Shudokan Aikido

Shudokan Aikido
Logo of the Shudokan
Logo of the Shudokan
Also known asShudokan Institute of Aikido International, Aikido Shudokan International, Shudokan Aikido the Black Belt Academy
Date founded1952 [1]
Country of originJapan Japan, Malaysia Malaysia
Arts taughtAikido
Ancestor artsDaitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu
Ancestor schoolsYoshinkan
PractitionersThamby Rajah, Joe Thambu
Official websitehttp://www.shudokan.co.uk/

Shudokan Aikido is a school that teaches Yoshinkan Aikido. It was established by Thamby Rajah in Seremban, Malaysia, in the early 1950s as the Shudokan Institute of Aikido.[1][2] Whilst in Japan, Thamby Rajah trained with Shioda Gozo and returned to Malaysia as the first Malaysian Shodan black belt in Judo and in Aikido.[3][4][5] The words "Shudokan Aikido" have sometimes been misconstrued as a separate style to Yoshinkan Aikido. Some online sources suggested incorrectly it is a derivation from Aikido and Karate (perhaps due to the similarity in name between Shudokan and Shotokan). However, video and anecdotal sources suggest that Thamby Rajah has always taught a natural derivation of the techniques he learned at Yoshinkan Hombu Dojo (circa 1959). Thamby Rajah's technique is also influenced by extensive experience in Judo at the Kodokan, and his earlier Jujutsu training under Walter De Silva in Malaysia during the post war years. Thamby Rajah's Aikido is fundamentally the same as Yoshinkan Aikido, but is more reflective of the early days of Shioda Gozo's Aikido.

  1. ^ a b "Shudokan Institute of Aikido". Shudokan.my. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  2. ^ Ben Sheard and Joe Thambu, "Joe Thambu Wiki Page Notes", Thambu Notes, date
  3. ^ "Aikido". Kidsselfdefence.co.uk. 9 March 2000. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  4. ^ "History of Aikido Shudokan on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. 25 March 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  5. ^ Malaysian Book of Records, 2007 - Thamby Rajah was awarded records for Malaysia's first Aikido School, being Malaysia's first blackbelt in Judo, and being Malaysia's oldest & longest practising Aikido teacher.