River City Aikido

Stephanie Yap Shihan earned her 7th degree black belt from Hitohira Saito Soke and the Menkyo Kaiden in Aiki-Ken and Aiki-Jo, awarded to her by the late Morihiro Saito Sensei, 9th dan.

Yap Shihan was a long term uchideshi to Morihiro Saito Sensei, one of the highest ranking and most prestigious aikidoists in the world, and through subsequent annual training sessions, has accumulated years spent living and training in Iwama, Japan.

Yap Shihan continues her tenure under Hitohira Saito Soke, founder of Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shurenkai, and has achieved the honor of being the highest ranked female in the organization and Director of Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shurenkai North America.

Yap Shihan remains under the auspices of Hitohira Saito Soke since the passing of Morihiro Saito Sensei in 2002 and continues teaching daily at her dojo, which she has been instructing for over 30 years.

She has traveled extensively throughout the world providing seminars in Korea, Mongolia, Scotland, Germany, the United States and South America, to name a few, and for 10 years instructed the Ft Lauderdale Police Department, and the Fort Lauderdale SWAT.

For many years Yap Shihan, with organization and guidance from Gaku Homma Shihan (Founder of AHAN and Nippon Kan), has been involved in the raising of food, financial aid, medical supplies and other to charities around the world and her community.