His happiest memory, Roland Thompson says, is of his training, and learning advanced techniques, in Soke Shioda's black-belt aikido classes. His saddest memory is of the day Shioda died. He regards himself as "very fortunate to have been with him, and to have trained with him, during that last part of his life. He was one of the last true masters."
Since life has given him many happy memories, to single out one period as having produced the best is an accolade to his teacher. Thompson came to Japan in 1987 to study the language, culture and martial arts of Japan. "Martial arts were part of my upbringing," he said. "My father put me through judo."
His father was an officer in the Australian Army, with postings that kept the family on the move. "We lived in Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore as well as different places around Australia," Thompson said. "Malay was one of my first languages, which I spoke with my 'amah.' " He had inbuilt equilibrium, which frequent changes of countries and school systems didn't upset. "I am one of the odd few who enjoy studying and don't mind taking examinations," he said. He took his bachelor's degree in real estate development and valuations from the University of Queensland.