Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Otaru, Hokkaidō Prefecture, Japan
About Seiichi Sugano
- Seiichi Sugano (???? 17 December 1939 – 29 August 2010) was a Japanese aikido instructor who lived and taught in many Western countries.
- He held the rank of an 8th dan Aikikai. Sugano was born in Otaru, Hokkaido.
- Sugano had been learning judo for six years when, around the age of 18, he went to train in aikido.
- Sugano entered the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1957 and by 1959 was a direct student of Morihei Ueshiba.
- In 1965 he was appointed by Ueshiba to introduce aikido in Australia.
- He remained there for 15 years, founding the organisation Aiki Kai Australia. At the request of Nobuyoshi Tamura, Sugano went to Europe and stayed in Belgium, Luxembourg and France.
- Starting in 1988, he resided in New York City where he co-instructed with Yoshimitsu Yamada at the New York Aikikai. Sugano maintained regular contact with the Aikikai Hombu Dojo and also the Ueshiba family.
- He traveled extensively during the year to give aikido seminars, mainly in Europe and South East Asia.
- He visited Australia twice yearly and Malaysia once yearly to conduct the National Training Schools and dan grading.
- Sugano's aikido was known for possessing both speed and power.
- His teaching emphasized timing and distance, within a fundamental study of basic technique.
- Weapons instruction followed a more organic style, with very little study of formal kata.
- Sugano's weapons instruction focused on correct body positioning (hanmi) and paired practice, which again emphasized the necessity of timing and distance. In 2003, Sugano suffered a below the knee amputation, but he continued to teach and demonstrate aikido without any severe limitation.
- A medical fund was set up to cover his ongoing medical costs.Sugano died in New York City on August 29, 2010.
- The Foundation he established in Australia prior to his death, continues to promote Sugano's aikido legacy internationally. Three of Sugano's students were promoted to 7th dan on his recommendation: Tony Smibert (Tasmania), Robert Botterill (Melbourne) and Hanan Janiv (Canberra).
- They had also been awarded the title of Shihan.
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