Skip to content
MARTIALIS™
  • infoAbout Martialis

    Explore
  • homeHome
  • family_historyLineage tree
  • account_treeStyle relationships
  • map Map
  • timelineTimeline
  • conversion_pathConnections
  • leaderboardMartialis Index

    Browse
  • personPeople
  • swordsStyles
  • location_onPlaces
  • publicCountries
  • corporate_fareOrganizations
  • menu_bookSources
  • eventEvents
  • forumDiscussions

    Tools
  • schemaOntology & vocabularies

  • volunteer_activismSupport Martialis
Licensing · PrivacyDatabase 1.0.0 · 1727931
Martialis
MARTIALIS™
search
  • arrow_backprogress_activity
  • checkEnglish
  • Español
  • Português
  • Français
  • Deutsch
  • Íslenska
  • 日本語
  • 中文
  • Bernie Lau

    United States
    id_cardfamily_historyconversion_path
    7.7

    Also known as

    Bernard M. Lau

    Description

    American aikido teacher and Seattle police detective, from Hilo. He trained under Koichi Tohei from 1955, started the first yudansha-led aikido club in Seattle in 1968, and later developed aikido-based police defensive tactics.

    Teachers (1)

    • Koichi Tohei
      swordsAikidō Probable
      Probable
      Two articles, not independent of each other.
      The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.
      (1955)
      fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
      Frederico Muñoz
      Researcher, Martialis
      3 sources expand_more
      fact_check
      Two articles, not independent of each other.
      “In 1955, at the age of 14, Bernie Lau began training in aikido under Koichi Tohei.”
      — Svinth, Joseph R.. (2001-11). Aikido: Seattle Aikijujutsu Pioneer Bernie Lau. Journal of Combative Sportlink history info
      “"Big Island Aiki Kai. Certificate of Rating in Aikido. Bernard M. Lau is Hereby Promoted to the Rank of 3 Kyu for his Diligence and Advancement shown in Mastering the Skill in the Japanese Art of Aikido. Issued June 25, 1958. Big Island Aiki Kai, Koichi Tohei, 8 Rank."”
      — Svinth, Joseph R.. (2001-11). Aikido: Seattle Aikijujutsu Pioneer Bernie Lau. Journal of Combative Sportlink history info
      “There were a couple European American youths, too, including Bernie Lau, who started an aikido club in Seattle in 1968.”
      — Narimatsu, Curtis; Svinth, Joseph R.. (2001-01). Aikido: Hawaii Aikido Pioneer Takashi Nonaka. Journal of Combative Sport link history info

    Lineage

    • Aikidō Koichi Tohei ← Ueshiba Morihei · 2 generations

    Students (1)

    • person
      Neil Yamamoto
      swordsAikidō Probable
      Probable
      Single source.
      The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.
      fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
      Frederico Muñoz
      Researcher, Martialis
      1 source expand_more
      fact_check
      Single source.
      “In February 1987, Lau appeared with his student Neil Yamamoto on the cover of Black Belt.”
      — Svinth, Joseph R.. (2001-11). Aikido: Seattle Aikijujutsu Pioneer Bernie Lau. Journal of Combative Sportlink history info

    Sources

    “This made him the first yudansha to teach aikido in Seattle.”
    — Svinth, Joseph R.. (2001-11). Aikido: Seattle Aikijujutsu Pioneer Bernie Lau. Journal of Combative Sportlink history info

    Cite and reuse

    CC BY-SA 4.0expand_more
    Plain text
    Muñoz, Frederico (YEAR_PLACEHOLDER). Bernie Lau. In Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage Database. https://martial.is/entity/01M6C5JZZG6NH7APBTE970T8VD - CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.
    BibTeX
    @incollection{martialis_01M6C5JZZG6NH7APBTE970T8VD, author = {Muñoz, Frederico}, title = {Bernie Lau}, booktitle = {Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage Database}, year = {YEAR_PLACEHOLDER}, url = {https://martial.is/entity/01M6C5JZZG6NH7APBTE970T8VD}, urldate = {ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }
    data_object JSON-LDdata_object Turtle
    https://martial.is/entity/01M6C5JZZG6NH7APBTE970T8VD

    Database content on this page is CC BY-SA 4.0; the database right is separately reserved. Licensing