[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E14]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING SENSEI MARUYAMA

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 9, 2018

  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Sensei 
Shuji Maruyama, the Founder of Kokikai Aikido, on the occasion of the 
50th anniversary of his teaching Aikido in Pennsylvania. In so doing, I 
honor his achievements and the beneficial role that Kokikai Aikido has 
played in enriching the lives of the men, women and children of Bucks 
County, PA and the USA.
  Kokikai Aikido is a self-defense training system that stresses 
timing, centering, and coordination, rather than meeting force with 
force. Aikido students strive to use minimum effort for maximum effect, 
making Aikido an effective self-defense method for people of all levels 
of physical ability and of all ages. Kokikai Aikido teaches that 
strength comes from one's mental state as well as from one's physical 
prowess. It provides a path for personal realization and ethical self-
defense. Students learn that as they become stronger, a peaceful 
resolution of conflict becomes more, not less, possible. In this way 
Aikido students also become better citizens, as they work toward 
attaining their personal goals.
  After 50 years of teaching in the USA, Sensei Maruyama continues to 
share his unbounded energy with his students. He constantly strives to 
improve and simplify his technique, and to find even more effective 
ways of teaching. Through his leadership, Kokikai Aikido has grown to 
include dojos all over the United States and the world. Keystone 
Kokikai Aikido has made his teachings accessible to hundreds of 
Southeastern Pennsylvania residents.
  I offer congratulations to Sensei Maruyama on his achievement and 
congratulations to his students who are fortunate to celebrate this 
milestone with him. It is my hope that Kokikai Aikido will continue to 
flourish and that Sensei Shuji Maruyama will continue to bring his 
skills to the martial arts community for many years to come.

                          ____________________