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Sensei Lamar Sanders is 4th Dan, and studied Aikido in Atlanta, Georgia from 1972 to 1979 with Sensei Rodney Grantham, who was one of the first to teach Aikido in the Southeast. Sensei Sanders studied Aikido in Washington, DC from 1979 to 1984 under Sensei Clyde Takeguchi and Sensei Gordon Sakemoto. Since 1984, he has taught Aikido at the Harbison Recreation Center in Columbia, South Carolina.
Sensei Sanders and the school are members of the United States Aikido Federation (USAF) , founded by Sensei Yoshimitsu Yamada from Japan. The USAF is one of the first Aikido organizations established in the United States. It is affiliated with the Founder Morihei Uyeshiba's school in Japan, which issues all black belt certificates for the USAF.
Other than applying Aikido to American-style attacks and making modifications for use in law enforcement, Sensei Sanders teaches the traditional Aikido techniques developed by Morihei Uyeshiba without modification or "Americanization".
Sensei Sanders and members of the Columbia Police Department and Lexington County Sheriff's department have developed effective Aikido techniques for law enforcement. In particular, the Aikido Sankyo wrist lock implemented for searching and handcuffing proved to be the most valuable, because once applied, it prevents escalation to any kind of violent reaction. In other words, the technique prevented fights before they could start.
The Sensei has a degree in civil engineering from Georgia Tech. He was Surface Water Specialist for the South Carolina District of the U. S. Geological Survey for nearly 20 years before retiring in 2003. He is currently a hydraulic engineer with the South Carolina Department of Transportation and an avid Aikidoist and hunter. |
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