Stephanie Yap Sensei is an Aikikai Godan (5th dan) under the Aikikai Foundation in Tokyo Japan, the largest Aikido organization in the world headed by Moriteru Ueshiba. She also holds a 4th dan level weapons certification, the Menkyo Kaiden in Aiki-Ken and Aiki-Jo, awarded by the late Morihiro Saito Sensei, 9th dan, caretaker of and sole instructor at the Founder’s dojo in Iwama, Japan.
A graduate from the School of Engineering and Design, in Miami, Florida, she began her Aikido education in the 80’s. Upon graduating, Stephanie focused on Aikido, and was fortunate to spend the next 3 years dedicated to this art, traveling to numerous countries around the world. Among her journeys included moving to and studying Aikido for 2 and a half years in Copenhagen, Denmark, then to California under the tutelage of Aikikai 6th dan favorite, Pat Hendricks for three months. The highlight of her apprenticeships concluded in Iwama, Japan, where she was for four months an uchideshi (live in apprentice) to Morihiro Saito Sensei, one of the highest ranking and most prestigious aikidoists in the world. Saito Sensei was also the Founder's longest uchideshi and disciple for 24 years until the Founders demise in 1969.
Sensei Yap’s initial training as uchideshi under Saito Sensei has subsequently been enhanced by annual training sessions in Iwama, Japan, and is engrained in her students of her dojo which she founded in 1993. Since 1991, she has committed herself to the continuous process of learning Aikido by serving as an uchideshi every year, a responsibility she feels necessary to better serve the students of her dojo.
A dedicated tutor, Stephanie Yap Sensei remains under the auspices of Hitohiro Saito Sensei since the passing of Morihiro Saito Sensei in 2002. She has traveled extensively throughout the world; Korea, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, South America and Japan, to name a few, and has had the unique privilege of being abreast some of the most eminent, and influential teachers in the world. People such as the Founder’s son Kisshomaru Ueshiba (Japan), Moriteru Ueshiba (Japan), Hiroshi Tada 9th dan (Japan), Shoji Nishio 9th dan, Tamura Sensei 8th dan (France), and Hitohiro Saito (Japan) are only a few of the elite on her resume.
In addition to her credentials, Sensei Yap has the experience of not only training annually at the Iwama Dojo, accumulating over 2 and a half years as uchideshi, but she also instructed the Hollywood, Ft Lauderdale Police Department, and the Fort Lauderdale S.W.A.T team in a series of seminars formatted towards their specific needs.
