FOUNDER: Soke James Neiman

Founder of Shugyo Aikijujutsu, Founder and and President of International Association of Professional Martial Artists.

Soke James Neiman's lifelong journey of martial arts training began in 1978 with a serious and long-term study of striking arts, weapons arts, Aikijujutsu and several other martial arts, culminating with the evolution and founding of his own martial art, Shugyo Aikijujutsu, in 2013.

Neiman was inducted into the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2013, in recognition of a lifetime of continuous development, achievement, creativity, and leadership in martial arts. In 2014 he was inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame as Original System Founder / Grandmaster of the Year, and was inducted into the Long Beach International Masters Hall of Fame, where he received the Platinum Life Achievement Award. He was inducted again into the 2015 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame as Distinguished International Grandmaster of the Year.  Soke Neiman was inducted into the World Head of Family Sokeship Council with the "Grandmaster Spirit of Budo" award in September of 2015. The USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame presented Soke Neiman with its highest award, the Pioneer Award, presented to Soke Neiman on October 17, 2015, for his innovations in martial arts.

James Neiman is the Founder of the art of Shugyo Aikijujutsu, an ultra-modern self-defense system that is the product of his lifetime of training.  Shugyo Aikijujutsu is a 21st century mixed martial art system designed for civilian street defense against multiple (possibly armed) attackers, and includes professional certifications available at the Instructor, Senior Instructor, and Master Instructor level. He is the Founder and President of the International Association of Professional Martial Artists, has served on the boards of several international martial arts organizations, was a Coach for the US National Martial Arts Team, and has received numerous national and international awards for his teaching.

Throughout his life, Neiman has had the extraordinary fortune of meeting and training with a great number of world-class martial artists. These included Allen Joe (personal friend of Bruce Lee), Master Tsutomu Ohshima (a direct student of the father of modern Karate, Gichin Funakoshi), Morihiro Saito Shihan, Kaiso Dave Bendigkeit, Grandmaster Shawn Hayes, and Senior Grandmaster Pete Morales (Kajukenbo). He has always felt inspired by Bruce Lee, and has studied Lee’s writings, philosophy, and training methodology extensively.