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