Paul Ward Sensei, Chief Instructor – Sandan (3rd Degree Black Belt)
Paul Ward Sensei, 3rd Dan, serves as Chief Instructor of the West Linn Ki Aikido Dojo in Oregon, USA. He holds 3rd Dan in Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido and Chuden in Ki Development within the International Ki Society. Ward Sensei is a certified Assistant Examiner and Associate Ki Lecturer.
Ward Sensei completed the two-year New Instructor Apprenticeship Program under the direct instruction of Calvin Tabata Sensei, 8th Dan, Chief Instructor of the Northwest Ki Federation. He continues his study under Tabata Sensei, as well as Robert Hart Sensei (7th Dan) and Louis Sloss Sensei (7th Dan). His home dojo for personal training is the Northwest Ki Federation Headquarters Dojo in Tigard, Oregon.
In 2016, Ward Sensei traveled to Japan for training at Ki Society World Headquarters under Shinichi Tohei Sensei, President of the International Ki Society. In 2018, he served as Otomo to Tabata Sensei during a four-day seminar in Vancouver, Canada. In 2019, he represented the Oregon Ki Society at the National Instructors Conference, again receiving instruction from Tohei Sensei.
In 2022, Ward Sensei accompanied Tabata Sensei on a private visit to World Headquarters in Tokyo. Under the direction of Shinichi Tohei Sensei, he assisted in the development of the new global membership management system and received advanced training during two instructor seminars, where he was the sole non-Japanese instructor in attendance.
In 2023, Ward Sensei supported Tabata Sensei in conducting an international seminar in Prague, Czech Republic. He has trained at Ki Society dojos across the United States, Canada, Japan, Hawaii, and Europe.
In 2025, Ward Sensei brought his West Linn Dojo instructors and their families with him to join the rest of the Northwest Ki Federation on a training visit to Tokyo to train with Tohei Sensei and his fellow senior Japanese instructors.
Ward Sensei also plays a central role within the Northwest Ki Federation in developing online instruction systems and supporting international membership coordination in cooperation with World Headquarters. Prior to the creation of the International Membership System, he designed and managed the online data system for the OHSU/Ki Society joint clinical study on the use of Kiatsu for severe migraine sufferers. His contributions to this project are acknowledged in the study’s documentation published through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Self Defense Instructor
In addition to his training with the Oregon Ki Society, Paul Ward Sensei has studied with internationally recognized self-defense expert Rory Miller and leading national firearms instructor Grant Cunningham. He has received firearms safety instruction from members of the Beaverton Police Department and regularly participates in scenario-based firearms training.
Ward Sensei has taken part in martial arts cross-training events with black belts from a wide range of disciplines, including Kung Fu, Karate, Jujitsu, Taekwondo, and others. He holds numerous certifications in self-defense and firearms from nationally certified instructors and law-enforcement professionals.
To ensure his curriculum reflects the most current and effective methods, Ward Sensei actively studies material from respected self-defense instructors, researchers, and martial artists. For the safety of his students, he maintains current First Aid and CPR certification for infants, children, and adults, renewed every two years.
Family Man & Business Owner
Paul Ward Sensei is a longtime West Linn resident, married to his high-school best friend, with two children in the West Linn school system. He is an award-winning multimedia designer and the founder of Media Mechanic, a software company based in Lake Oswego.
Ward Sensei has been interviewed by the Oregonian, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Bloomberg News, and multiple local media outlets for his work and expertise. Before opening his dojo, he was also a touring musician, performing hundreds of shows and selling several thousand albums.
Ward Sensei’s guiding philosophies are simple and direct:
Do the right things for the right reasons with the right people.
What one person can do, another can do.
The only limitations in life are the ones we place on ourselves.
Always believe in yourself.
My Goal
Paul Ward Sensei’s goal is to bring the teachings of Tohei Sensei and the enjoyment of Ki-Aikido to the local residents of West Linn. His sincere hope is to build a community of families and students that can last for decades to come.