Virginia Aikikai is a member of Midwest Aikido Federation (MAF) and is affiliated with the Hambu Dojo. Pat Crosby, shidoin of MAF, founded the dojo in 1997 and turned it over to Richard Killblane in 2011. Aikido evolved out of jujitsu and sword techniques by O'Sensei. His early students came from other martial arts and their styles of aikido reflected their background.
Richard Killblane, former Airborne Ranger/Special Forces, had started his mixed martial arts training in high school with boxing and wrestling and began practicing tae kwon do and hapkido in college in 1975. His military combatives training also introduced him to a number of other martial arts such as judo and jujitsu. Hebegan studying aikido under Doug Hanson of Aikido School of Ueshiba in 1997 and then Crosby in 2003. He currently trains under Jim Baker and Hal Lehrman.
Aikido is a martial art that studies how the human body naturally moves. Following Crosby's teaching, aikido builds on a strong foundation that will work against a strong static grab. Baker and Lehrman teach a more kinetic style of leads the attacker off balance through subtle movements. Killblane's martial arts background allows him to teach how aikido works against other styles, such as boxing.
