Ranks

Yondan - Jun Dairi Kyoju - 4th Degree Black Belt - Daito Ryu Aikijujijtsu Roppokai - Okamoto Seigo

Yondan - 4th Degree Black Belt - Hiep Ten Mon - Quoc Dung Phan Tam Lac

Shodan - Goshin Budo Jujitsu - Jeffrey D. Lovering

Sensei Howard Popkin also studied under the following renowned instructors:

Roy Goldberg - Daitoryu AikiJujutsu Kodokai

Kerry Lampkin - World Wind Combined Forces

Training History

Sensei Popkin began his training in Goshin Budo Jujitsu in 1979, under the tutelage of Sensei Jeffrey Lovering. He continued to train under Sensei Lovering until 1992. While training under Sensei Lovering, Sensei Popkin was exposed to many of the nation's top Jujitsu instructors, but it was the Daitoryu Kodokai of Roy Goldberg and Kiyama Hayawo that Sensei Popkin found most interesting.

In 1986, with Sensei Lovering's approval, Sensei Popkin began to study Daitoryu Kodokai. Sensei Popkin studied diligently with the Kodokai until 1992, when he was expelled from the organization.

After a few years of training with training partners, Sensei Popkin realized that he missed the Daitoryu and sought out one of the world's great practitioners, Okamoto Seigo of the Daitoryu Aikijujutsu Roppokai and immediately became a student of Okamoto.

In 1998, Sensei Popkin met Sensei Joe Brogna and the two began discussing the idea of a dojo partnership.

Sensei Howard was dedicated to the teachings of Okamoto - traveling to Japan 35 times to study, including a 3 month stay during the summer of 2000. In addition, Okamoto would visit the New York Branch of the Roppokai 3-4 times per year for extended training. With Okamoto's blessing, Sensei Popkin began to establish new branches of the Roppokai. Florida, Seattle, and Maryland had thriving groups under the leadership of the New York Roppokai. Okamoto sent Sensei Popkin as his representative to the Island nation of Mauritius, in the African Region of the Indian Ocean. Sensei Popkin was honored to be the first to introduce Daitoryu to that section of the globe.

In 2009, Howard, traveled to Spencer, Massachusetts to attend a class taught by Dan Harden. Howard instantly realized that Dan's art was a vital piece to the puzzle and began training with Dan Harden.

In October 2010, Sensei Popkin & Brogna respectfully resigned from the Roppokai due to political reasons. Later that same year, Senseis Popkin and Brogna began laying the foundation for what would become the Daito Ryu Aikijujitsu Ginjukai.