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Starting with Boxing in Chicaco in 1962, Linden Sensei also practiced Judo, Karate, and Wrestling. After serving the United States in South Viet Nam for the Navy, Linden Sensei began his study of Aikido in Chicago under Takahashi Sensei and later under Akira Tohei Sensei.
Linden Sensei moved to Florida in 1975 to be able to train with Saotome Sensei who had just arrived from Japan. There he opened his first Aikido dojo in Central Florida in Crescent City. In 1977 he moved to Denver, Colorado and founded the Rocky Mountain Aikikai, which is still in operation. Linden Sensei moved back to Florida in 1982 and taught Aikido at the University of Central Florida before founding Shoshin Aikido Dojo, Int. in Orlando. Over the years, Linden Sensei started and trained many of today’s finest Aikido teachers: Jack Ross, godan; Chuck Weber, rokudan; Doug Hanson, rokudan; Mike Kranz, yondan; Alan Johnson, sandan; and Olaf Schubert, sandan.
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 Daniel Linden has taken advantage of the freedom of style allowed by Saotome Shihan to develop a unique approach to Aikido that also draws on his strong martial background. While embodying the principles of Aikido taught to him by Saotome Sensei, he has found a fresh approach in explaining these principles to Westeners using non-Japanese terms. He has made this approach availabe to all Aikidoka through his book "On Mastering Aikido". He is currently at work on his second book, Journey - On Mastering Ukime due out in 2006. |
