| After
serving the United States in the jungles and rivers
of South Viet Nam for the Navy, Linden Sensei returned
home and began his study of Aikido in Chicago under
Takahashi Sensei. Takahashi Sensei passed away that
year and was replaced by Akira Tohei Sensei from Hombu.
Linden Sensei has twice been to Japan and while
he trained in Aikido he continued his study of Karate
until he achieved black belt 1st degree.
In 1975 Saotome Sensei
came to the U.S. and began teaching in Sarasota. Daniel
Linden left Chicago and moved to Florida to be able
to train with Saotome Sensei. It was there that he opened
his first Aikido dojo in Central Florida in Crescent
City. Two years later, in 1977 he moved to Denver Colorado
and founded the Rocky Mountain Aikikai, which is still
open and is still under Linden Sensei’s student
– Godan Jack Ross. This year celebrates 25 years.
Linden Sensei has studied
under a profound list of teachers in his chosen art,
Doshus: Kisshomaru Ueshiba, Moriteru Ueshiba, Shihans:
Osawa, Yamaguchi, Saotome, Yamada, K. Tohei, A. Tohei,
Chiba, and many more.
During his years in
Denver and since, Linden Sensei started and trained
many of today’s finest Aikido teachers: Jack Ross,
godan; Chuck Weber, rokudan; Doug Hanson, rokudan; Mike
Kranz, yondan; and Olaf Schubert, sandan and founder
of The Aikido Dojo in Frankfurt, Germany.
Linden Sensei moved
back to Florida in 1982 and taught Aikido at the University
of Central Florida before founding Shoshin Aikido Dojos,
in Orlando. He received the rank of Rokudan in 2004
from Mitsugi Saotome with whom he continues to study.
Sensei Linden has
many interests that spill over into the teaching of
his art. The dojo has a pottery studio on premesis
and you can often find him musing over a spinning mound
of clay while bamboo rustles and his big Labs sit outside
the door watching. He plays
guitar, mandolin, and violin for The Rocky Mountain
Memory Show which plays music on local and national
tours. He is an avid traveler along with his wife
Laurie and has seen the Anatalyan Deserts, the High
Himalaya and the Citys of Europe.
In his career as a
Security Specialist for the City of Olando he has been
on special assignment to the F.B.I., Ogange County,
The F.D.L.E. and has served with the Presidential Detail
of the United States Secret Service.
| Over
the years Mr. Linden has taken advantage
of the freedom of style encouraged by Saotome
Shihan to develop a unique approach to Aikido
that draws on his strong martial background. His
personal style ranges from soft to the point of
delicate – to hard driving hooks and jabs
followed by thunderous kicks…. All the while
embodying the principles of Aikido which lead
to mastering the art. Linden
Sensei continues to teach regular classes as
well as seminars and special workshops.
He is currently writing his second book, On
Mastering Ukime due out in 2006. |
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