Seiichi Sugano (菅野誠一 17 December 1939 – 29 August 2010) was a Japanese Aikido teacher who lived and taught in many Western countries. He held the rank of an 8th dan Aikikai. Life Sugano was born in Otaru, Hokkaido. Sugano’s family was of samurai lineage, with his father being a Major in the Japanese Imperial Marines during WWII. Sugano stated that his earliest memory was of his father cleaning his sword on leave from the war. From this he grew up training in martial arts from an early age, training with bokken and wrestling. Sugano entered the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1957 and by 1959 was an Uchi-deshi of Morihei Ueshiba living at the main school. In 1965 he was appointed by Ueshiba to introduce aikido in Australia. He remained there for 15 years, founding the organization Aiki Kai Australia. At the request of Nobuyoshi Tamura, Sugano went to Europe, living and teaching in Belgium while instructing in Luxembourg, France and other European countries. In 1988 he moved to New York City where he co-instructed with Yoshimitsu Yamada at the New York Aikikai. From 1988 onward Sugano's primary instruction was at New York Aikikai teaching over 200 classes a year there, despite a grueling travel schedule. Due to Yamada's strong dislike of weapons Sugano mainly taught body arts and tanto instruction at New York Aikikai, emphasizing a joyful, spontaneous and strongly physical practice. While always stating, "Aikido is not martial art" Sugano strongly emphasized atemi and martial application in technical application in his New York instruction. 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