Kenji Tomiki

Tomiki Kenji (Japanese富 木 谦 治, born March 15, 1900 in Kakunodate (now Semboku ), Akita Prefecture, † 25 December 1979) was a Japanese aikido teacher and founder of the Shodokan style, which so often called " Tomiki Aikido " is called.

Tomiki was a student of Judo founder Kano Jigorō and later belonged to the first generation of students of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. In 1929 he represented the Miyagi Prefecture in the first before the emperor discharged judo tournament, which take place in the following year for the annual All Japan Tournament was.

From 1936 until the end of World War II Tomiki lived in Manchuria, where he taught Aikibudo (the old name for aikido ). In 1938 he became an assistant professor of Kenkoku University in Manchukuo. In 1942 he received his 8th Dan in Aikido. After he returned from the three-year prisoner of war in the Soviet Union, he taught for many years in both Aikido and Judo at Waseda University. Here Tomiki developed his concepts regarding Kata, training methods and a certain form of freestyle battle ( randori ), which put him at odds with many other Aikidōstilen. In 1964 he received from the Kodokan 8th Dan in Judo awarded.

In 1974 he founded the Japan Aikido Association ( JAA) to promote his theories. In 1967 he founded the Honbu dojo in Osaka and named his style Shodokan - Aikido.

Through numerous trips abroad he spread Shodokan - Aikido in the United States, Australia and Europe.