Teachers
We teach according to the principles of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, Ki Society International in Japan.
Our North American Chief Instructor is
Koichi Kashiwaya Sensei (8th Dan)
of the Midland Ki Federation.
| Instructor |
Aikido Rank |
Ki Rank |
Colin Li Pi Shan
Head Instructor |
4th Degree
(Yondan) |
Chuden |
Craig Hocker
Instructor |
3rd Degree
(Sandan) |
Chuden |
Jim Matson
Instructor |
2nd Degree
(Nidan) |
Shoden |
Tim Dawson
Assistant Instructor |
1st Degree
(Shodan) |
Jokyu |
Frank Pham
Assistant Instructor |
1st Degree
(Shodan) |
Jokyu |
Bindi Shah
Assistant Instructor |
1st Degree
(Shodan) |
Jokyu |
Colin Li Pi Shan
Head Instructor - Houston Ki Society
Colin has travelled to us from Ontario Province, up north from Canada. It has been many years
since he began practicing Aikido as a teenager in 1987 under Sensei Jorge Deguzman (Sarnia Aikido dojo).
In 1991, he met Sensei Bill Bickford of the Kingston Ki Society (KKS) at the Queen's University dojo.
During his 7 year period at Queen's, he became intrigued (and still to this day) that
the 'mind, body and spirit' are actually one.
While there, he held positions of assistant instructor of KKS and once upon a time,
president of the Queen's dojo. After that, he became head instructor of the
Kitchener-Waterloo Ki Aikido dojo (satellite affiliate of KKS) from 2000-2002 until moving
to the warmer climate of Houston, Texas.
Colin's memorable Ki Aikido influences (besides Bickford sensei): Koichi Kashiwaya Sensei,
Clarence Chinn Sensei and Peter Bussell Sensei (Ryurei Aikido), just to name a few.
Colin's favorite expressions are "Down is down." (Chinn Sensei) and "You think too much! Just do it."
Craig Hocker
Instructor - Houston Ki Society
In 2000, Dr. Hocker founded the Houston Ki Society. He believes in the benefits of Ki Aikido
teaching methods for students of all levels and hopes that HKS will continue to grow and fulfill
the mission of bringing Ki Society training to the Houston area.
He began aikido at Blue Ridge Ki Society (BRKS) in January 1993 under Jonathan Doner Sensei
and George Simcox Shihan while teaching at the University of Virginia. Discovering a new life-long
passion he was soon training intensely five or more times a week. In September 1995, Dr. Hocker
joined the teaching staff at BRKS. He continued teaching classes weekly and training intensely
many times a week until his departure to Houston. From 1997 to 1999, he taught over a hundred
beginning students in the University of Virginia aikido intramural course.
He served as a board member of the Virginia Ki Society and as secretary and vice-president
consectively at BRKS. Through the years he has cross-trained in various martial arts
(judo, karate, taichi, Systema) and many other styles of aikido.
Dr. Hocker also is founder of the Houston San Shin Kai which is a school for learning the
traditional Japanese sword art of Muso Shinden Ryu (Iaido) under Roger Wehrhahn Shihan,
San Shin Kai Chief Instructor for North America. Dr. Hocker is the only approved instructor
of MSR Iaido for the San Shin Kai in Texas. While in Virginia, he studied intensely for six
years under Brian Kelley Sensei (Yondan (SHK), Kelley Sensei began Muso Shinden Ryu in 1980
taking classes with Mitsunari Kanai Sensei in Boston at the New England Aikikai when Mitsuzuka
Sensei was regularly invited from Japan by Kanai Sensei to teach in Massachusetts). After moving
to Houston, he continued his training under Wehrhahn Shihan by traveling to the East coast and
bringing Wehrhahn Shihan to Houston for seminars.
"I feel extremely fortunate to have started my training with such fine teachers as Jon Doner Sensei
and Brian Kelley Sensei at Blue Ridge Ki Society. I am very grateful to them and the many other
great teachers I have had the privilege of meeting and learning from. There are many fine examples
that I try my best to live up to.
Domo Arrigato Gozaimasu - see you all on the mat!"
-- Craig
Jim Matson
Instructor - Houston Ki Society
As a psychotherapist, I was first introduced to the term "verbal aikido" while training in
clinical hypnosis thirty years ago. At the time, it described those techniques that included
the principles of profound connection and reshaping resistance towards a beneficial outcome.
After a while, I mastered those hypnotic strategies but remained curious about the physical form
and feel of it. Could it possibly work against physical aggression?
I finally enrolled in my first Aikido class in 1996 and I've been hooked ever since.
When I was introduced to Shin Shin Toitsu Do Aikido (Ki Aikido) I found an elegant form of
self defense that also offered a rich philosophy, a mindfulness practice, healing arts and
principles for harmonious living.
It was a perfect fit for me--a chance to learn things that were really relevant to all of my
interests while having a terrific time doing it. The dojo has become my grown up playground.
From the beginning, I noticed that my practice of psychotherapy/hypnosis enhanced my aikido
and vice versa. It still does. I'm also delighted, that after all this time, I remain
'kid-at-a-magic-show' mystified by Shin Shin Toitsu Do's demonstrations of ki:
the undeniable energy that flows through all of our techniques and transcends muscular strength.
I have seen and physically experienced examples of ki that I would have labeled impossible prior
to this practice.
I'm not sure I understand it yet--but that's not really the point: I'm
just happy to train in the middle of all that mystery.
If you have any questions or observations, you can contact me through my website at
www.jamesmatson.com.
-- Jim
