Angeles Aikido Club

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Angeles Aikido Club: Home of Self Defense was the first and oldest Aikido school in Pampanga. It was established by Chan Hok-seng in 1965. With the blessings of the Aikido pioneer of the Philippines, Benjamin Galarpe, then chief instructor of the Manila Aikido Club, the Angeles Aikido Club was established as an independent dojo from Manila that answered directly to the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Japan. Its inauguration was graced by no other than Koichi Tohei, then head master of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo.

Following the schism between the Aikikai doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba and the former head master Koichi Tohei in the early 1970s, Chan Hok-seng chose to remain loyal to Tohei and to his teacher Benjamin Galarpe who joined Tohei's Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido. Out of respect for the Aikikai Hombu Dojo, Chan Hok-seng formally closed down the Angeles Aikido Club. Chan Hok-seng however continued to informally teach Aikido to his son Marnie Chan and to a select number of students.

Twenty years after Chan Hok-seng formally closed downed the Angeles Aikido Club, his son Marnie Chan decided to re-open it in 1992 and succeeded his father as chief instructor. Marnie Chan re-opened the Angeles Aikido Club as a dojo independent from either the Aikikai or the Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido. Initial correspondence with soshu Koichi Tohei were pleasant but nevertheless uneventful since the Angeles Aikido Club did not formally ally itself with Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido during the schism in the early 1970s.

In 1993, Marnie Chan decided to go to the United States and formally enrolled at Steven Seagal's Tenshin Bugei Gakuen and became a deshi to Haruo Matsuoka. He returned a year later to upgrade and reorganize the Angeles Aikido Club and patterned its curriculum after the Tenshin dojo. At the same time, he maintained a close correspondence with Haruo Matsuoka and worked for the Angeles Aikido Club's eventual affilitiation with the Tenshin dojo. In 1996, Marnie Chan returned to the United States to continue his Aikido training. But before Marnie Chan could succeed in having the Angeles Aikido Club affiliated with the Tenshin Bugei Gakuen, Steven Seagal closed it down in 1997. Before returning to Japan in 1997, Haruo Matsuoka advised Marnie Chan to retain the Angeles Aikido Club's independence and to keep it safe from the Aikido's internal politics.

The Angeles Aikido Club once again closed down in 1997 when Marnie Chan decided not to return from the United States. However, the teaching of Aikido continued despite the closure of the Angeles Aikido Club. This task was left in the hands of a junior student, a shodan by the name of Michael Pangilinan or Imibe Shingen (齋部神彦). Upon the advice of Marnie Chan, Shingen regrouped the old students of the Angeles Aikido Club and established the Heihokan (平法館). For the next three years, the Heihokan (平法館) would remain as the only Aikido school in Pampanga. In 2000, the Heihokan (平法館) merged with the Aikido Club of Angeles, founded by Shingen, Jon Alberto, Owen Lumba and Paul del Mundo.

By 2005, Pampanga has two existing Aikido schools: The Aikido Club of Angeles in Angeles City headed by Owen Lumba and the Seirinkan Aikikenbu （靖林館合氣剣武）in the City of San Fernando headed by Michael Pangilinan / Imibe Shingen (齋部神彦). Both schools trace their lineage to the Angeles Aikido Club.