| In the late 1960's, after studying various Japanese | | | | extremely rough back in those days. Classes |
| martial arts and disciplines, Richard Behrens felt | | | | were 2 hours long, 3 days a week and then 3 |
| that something was missing. Every martial art had | | | | hours on Sunday. You were required to attend |
| its benefits and strong points. Some focused on | | | | every class. Excuses were not accepted. This |
| grappling, some on toe-toe fighting, some on | | | | was the real thing. |
| weapons, some on projections or throws, etc. He | | | | I trained under Richard Behrens for 8 years. In |
| believed that if you combined some of these | | | | many ways I was Behrens "Uchi Deshi" or closest |
| styles, you could come out with one all | | | | student. We worked together for a private |
| encompassing martial art. On top of this, the main | | | | security firm, together as state licensed private |
| focus was to be full contact training dealing with | | | | investigators, and then as Police Officers. In 1992, |
| realistic attacks and a strict adherence to Zen | | | | I began teaching, opening the first "Aikijutsu |
| meditation. He called his mixed art "Senso | | | | Academy of Coral Springs Florida". I added the |
| Aiki-Jutsu". Senso Aiki-Jutsu loosely translates to | | | | "Ryu" to the name making it "Senso-Ryu |
| "war art of spirit and harmony." He felt that the | | | | Aikijutsu". "Ryu" meaning "style" or "school". Taking |
| term "senso" or "war" was appropriate because | | | | my personal experience from being a Police |
| of the aggressive nature of the system. | | | | Officer and a bouncer in various 4am nightclubs in |
| Richard Behrens was not the first nor is he the | | | | South Florida for many years, I continued to |
| last person to combine or modify existing martial | | | | evolve the art into a modern system of street |
| arts to create a new system. Many famous | | | | worthy self defense. At the same time I knew |
| systems such as Judo and Aikido started the | | | | the importance of continuing to teach it in a |
| exact same way. What set Senso Aiki-Jutsu | | | | traditional fashion. |
| apart from some of the other mixed arts was | | | | I truly experienced first hand the need for Zen |
| the aggressive non-sport style of training, the | | | | meditation and the martial arts to be practiced |
| importance of meditation, and the higher level | | | | together. The necessity of the mind to be calm |
| techniques. | | | | before, during, and after an altercation. As a Police |
| Great emphasis was placed on training methods | | | | Officer, many times it was the difference |
| that one would assume natural for martial art | | | | between life and death. It was during these years |
| training but in most arts did not exist. One of the | | | | that the Art was "battlefield" tested so to speak. |
| most important differences was how the student | | | | Nothing is more valuable than real hands-on |
| attacked his fellow student in training. In a lot of | | | | experience. Senso-Ryu was becoming the perfect |
| martial arts the attacks are very static, | | | | blend of old and new. |
| predictable, and sometimes down-right silly. In | | | | 1999, my family and I moved to Indianapolis , |
| Senso Aiki-Jutsu, the attacks are wild, scary and | | | | Indiana and opened the first "Aikijutsu Academy |
| much more unpredictable. | | | | of Indianapolis" on the south side of the city. In |
| Richard Behrens began teaching Senso Aiki-Jutsu | | | | 2003, I moved the dojo into my home on the |
| in Long Island , New York in the early 1970's. He | | | | north side of town where it continues today. |
| taught many people during this time including Police | | | | Richard Behrens, now retired, is the author of a |
| Officers from the NYPD. Many of the students | | | | number of books both fiction and non fiction. I |
| who trained under Richard Behrens back in the | | | | continue to teach Senso-Ryu Aikijutsu, free of |
| 1970's are continuing to teach Senso Aiki-Jutsu or | | | | charge, to a small number of students in |
| variations of it today. | | | | Indianapolis , Indiana . |
| In 1979, Richard Behrens and his family moved to | | | | Other original students of Richard Behrens also |
| Florida and continued teaching. In 1983, I moved | | | | continue to teach in Indiana, New York, New |
| to Florida from New York City and began my | | | | Mexico, and Florida. |
| studies under Richard Behrens. I had spent many | | | | Senso-Ryu continues to evolve and grow and |
| years in Tae Kwon Do in New York and was | | | | owes the greatest debt of gratitude to its |
| looking for something more self-defense minded. | | | | founder, Richard Behrens. |
| Training at Behrens' dojo was full contact and | | | | |