A Little About Aikido Renshinkai
Aikido Renshinkai is based on the philosophy and techniques that have been passed down from Gozo Shioda Sensei. Shioda Sensei was a famous martial artist who founded his own school of aikido.
One of Shioda Sensei’s top students was Tsutomu Chida Sensei. He was a Japanese style apprentice (uchi deshi) to Shioda Sensei for 33 years, the longest of any of Shioda Sensei’s students. In 2008, after retiring as the chief instructor of the Yoshinkan Aikido headquarters, Chida Sensei formed Aikido Renshinkai.
Aikido Renshinkai is a registered not-for-profit organization with the mandate to spread the techniques and teachings of Gozo Shioda Sensei. Regular classes are held in the greater Tokyo area, with seminars conducted both internationally and across Japan. Renshinkai also has large family of affiliated dojos throughout Japan and around the world.
For more information about Aikido Renshinkai or to request a seminar, please contact us.
Renshinkai Philosophy
Like most styles of aikido, Renshinkai is firmly rooted in the philosophy of non-aggression. In Aikido Renshinkai however, following the example left by
A smaller and weaker person should be able to use aikido effectively even when confronted by a larger and more powerful attacker. The point is to train to find one’s strongest and most centred position, while learning to be sensitive to the weakness of the attacker.
Through training in the kihon dosa, Renshinkai’s basic movements, we learn how to be strong and centred without excess tension or energy, eventually, being able to keep centred while moving freely and executing techniques.
By training in the kihon waza, Renshinkai’s basic techniques, we learn how to find our partners’ weak points so that instead of struggling against their force we can use the power of their attack to control them. When force against force is experienced, the challenge is to learn how to change one’s power and approach so that as one progresses in aikido there is less and less power required.
It is through the understanding that sometimes comes from training in both of these basics that one can learn to be strong and effective without resorting to struggling with, or simply overpowering one’s partners. Aikido Renshinkai is dedicated to providing the opportunity for those who wish to train in these ideals.