He became the adopted son of Yukiko Yamawaki, a daughter of the 17th head of Izumi-ryu Motoharu Yamawaki, when he was six years old and renamed Yasuyuki Yamawaki.
6歳の時、和泉流17世宗家山脇元清の娘・ゆき子の養子となり、山脇保之へ改名。