Rolando dela Cruz

Rolando Dela Cruz, a former infantry man with the Philippine army started his Japanese Budo journey with the Shorin Ryu Karatedo (Okinawate) school in Manila in the early 1960's. After receiving his nidan rank he moved on to join the Manila Aikido Club which was later renamed Manila Aikikai and now the Philippine Aikikai. This is the first Aikido dojo in the Philippines that was commisioned by Morehei Ueshiba himself (The Originator of Aikido). Rolando Sensei is on of the earliest student of the Omar Camar and one of the senior Aikidoka in the Philipines. He taught in the Manila Aikikai for more than a decade. In 1992, he left his teaching position with the Manila Aikikai and founded the DKAMAA (Defender Karater Aikido Martial Arts Association).Dela Cruz Sensei also is also a highly skilled KOBUDO weaponry practitioner.