Shihan is a title earned through a life time of sacrifice and hard work. Extraordinary skill and accomplishment are just the beginnings. Paul Arel is such a man. He has worked diligently to become the International Kokondo Association's (IKA) Shihan. His Jujitsu training began in 1950 under Sensei Sudo when he (Mr. Arel) was a teenager. Mr. Arel gives the most credit to this sensei for his core techniques which were subsequently refined and improved upon. After years of intensive training under close guidance of his sensei, he earned his black belt, placing him among the youngest legitimate black belts in the United States.