over Switzerland at a rate of two or three dojos per week! He did this in addition to the weekly half-dozen trainings which he directed in his dojo in Zurich. In parallel, he led national and international training seminars to maintain the friendship with and to practice with aikidoka nearby countries. Examples are the yearly ACSA winter stage in Zurich, Switzerland, which he led on many occasions together with Katsuaki Asai of the German Aikikai and Hideki Hosokawa of the Italian Aikikai, the yearly summer stage in Saignelégier, Switzerland, with his teacher Hiroshi Tada shihan of the Italian Aikikai and the yearly late summer or early autumn stage in Praiano, Italy, with Pasquale Aiello who were all also good friends of his. In 1989, he received the 7th dan in Aikikai aikido. Thereafter, he was also occupied with the Aikikai in the Czech Republic since 1995, with the Slovak Aikido Association since 1996 and the Yugoslav Aikido Federation in Serbia since 1997. In 1998 he became also the technical director for the Turkish Aikido Association, and in 1996 he became technical adviser of the International Aikido Federation together with Hiroshi Isoyama (9th dan Aikikai). In parallel, he regularly taught seminars in countries like Croatia, Hungary, Russia and Poland. Also new connection with Netherlands was evolving however he did not get around to visit it. During the height of his aikido career was the 30 year anniversary of the ACSA which was celebrated with a major international seminar in Basel from the June 5 to 7, 1999. On this gigantic event, shihan from many European countries conducted trainings and demonstrations. In spring 2003, Ikeda had to abruptly stop all his activities as aikidoka due to a stroke. He has returned to Japan. Teachers The following persons were his most influential teachers in alphabetical order: Yasushi Namiki, teacher in Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū Katsuzō Nishi, founder of Nishi Shiki Haruchika Noguchi, founder of Seitai Hiroshi Tada, 9th dan Aikikai shihan Nakamura Tempu, founder of Shin Shin Tōitsu-dō Colleagues The following people were his close colleagues during his aikido career: Pasquale Aiello, 7th dan Aikikai Katsuaki Asai, 8th dan Aikikai shihan Hideki Hosokawa, 7th dan Aikikai shihan Note that this list does not specify who are his senpai and kōhai. Students These are the most notable of his students in alphabetical order: Urs Aepli, 6th dan Aikikai Fritz Heuscher, 6th dan Aikikai Waldemar Giersz,