Shodokan Aiki

Aikido is a traditional Japanese budo (martial art) which has its roots in an old jujitsu called Daito Ryu Aiki Jujitsu an old school of fighting techniques and taught to the founder of Aikido, Ueshiba Morihei by an old samurai master, Takeda Sokaku. Ueshiba sensei also studied Kitoryu, Yagyuryu, Shinkageryu bu jitsu (schools of warefare) and these also were incorporated into his repertoire.

All schools of bujitsu had one purpose and that was to kill an opponent in warefare. This of course had no place in normal society. From the Edo period until modern times efforts were made by most schools to create a "bu do" an ethical method of self defense and physical, mental and spiritual training for soldiers and citizens alike during peacetime. Judo was the most famous example of this process. Ueshiba sensei, following this trend, took Daito Ryu Aiki Jujitsu and turned it into Aikido, a self defense practice of striking, throwing and joint locking techniques incorporating some very strong spiritual training and mystical forms of power.

Tomiki Kenji shihan was Ueshiba sensei's earliest true "deshi" or apprentice teacher, and was the only person ever to receive a master license from him. Tomiki shihan was highly dedicated to Ueshiba sensei and chronicled all of his knowledge into documents and Ueshiba sensei's first textbook. He was also a professor of history and physical education at several universities as well as being a high ranking member of the Kodokan, the dojo of the the famous founder of Judo, Kano Jigoro sensei. This association with Judo prompted Tomiki shihan to formulate modern training systems within aikido and to introduce "randori" a form of free training which has also developed into an international competitive sport similar to judo in form. So Shodokan Aikido as practiced at Shodokan honbu in Osaka Japan nowadays is traditional aikido practice plus modern training and a sport. In short it is Aikido with the Competitive Edge !!