Amos Lee Parker was born December 12, 1936 in Houston, Texas. He is the 7^th of 16 children. At age 18, Amos joined the United States Navy and it is here where his life in Aikido begins. Amos spent 35 years training in Japan with 9^th dan Saiko Shihan Terada Kiyoyuki Hanshi who is Yoshinkan Saiko Komon and one of  Yoshinkan Aikido’s co-founders.  The following interview was done by Steven Miranda at the home of  Jaimie Sheppard Sensei of the Aiki Budo Center North,  in London, ON Canada in Septebmer of 2001. Many thanks to Parker Shihan for his time and dedication to Aikido.

Sensei, did being from such a large family teach you any particular lessons in life?

Yes. I believe being from such a large family and having a father that was a minister helped me at an early age to be tolerant and to understand the importance of working together to get jobs accomplished. It also taught me patience.

Sensei, prior to your Aikido training, did you study any form of martial arts?

No, but I always wanted to.

When did you first come into contact with Aikido and what is your Aikido history?

I first came into contact with Aikido in 1958 while in the Navy onboard the USS Bradford DD-545. A Signalman First Class by the name of Hill one day was demonstrating some Aikido hand grasp techniques on the signal bridge and I was amazed at the ease in which he handle us and the unbearable amount of pain  his effortless looking techniques could inflect. I asked Petty Officer Hill the name of this art and he told me Aikido.

Several years later, I received orders to Yokosuka, Japan. Arriving in Japan on a Saturday, I immediately started my search for an Aikido school. Aikido at that time was not well known, so many people I asked were unable to help. As it turns out, there was Yoshinkan Aikido school on the Yokosuka Naval Base. I managed to find it on that Saturday and started my Aikido training the following Monday. Noguchi Yukio Sensei, 7^th dan, was the instructor. He also held degrees in Karate and Judo. Before the completion of every class, Noguchi Sensei would have the whole class doing Karate Kata.

My practice with Noguchi Sensei only lasted about 2-3 months then he left for Hawaii. Once again good fortune came my way as my new teacher was the number 2 sensei in Yoshinkan. Terada Kiyoyuki Sensei.  I spent the next 35 years training with Terada Sensei.

What was your first impression of Terada Sensei?

I learned right away that Sensei was a gentle, patient and tolerant man.  He is small, especially compared to me, but I learned right away that his technique was very powerful. Unlike anything I had experienced before.  His timing is flawless and he had no problem with taking my balance no matter how hard I tried to resist him.  I owe everything I am today in Aikido to Terada Sensei. He has taught me many things and even today, I continue to learn new things from him.

Sensei, this brings up an interesting question.  Do you believe that no matter how high in rank you are, you should always strive to be a student first?

Most definitely. For example; when attending a clinic or visiting a dojo, we owe it to ourselves and to our students to practice and to assist the instructor only when asked. Before assisting, we should ensure that we are teaching the same technique that is being taught and not our variation of the technique.

I have made it a practice, whether I am participating in a clinic or just a spectator, I am there to learn. I have never attended a clinic or visited someone’s dojo and did not learn something.

While in Japan at the dojo, when Terada Sensei would teach, all of his students, including his shihan, would practice. We would practice and assist the students. Every time I went to the dojo, I would learn something.

You also have the many honbu dojo instructors who have been instrumental in developing the teaching methods that you see around the world today. They have done an excellent job in preparing the many foreign students that attended training at the honbu dojo to return to their respective countries to further spread Yoshinkan Aikido. However, there are many senior instructors who taught at honbu dojo and others that never taught at honbu dojo who have developed very unique ways of teaching and doing basic technique that can enhance a students Aikido abilities. Therefore, as an instructor, I believe you owe it to yourself and your dojo to practice with an open mind and try to learn something new when attending a clinic or hosting a clinic or senior instructor.

In November of 2000 and again in July 2002, I had the opportunity to train with Chida Sensei. One thing I found was that Chida Sensei’s description of Aikido and yours are essentially the same.  What are thoughts on this?

I remember once hearing Kancho Sensei say to Ueshiba Kisshomaru Doshu at a gathering I was fortunate to attend that there is only one Aikido. The differences you see today between the top shihan are superficial. We are all very different people physically, so will naturally move differently. The important thing to remember is to not get caught up in those differences because we are all teaching the same thing.  Meaning, we all teach that you must learn the basic posture first. If you can’t do the basic posture, then you won’t be able to do the basic exercise. And if you can’t do the basic exercise then you can’t do the basic techniques, which means you can’t do Aikido.  Yoshinkan teaches these basics through repetitive training of the basic body movement and its mechanics. This does not change. We as teachers should all be teaching this. This is the Yoshinkan way. This is Aikido.

Sensei, what are your thoughts about the international students versus those you’ve trained with and taught in Japan?

I think the international students, especially the ones I’ve come into contact with since my return home in 1994 are very good and very much equal to the students I’ve taught in Japan.  The reason for this I think is because many of the top instructors in North America for instance, have either trained in Japan as students at honbu dojo, members of the senshusei course or are students of these instructors.  Honbu dojo has done a great job in preparing these students to help fulfill Shioda Kancho’s vision of a truly international Aikido organization.  The dedication of these instructors are further seen in the amount of time and money they have spent to bring the likes of Terada Hanshi, Inoue Kancho, Chida Dojocho, Takeno Shihan, and many other honbu and senior instructors to North America and other parts of the world.

And you!

Yes, yes .. And me as well.  I have had the wonderful opportunity since my return home to travel to Canada, Brazil and England to train and teach Aikido. The welcome I have received from many schools around North America has been great.  I love to teach and I am available to anyone wishing to have me come teach at his or her school.

Final couple of questions Sensei.  When were you awarded your 8^th dan and shihan and as the highest-ranking non-Japanese instructor in Yoshinkan Aikido, what words of wisdom do you have for us?

I received my Shihan in 1986 and hachidan (8^th dan) in 1995. All of my recommendations came from Terada Hanshi. Shioda Kancho said “he is your student so you may grade him”, so that is what Terada Hanshi did.  Shioda Kancho further showed his support of this by always introducing me as Parker Shihan.  This was a very good feeling the first time I heard it by Yoshinkan’s founder.

As to words of wisdom, I’ll first say that I was very fortunate that the timing of my training, my meeting of Terada Hanshi and the ability to train with him was in my favor. I believe that anyone is capable of achieving everything I have if the circumstances are right and they train hard.

As to your training, you must study kihon dosa and master it. All of the movements we do in Aikido come from it. Second, you should follow the path that your teacher gives you. Once you learn enough, you will see how everything is interrelated. Third, you must train hard with an open mind and pure spirit.  New students must dedicate themselves to their training because only they can determine their success or failure. As teachers, we are here to give you the tools you need to build a strong foundation, but only the student can make that come to pass.  So be honest with yourself, your sensei, and your fellow students and with life.  That is my advise, based on how I learned.

Steven Miranda is a yondan registered with Yoshinkan Aikido Honbu dojo via the International Yoshinkan Aikido Federation. He is the founder and chief instructor of Aikido Yoshinkan Sacramento in Orangevale, CA and trains under the guidance of Parker Shihan who visits his dojo twice a year.