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• Archive: This series includes all requirements to 1st Degree Black Belt.
• Ken Ota originally practiced the grappling arts Sumo and Judo, which he regularly participated in from the time he had been placed in the Japanese internment camps of World War II.
• It was not until 1963 during his regular commutes to Los Angeles for dance lessons that he came across the art of Aikido.
• The whole Ota family enrolled in classes under Isao Takahashi.
• The Ota’s then moved onto training in Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido under Koichi Tohei.The Ota’s built their own "cultural school" next to their Goleta home, which could easily transform into a dojo when fitted with removable tatami mats; the main wall adorns a traditional Japanese shomen, which includes photos of Morihei Ueshiba, Koichi Tohei, and a large Ki symbol painted by Tohei himself.The Ota’s offered classes to children and adults in Judo and Aikido, and also consulted local law enforcement.