Instructors

Kent Krumvieda

Kent Krumvieda is Head Instructor and Dojo-cho. He has ranks in Iaido and Aikido.

Reina Watanabe

Reina began practicing Aikido in 2010 at Tanshinjuku under Kei Izawa Sensei and Mariquita Izawa Sensei. Alongside her training in Aikido, Reina also practiced Iaido under Steve Shaw Sensei. She initially began training in Aikido and Iaido as a way to explore her Japanese heritage, and learn valuable self-defense techniques, practical for a young-woman.

After joining Tanshinjuku, Reina has participated in numerous seminars and demonstrations, and received the rank of Shodan in Aikido and Iaido in 2018. Since then, Reina has become an instructor in Iaido, and aspires to further her learning through teaching.

Tanshinjuku Iaido Lineage

The iaido taught at the Tanshinjuku dojo can easily trace its roots back to Nakayama Hakudo.  Nakayama Hakudō (中山 博道, February 11, 1872 – December 14, 1958) is the founder of Musō Shinden-ryū.  Nakayama Hakudō studied under Hosokawa Yoshimasa, a master of the Shimomura branch (下村派) of Hasegawa Eishin-ryū, and Morimoto Tokumi, a student of Ōe Masaji of the Tanimura branch (谷村派).  His instructors allow us to further trace our lineage back to Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu (1542 – 1621) who is generally acknowledged as the organizer of Iaido. Nakayama Hakudō held an instructor’s license in Shintō Musō-ryū and a Menkyo kaiden in Shindō Munen-ryū making him the 7th sōke of that system.  He also was hanshi in kendō, iaidō, and jōdō.  Nakayama was also one of the masters of the Shimomura-ha Musō Shinden Eishin-ryū, iaijutsu.  He was close friend of aikido founder Morihei Uesidba, and he played a role in arranging the marriage between his student Kiyoshi Nakakura and Ueshiba’s daughter, Matsuko. By the mid-1920s, Nakayama was one of the most famous swordsmen in Japan and was made a leader of the committee that drew up the sword curriculum for the Toyama Military Academy.  Therefore, he is considered by many to be the father of Toyama swordsmanship.

One of Nakayama Hakudō Sensei’s top students was Misuzuka Takeshi (September 15, 1926 – March 6, 2008).  He received his sandan in 1956 from Nakayama Hakudō Sensei and his Hachi-dan in 1975 from the All Nippon Kendo Federation. 

Reverend Kensho Furuya Sensei (April 25, 1948 – March 6, 2007), at the age of eight, began his martial arts training and received his shodan belt in Kendo at the age of ten.  By the age of 14, Furuya Sensei earned the rank of shodan in Aikido as well.  Furuya Sensei studied Kendo and Iaido under many great teachers when he was a teenager.  Examples include:  the famous Torao “Tiger” Mori Sensei, Ebihara Sensei, and Takiguchi Yoshinobu Sensei who was a well-known Kendo teacher and an expert in Itto Ryu swordsmanship and Iaido.  Furuya Sensei’s most notable Iaido teacher was Takeshi Mitsuzuka Sensei who was a student of the founder of Musō Shinden-ryū Iaido, Nakayama Hakudō.  In the circa 1980 photo below, bottom row center, is Takeshi Mitsuzuka Sensei, to his left is Chiba Sensei and to his left is Kensho Furuya Sensei.  The photo on the right is Kensho Furuya Sensei in the late 1980’s.  In 1989, Furuya Sensei was ordained as a Zen Buddist priest.  In 1992, and Furuya Sensei established the Los Angeles Japanese Sword Society or Kenshinkai (剣心会).

Steven Shaw Sensei (March 28, 1974 – March 9, 2019) was a student of Reverend Kensho Furuya Sensei at the Aikido Center of Los Angeles.  While there, he trained in Aikido and Iaido and received the ranks of Nidan and Sandan respectively. In an effort to provide an alternative lifestyle for his growing family he decided to move to Colorado. Furuya Sensei wrote to Honbu dojo in Japan to ask for recommendations where Shaw Sensei should train. Hombu dojo recommended that he train under of Izawa Sensei at Aikikai Tanshinjuku where he soon became a senior instructor in Aikido and chief instructor of Iaido. Shaw Sensei maintained his connection with the Aikido Center of Los Angeles and its Iaido Instructors. During visits to Japan, Steven Shaw studied under Okino Sensei in Tokyo who has the lineage of Danzaki Sensei leading to Hakudo Nakayama Sensei. Shaw Sensei strove to develop his iaido and walk the path with a beginner’s mind. “May the Force Be With You” Sensei…

Kent Krumvieda Sensei was a student of Steven Shaw Sensei from 2008 – 2019.  Reina Watanabe Sensei was a student of Steven Shaw Sensei from 2010 until his untimely death in 2019.