The history of Aikido in America has had much to do with Robert Frager’s ground breaking work teaching, promoting and nurturing the art. Frager, a student of the Founder of Aikido, O Sensei, lived in Japan with the Master where he was able to observe and train with his teacher on a day to day basis.
Upon returning to the States, he invited Robert Nadeau, Shihan, to teach classes with him at Esalen. Nadeau is a fellow-American he trained with in Japan. In 1968 he founded the Cal Aikido Club with Stan Pranin, another long time practitioner of Akido and publisher of Aikido Journal. In 1969 he founded the Santa Cruz Aikido Club. In 1975 Robert founded ITP, the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, located in Palo Alto, California. One of the requirements is that all residential students in the M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Psychology take two to three quarters of Aikido. He notes that with the Aikido training“…most find it invaluable training for therapy and counseling.” [photo]
He has studied tai chi with Master Choi Kam Man in San Francisco; had professional training with Moseh Feldenkrais (which he says “strongly affected my Aikido teaching”); Judo with Hal Sharp and Karate with Ed Parker. Robert has a private dojo set up for senior management for a large company in Los Angeles where he “teaches upper management Aikido.” He writes that five of his senior managers are taking their 1st degree black belt tests next Fall.He is a practicing Sufi, writing that “my decades of Sufi practice had led me to add working with the heart to Aikido.”
On Sunday, January10th, 2010, Robert is inviting students, friends and the public to an event at the Mountain View Performing Arts Center. Starting at 10:30 am, Professor John Stevens, 7th degree black belt and one of the towering figures in the world of Aikido, along with other Senior Aikido Teachers, will give a day of live presentations of Aikido history, a slide show of never before seen images of O Sensei, and an exposure to the purification practice called, “Misogi.” The link to this event is here. Within any martial art family, coming in contact with a Senior Teacher who has studied under the Founder, is a rare gift. 
For Robert, who has also studied with and befriended Koichi Tohei Sensei, Morihiro Saito Sensei and Motomichi Anno Sensei, he is not only a martial artist making a difference, but a direct link to the very foundations of Aikido. He is now a direct student of Hiroshi Kato, 8th dan. And there is also this great opportunity to see him, John Stevens Sensei and have perhaps once-in-a-lifetime experience on January 10th in Mountain View. 
Robert can be reached here: rfrager@itp.edu
Please Note: The photos of O Sensei and Robert are the property of Robert Frager and cannot and should not reproduced without his permission except for reviews and sharing of this column.
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