Inevitably, the story of the Shudokan begins with Sensei Thamby Rajah, the the father of Malaysian Aikido. Whilst in Japan, Soke Gozo Shioda gave Sensei Thamby the dojo name of 'Shudokan'. 'Shu' meaning to study, 'do' meaning the way and 'kan' meaning house. Sensei Thambu began studying Aikido under the tutelage of his Uncle, Sensei Thamby Rajah at age 11. In 1983, Sensei Thambu travelled to Japan to further his training. On his return, Sensei Thambu established a permanent home for the 'Aikido Shudokan'. www.aikidoshudokan.com
Why don’t you just lift your knee up to block with your own leg which will temporarily disable your opponents movements then you can go for your own kick
Let's be honest ... the ukemi from kotaegashi was so awful to look at ... doesnt make sense to put the body at risk for a kotaegashi ... this is a test for 5th dan but the act of taking such bad ukemis - i wouldnt want to put on the belt even if i passed the test. And jesus christ the randori - all those slaps and chin touch sent the uke to the ground ... like seriously?
I lived in the St. George dojo for 2 weeks when I was 13 with Joe sensei. I was uchi deshi when I was 22. Unfortunately, injury made a stop to my Aikido practice. I came back to Aikido after 15 years, and I will never be able to repay Joe sensei for the impact he had on my life. "Yoshinkan Aikido is about perseverance and belief in yourself." Thank you, Joe sensei.
Yes. Wrist locks in Aikido are the means to control the humerus, scapula and the whole body. They are therefore secondary, when ikkyo fails for some reason. Ikkyo is the most direct and effective way to control humerus.
Just some personal thoughts.. Until Aikido practitioners are able to distinguish between the 'Art' component and 'Martial' component of the discipline and their relationship to each other , 'standardisation' of levels will never be achieved. There needs to be more clarity and consensus about what Aikido actually is across the board...and this needs to be clearly and openly stated. This ambiguity between the 'Art' and Martial aspects of the discipline is the main cause of the lack of standing of traditional Martial Arts in a non Asian context. Other Martial Arts have competition to sort out and focus levels, Aikido needs either to adopt some kind of a competitive framework in aspects of the training or be overtly more practically orientated . If the Kihon Dosa and /or Kihon Waza are deemed to be not fit for purpose in the present, then maybe they need to be revisited, adjusted or changed altogether. I don't think Ueshiba or Shioda would object to this as Aikido was always envisaged as a means to growth through encouraging the reconciliation of opposites . Osu
Always a pleasure to listen to Mick Mercer sensei! He is unique. I love him and it's a great pleasure to know him personally. People always feel better when he's around. His level of humanity always gets me. Very interesting interview.. Thank you. OSU!!
Good topic. As someone who has been involved in Yoshinkan Aikido since 1982, I saw the Kushida era in the US. My instructor was a member of that organization. In the mid 90s aikido BC with Keith Taylor sensei. I have watched the splintering of that with the IYAF. Crazy stuff. Still good teachers out there but separated by affiliations.
I think it’s a shame to listen to elders in the art speak poorly of other Sensei’s, particularly their seniors. If you are the future of the art, it’s doomed. Your characters are lacking to take part in such a petty example of putting down other instructors who aren’t present. Just a sad example of poor character, and a lack of respect. And finally, to say all Aikido in California is no good? Hilarious Joe. I know that you know better than that.
Osu Sensei! Andrew Aupuni here, I came across this video perusing through RU-vid. Great to see Sensei Elio doing well, its been 15 - 16 years since I saw him last. Fond memories training and socialising with him, glad to see he's found something close to his heart. All the best to you both. Osu!
great acrobatics but these kids dont do the rolling correct nor safe and are in serious danger hitting their head or getting neck injuries. 1. never ever roll straight over your head, and on your spine, but always on your left or right shoulder to the oposite side of your buttocks, (your roll is diagonally over your back) and 2. CHIN OUR YOUR CHEST when rolling so you dont hit the back of your head when falling backwards.
I have trained with Aoi Kataoka and she is an incredible human being in and out of the dojo :) . You gain just to know her. She dedicated her time to the art more than most i know. I wish her to continue to grow and wait for the next time we train together ! Thank you Thambu Sensei for this interview. Osu!
