Spotlight - Stephanie Yap Sensei

My most Memorable Aikido Experience
As far as ONE of my most memorable moments, I would have to say it would be at Saito Sensei's seminar hosted by Nippon Kan in 1997. It was the end of the seminar and we were doing kokyu dosa and out of my peripheral vision I saw Sensei, in his distinct way of movement, coming towards me. I looked up as he approached me and Sensei asked if I could possibly manage to do a demonstration of the 31 kata. Instantly, my head was filled with mass hysteria as I tried to confidently answer yes. He gave me his thumbs up and told me to make sure that I counted and kiai strongly, and then walked off. I was nervous beyond belief as I couldn't even formulate this kata in my head, this kata that I have done countless thousand times drew a blank! Not five minutes had passed when Sensei came back to ask me if I could also do the 13 kata, I said yes yet a second time. The moment of truth came too quickly and there I was in front of more than two hundred and fifty people doing the demonstration upon Sensei's request. There was a special presence within me, and that moment I felt so detached from the aikido I had been training for 10 years, yet never more conscious of it at the same time. Sensei later came to me and said how great a job I did, that I exuded fantastic ki. I was elated. Even years after that seminar, he still reminded me of my little demo, and always gave me the "thumbs up" seal of approval, along with his smile that I loved contributing to.

	Featured Dojo-cho, September 2002

Stephanie Yap, 4th Dan Aikido of South Florida, Hollywood, FL Division 1
I discovered Aikido while I was still attending university. I was searching for a discipline that would enrich my life in various ways, and after graduating from the School of Engineering and Design, I relocated to Scandinavia where I continued training in the Copenhagen Aikido Dojo for several years. It was in Denmark where I was introduced to Saito Sensei, and shortly after decided to become an uchideshi in the Iwama Dojo. I have collectively spent more than two years during the past 15 years as uchideshi under Saito Sensei, as it became a tradition for me to return to him every year. It was during this time that I was fortunate to meet Pat Hendricks, another incredibly instrumental figure in my aikido journey. In 1993 I founded Aikido of South Florida, and have been instructing aikido ever since. In addition to teaching my regular classes, I became involved in teaching seminars developing the physical and mental prowess of the Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Miami-Dade Police, and SWAT. Our dojo offers 14 classes per week to the approximate 90 members of the dojo. We also offer an uchideshi/live-in student program, which has drawn people from all around the globe. I installed this program specially to enable other students to experience a different approach and a better understanding of aikido, one that had aided my own learning and growth process immensely. This year, my consolidated effort is actually towards constructing a new 9000 square foot aikido complex, which is scheduled to be functioning in early 2004. This dojo will also have uchideshi accommodations and a 2750 square foot tatami mat. I am also focusing on finishing an aikido video scheduled to release later this year.

My most Memorable Aikido Experience As far as ONE of my most memorable moments, I would have to say it would be at Saito Sensei's seminar hosted by Nippon Kan in 1997. It was the end of the seminar and we were doing kokyu dosa and out of my peripheral vision I saw Sensei, in his distinct way of movement, coming towards me. I looked up as he approached me and Sensei asked if I could possibly manage to do a demonstration of the 31 kata. Instantly, my head was filled with mass hysteria as I tried to confidently answer yes. He gave me his thumbs up and told me to make sure that I counted and kiai strongly, and then walked off. I was nervous beyond belief as I couldn't even formulate this kata in my head, this kata that I have done countless thousand times drew a blank! Not five minutes had passed when Sensei came back to ask me if I could also do the 13 kata, I said yes yet a second time. The moment of truth came too quickly and there I was in front of more than two hundred and fifty people doing the demonstration upon Sensei's request. There was a special presence within me, and that moment I felt so detached from the aikido I had been training for 10 years, yet never more conscious of it at the same time. Sensei later came to me and said how great a job I did, that I exuded fantastic ki. I was elated. Even years after that seminar, he still reminded me of my little demo, and always gave me the "thumbs up" seal of approval, along with his smile that I loved contributing to.