YoshinkanAikido is a style of aikido that developed after World War II in the Yoshinkan Dojo of Gozo Shioda (1915–1994). Yoshinkan Aikido is often called the "hard" style of aikido because the training methods are a product of Shioda's grueling life before the war. Shioda named his dojo "Yoshinkan" after a dojo of the same name that was built by his father, a physician, who wanted to improve both physical and spiritual health. The Yoshinkan style is currently the second largest aikido organization worldwide.
Koichi Tohei was a 10th Dan aikidoka and founder of the Ki Society and its style of aikido, officially Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, but commonly known as Ki-Aikido.
Gozo Shioda was a Japanese master of aikido who founded the Yoshinkan style of aikido. He was one of aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba's most senior students. Shioda held the rank of 10th dan in aikido.
Angry White Pyjamas is a book written by Robert Twigger about his time in a one-year intensive program of studying Yoshinkan aikido.
Ljubomir Vračarević, was a Serbian martial artist and founder of Real Aikido.
Senshusei course is an intensive, 11-month aikido training program conducted at Yoshinkan Aikido's honbu dojo in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. The course has received attention through Robert Twigger's book, Angry White Pyjamas (1997).
Takashi Kushida was a Japanese aikido master and the chief instructor of Aikido Yoshokai Association of North America. He began his study of Aikido under Gozo Shioda in 1953 and lived at the Yoshinkan Dojo as a professional student (uchideshi) for over 12 years. In 1964 he became a Shihan. He was awarded “Menkyo Kaiden” and 8th Dan in 1982 by Gozo Shioda. While at the Yoshinkan Dojo, Kushida handled many of Shioda's affairs and taught many of the Yoshinkan instructors in place today. Following this period of intense training and instruction, Kushida was made Senior Assistant Instructor at the Yoshinkan. Between 1963 and 1973 he served as Aikido teacher to the Japanese Air Force, the Tokyo Riot Control Police, and National Railway Police. He also accompanied Shioda in demonstrations in New Zealand and Hawaii as well as teaching at various universities, private companies, and at the Yoshinkan. During his early years as an uchi-deshi, he was instrumental in developing the Yoshinkan's current pedagogical system along with Kyoichi Inoue in consultation with Gozo Shioda.
Morito Suganuma is a Japanese aikido teacher holding the rank of 8th dan in the Aikikai.
Yasuhisa Shioda is the third Sōke of Yoshinkan aikido, succeeding his brother, Tetsutaro Shioda, in keeping with the iemoto tradition in Japanese martial arts. Their father, Gozo Shioda, founded Yoshinkan aikido. He was Kancho of the headquarters dojo in Shinjuku, Tokyo and headed both the All Japan Yoshinkan Aikido Federation and the International Yoshinkai Aikido Federation until he left the organization in 2012. In 2014 he founded the SIAF together with his son Masahiro Shioda.
Thomas H. Makiyama (1928–2005), born in Hawaii, was an aikido teacher and founder of Keijutsukai Aikido and the Keijutsukai International Federation, based in Tokyo. The organization teaches Keijutsukai Aikido and Keijutsu.
Kiyoyuki Terada was a Japanese aikido teacher. He was ranked 10th dan in Yoshinkan Aikido and served as the most senior instructor in Yoshinkan Aikido until his death.
Joseph 'Joe' Haridas Thambu is a teacher of Yoshinkan Aikido, currently ranked 8th Dan, Shihan.
Tsutomu Chida was previously one of the highest ranking shihan of Yoshinkan aikido, at 8th dan, and dojocho of its hombu dojo from 2002. He first became a part of Yoshinkan in 1969 but split from the organization in January 2008 following the resignation of kanchou Kyoichi Inoue. Chida was an uchideshi of Yoshinkan founder Gozo Shioda for 23 years—the longest term among Shioda's uchideshi-- and directed the senshusei course. He is "a living legend of Yoshinkan aikido" and current "highest shihan" (最高師範) of his Yoshinkan offshoot school, Aikido Renshinkai (合気道錬身会).
Tsuneo Ando is an 9th dan Yoshinkan Aikido teacher. He spent 13 years as uchi deshi to Gozo Shioda, the founder of Yoshinkan Aikido. He is said to closely resemble Shioda in terms of size; speed and style. Tsuneo Ando was born in 1956 in Nihama City, Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. He attended Tokushima University where he studied engineering. Ando joined the Tokushima University Aikido Club where he reached the rank of 2nd dan in aikikai. After graduating from university Ando was briefly employed by a chemical company. In 1981, he joined the Yoshinkan as uchi deshi. He was awarded the title of shihan (Master) in 1993 and he currently holds the rank of 8th dan in Yoshinkan Aikido. He also holds the title of shuseki shihan at the Yoshinkan Aikido Headquarters in Tokyo.
Ryoichi Kinoshita is a Japanese Aikido instructor and Chiropractor who served on the instructional staff at Amenotakemusu Juku Aikido Dojo under Seiseki Abe for three decades. He has the rank of 7th dan in the Aikikai and is the chief instructor at the Suisenkan dojo.
Hiroshi Kato; was an Aikido Master. He lived in Tokyo, Japan, and travelled the world teaching the principles of Aikido. A former student of Morihei Ueshiba, Sensei Kato taught from 1986 onwards in his Dojo "Suginami Aikikai" located in the Ogikubo district of Tokyo and has over 55 students.
Munenori Kawai (1931-2010) was an 8th dan aikido practitioner and acupuncturist, who held the roles of President of the South American Aikido Federation and Vice-President of the International Aikido Federation. He was responsible for the introduction of aikido to Brazil in 1963.
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. 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. 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. However, video and anecdotal sources suggest that Thamby Rajah has always taught a natural derivation of the techniques he learned at Yoshinkan Hombu Dojo. 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.
David G Dangerfield is one of Australia's leading professional Budo instructors.
Jacques Payet is a practitioner of Yoshinkan-style aikido. He was the longest-serving non-Japanese uchi-deshi of Yoshinkan founder Gozo Shioda and is ranked Hachidan in the Yoshinkan organization, with the honorific Shihan. He is the founder and head instructor of Mugenjuku dojo and the Mugenjuku Kenshusei program in Kyoto, Japan. He is also the originator of the well-known Senshusei Course, a translator of several important works in aikido, and a guest instructor in demand around the world.
