Shodokan Aikido - Shihan

Shihan

Within the JAA there are two Shihan: Tetsuro Nariyama and Fumiaki Shishida. Nariyama is the technical director of the JAA and chief instructor of the Shodokan hombu dojo in Osaka, Japan. Shishida is Professor of Intellectual History of the Japanese Martial Arts at Waseda University in Tokyo. These two instructors are the head of the JAA. Together, they wrote a key monograph, in Japanese, entitled "Aikido Kyougi", which describes the history of, and many technical details about, the style of aikido propounded by Tomiki. This book, first published in 1985, was subsequently translated into English under the title, "Aikido: Tradition and the Competitive Edge". Nariyama Shihan and Shishida Shihan are the only two Shihan of the JAA. However the term Shihan is used in an organisational way to describe other roles, such as below.

In recent years, Sato Tadayuki, also of Kodokan Judo fame was made Shihan of Waseda University Aikido Club. He, along with Kenshi Uno, of Shikoku Japan, have created Shidokan, with the blessing of Shishida Shihan. This system follows the same teachings of Tomiki, but with different emphasis on teachings. It is important to note this is not a rift within the JAA. All of this is still the teachings of Tomiki's Aikido, but just performed with a different approach. Tomiki gave his art the name Shodokan, and many people were concerned with the introduction of a new name Shidokan. However this is just to show the various paths available within Tomiki's aikido.

The late Yamada of Hakata lived and trained with both Tomiki, Jigoro Kano (the founder of Judo), and Morihei Ueshiba, the creator of Aikido. On the rare occasions that he stood in line with Shishida and Nariyama Shihans, he would take the senior position. Yamada did not approve of competition in Aikido, being of the opinion that it would make Aikido lose its roots in the same way that he felt competition Judo has little connection with its roots and good basic movements. Yamada did not form an organization or dojo, but has a small number of dedicated students and clubs who continue his direct teaching and styles passed down through him from Tomiki, Kano and Ueshiba.