Icho Ryu is the creation of Bernie Lau, a Seattle Police officer who felt traditional aikido as it was practiced did not meet his needs as a police officer or for self-defense for civilians despite the claims it did by many instructors. Lau began training in 1955 under Koichi Tohei and and later earned his shodan and nidan in Japan, his ranking certificates personally signed by Morihei Uyeshiba.

Lau despite his numerous years training in aikido, came to feel that the traditional views of the organizations that existed were counter-productive to the needs of Law Enforcement officers. He resigned from aikido to form the Washington Budokan, a private dojo, and develop tactics and techniques that would be more applicable to Law Enforcement personal and civilian personnel defense. The result of this effort was Icho ryu, a fusion of his training and influences in Aikido, Goju ryu karate, Danzan ryu jujutsu methods from Wally Jay, modern judo, aikijujutsu from the Yamate ryu and Shidare Yanagi ryu, and practical experience as an undercover police officer.  More on Bernie Lau, please see the following links:
    (Biography of Bernie Lau) in The Journal of Combative Sport
    (History of Icho ryu) in Black Belt Magazine
    (Little Bio on Bernie) from Xin Qi Shen Dojo
    (Bernie updates) from Xin Qi Shen Dojo

While Icho ryu maintains the use of many Japanese culturally derived practices, it’s is actually a goshin budo and has no connections to any Japanese organizations aside from friendships.

The goals Icho ryu seeks to provide the student are:
-Physical and psychological techniques for applications in self-defense situations and daily life.
-An understanding of how to recognize and diffuse a potentially violent situation.
-The ability to handle a situation that has turned violent, both psychologically and physically, as well as to deal with the aftermath.
-A methodology to deal with the everyday stresses of life.

Philosophically, Bernie Lau maintains the simpler the better.  Bernie’s creed for Icho ryu is simple ”Train your mind, Develop your body, Polish your spirit”. By regular practice, we seek to understand how to apply what we know better in our own lives.  Through the stresses of physical training, we are forced to confront ourselves on physical, mental, and spiritual levels and grow as a result.  This is budo as taught in Icho ryu.

In 2004, Bernie Lau officially retired and turned over responsibility for Icho ryu to the current chief instructor, Neil Yamamoto.  Lau still teaches seminars and can be contacted via Neil Yamamoto - neilyamamoto@comcast.net

Williams Sensei is under the continuing study of Icho Ryu Aikijujutsu with Gene Tucker Sensei and Ki Stone Dojo operates as a branch of the Redding Aiki Dojo under the supervision and authority of Neil Yamamoto.