve Erickson Sensei), Chinook Aikikai (Robb Wheatley Sensei) and  Masa Kokoro (Ben Lim Sensei).

Inaba Sensei also trained in Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu, a traditional and comprehensive martial system founded in Japan circa 1387.