Michael Martin Sensei began his practice of aikido in 1986 under the late Paul Sylvain Sensei (in Northampton, MA). He has also trained with the late Kanai Mitsunari Sensei (in Cambridge, MA), the late Ken Cottier Sensei (in Hong Kong), Ishihashi Sensei (in Kyoto, Japan), and Clyde Takeguchi Sensei (in Silver Spring, MD). Martin Sensei holds the rank of Yondan (4th degree black belt).