History
Kenji Tomiki: The Founder of Tomiki Aikido
Kenji Tomiki began his study of budo at the age of ten with Jigoro Kano's Kodokan Judo. He studied under Kano at his Kodokan dojo while a student of Waseda University in Tokyo. Throughout his life he retained an active association with judo, rising to the rank of 8th Dan. He entered Morihei Ueshiba's dojo in 1925 and became one of Ueshiba's most prominent disciples; a relationship that was encouraged by Dr Kano.
Tomiki went to Manchuria in 1936, as an instructor at the Daido Gakuin and then at Kenkoku University which opened in 1938. At Kenkoku he established an Aiki Budo course which featured as a regular part of the curriculum, a project aided by his close associate Hideo Ohba. After the war and internment in a Russian POW camp, he returned to Japan and worked at the Kodokan, the judo headquarters, where he campaigned for the lifting of the ban imposed on the martial arts by the American occupation authorities.
In 1953 he established an aikido club at Waseda University and aikido became a regular element of the curriculum. However an important proviso placed on this development by the University authorities was that it should have a competitive element. Accordingly, during his years as a professor of physical education at the university, he developed a competitive format for aikido based on judo principles of randori.
It was Tomiki Sensei's long term intention of having aikido accepted, alongside judo and kendo, into the Japanese school and university system, as the third national educational budo. National and international competition are also important aspirations which are served by annnual national championships and by major biennial international Tomiki Aikido tournaments.
Although he still taught aikido at Ueshiba's Aikikai Hombu until the early 1960s, it was clear that Tomiki's development of a sport aikido was not welcome, and a gradual distancing took place. Despite this disapproval Tomiki remained loyal to Ueshiba Sensei until his death in 1969.
The break with the Hombu
1970, the year of his retirement as Professor of Physical Education, saw the culmination of his efforts, when the First All Japan University Aikido Championships were held at Okubo Sports Centre, in Tokyo. From that point on a break was inevitable and, in 1974, the Japan Aikido Association was set up to administer and develop Aikido Kyogi, or Sport Aikido, with Professor Tomiki as its first Chairman.
Tomiki Aikido has also expanded to the West particularly Britain, the USA and Australia where it has a significant following. This has enabled the JAA to stage international championships on a four yearly cycle, beginning with the First International Open Aikido Tournament, at Tenri University in 1989. This event was attended by over 200 competitors from nine countries. In 1997 there was an even larger event staged in Imabari on the island of Shikoku, which received first day news coverage from the Japanese public television NHK, and was attended by an ex-prime minister and sponsored by a major soft drinks company.
Although Tomiki Aikido does not enjoy the same international membership or profile as Ueshiba's Aikikai, it is a significant force appealing particularly the young and those who enjoy the excitement of competition. In recent years Tomiki Aikido clubs have expanded across the world, developing followings across the European Community and on into Russia and Georgia. Within the USA and Brazil the major Tomiki Aikido organisations continue to grow and have established their presence through hosting international competitions and seminars.
Today Tomiki Aikido organisations are united internationally through the Tomiki Aikido International Network and regionally through the European Tomiki Aikido Network, both organisations fostering the growth and development of Kenji Tomiki's vision of a world united through budo as sport.