The Club House Community Centre, Elm Avenue, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU8 8PZ Aikido is a Japanese stylised, modern martial way or gendai budo, founded by Morihei Ueshiba sensei, aikido is generally based upon the historical comprehensive Japanese martial art of Yawara, or pliant art, which includes both unarmed and armed fighting methods and specifically Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu, along with
several others martial art schools or styles, which have been influential in the founders development of aikido in the early years. Aikido is considered by many, to be a traditional spiritual martial art, unlike judo and most other martial sports, which have a strong Olympic sporting ethos, framed by rules, regulations, officials, and competitions etc. The history, concept, theory, principles and technique of aiki, is very much open to differing philosophical and technical interpretation, as taught by the various martial art traditions, masters, teachers and practitioners, in other words, there is no one definitive philosophy, theory, form or function of aiki. Therefore, the technique of aiki and the technical repertoire as taught and practiced within the Hull Aiki Dojo, is atypical and eclectic, reflecting the sensei’s own understanding and methodology of aiki, in that, it is budo with jutsu application. The overall emphasis within the Hull Aiki Dojo is not only the perfecting and polishing our knowledge and skills, but moreover, our character and conduct, for this is the essence of budo. The Hull Aiki Dojo was officially formed and constituted in Jan 2011, from an earlier martial arts club known as Wado Kai Aiki-Jutsu Club, which was founded and run by Mr. Glyn Evens sensei, who retired as the chief instructor at the end of 2005 due to health reasons, leaving the running of that club, in the hands of the then, senior black belt, as the designated sensei of Wado Kai Aiki-Jutsu Club. As a result of the instructor’s research and study into the martial concept of aiki and after much consideration, took the decision to disband the old club, formally known as the Wado Kai Aiki-Jutsu Club and reconstitute a new club, changing the name, revising the constitution, organisational structure, technical characteristics and curriculum, to better reflect the nature, purpose and direction of the newly reformed organisation. The Hull Aiki Dojo instructor has over 40 years of experience in learning and teaching combative martial arts and sports, such as karate-do and western boxing, but primarily in aikido, which he started learning in 1979 under the tutelage of Mr Alan Pirie sensei, a locally well known and much respected Aikido pioneer, practitioner and teacher.
