Aikido master in Melbourne

World-renowned aikido master Kyoichi Inoue Sensei will visit Melbourne’s Shudokan Aikido dojo for a series of rare seminars and demonstrations in March 2012.

Matt Williams

Inoue Sensei was one of the first students of Gozo Shioda Sensei, founder of Yoshinkan Aikido. He was assigned to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and oversaw the aikido training for police officers for many years. On retirement from the police, Inoue Sensei returned to Yoshinkan Honbu dojo and took over the role of superintendent, or kancho, after the passing of Gozo Shioda.

Inoue returns to Australia next month for the first time in four years, having visited Yoshinkai Aikido NSW in 2008. Aikido Shudokan chief instructor Joe Thambu Shihan, 7th Dan, will host Inoue's full-day seminars on 10-11 March and a half-day seminar and demonstration on 12 March. For more info, visit www.aikidoshudokan.com