News

Guillaume Erard Sensei travelled to Montreal, Canada last month for his first seminar on Canadian soil. Hosted at McGill University in the heart of Montreal, the two-day event brought together practitioners eager to explore both the technical depth and the historical roots of aikido under his guidance.

Yokohama AikiDojo participated in the 13th Kanagawa Prefecture Aikido Federation Seminar led by Katsurada Eiji Sensei on Saturday, February 28, at the Kanagawa Prefectural Budokan. This seminar, organized as part of the Kanagawa Prefecture Aikido Federation's official events, brought together practitioners from various dojos to refine their skills and deepen their understanding of Aikido. Yokohama AikiDojo was represented by five of its members, who made the trip to train together under Katsurada Sensei's guidance.

The traditional Aikido Kagamibiraki ceremony held at the Aikido Hombu Dojo on January 11, 2026, marked an exceptional start to the year for the global Aikido community. Among the 1,064 practitioners promoted during this prestigious annual event, Yokohama AikiDojo instructor at large, Odilon Regnard, received his 5th dan certification, a significant milestone in his distinguished martial arts career and a major advance for our organization.

The 2025 Aikido Kanagawa Training and Exchange Practice was held on Saturday, December 27th. The final practice session of the year, it brought together aikido enthusiasts from the Kanto area for a lively end-of-year celebration of intense practice and networking. The event took place at the Kamakura Budokan near Yokohama. The three-hour training session was filled with a passionate atmosphere, defying the chill of the year-end weather.

La Réunion is currently hosting an international Aikido expert, Guillaume Erard. Welcomed by the Saint-Pierre Aikido School, he has clearly fallen under the spell of the landscapes in the south of the island.

Yesterday, I had the honor of attending the celebration for Ueshiba Moriteru Doshu receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo. Over 1,100 practitioners and supporters from across Japan and around the world gathered to mark this historic achievement—an unprecedented three-generation legacy of imperial honors within the Ueshiba family.

On Saturday, July 26th, members of Yokohama AikiDojo proudly took part in the 21st Kanagawa Prefecture Aikido Federation Demonstration, held at the Kanagawa Budokan. This annual event brings together aikidoka from across the prefecture to celebrate their shared practice through formal demonstrations (enbu), highlighting the breadth of aikido expression in Kanagawa.

This summer, Guillaume Erard Shihan—6th Dan Aikikai and esteemed instructor of both Aikido and Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu—led a remarkable series of seminars across Europe, visiting Emmendingen, Bayonne, Paris, and Cambridge. Central to this tour was a deep exploration of the root techniques preserved in the secret transmission scrolls (densho) and their evolution from the late 19th century to modern practice.

We are pleased to announce that during the Kanagawa Prefecture Aikido Federation Board Meeting held on June 7th, Yokohama AikiDojo Dojo-cho, Guillaume Erard Sensei, was officially elected to the Federation’s Board of Directors.

On Saturday June 14th, the tatami at Yokohama AikiDojo buzzed with anticipation as students from across the Kanagawa region and beyond gathered for a truly special event. Fabrice Croizé Sensei, the renowned French aikido master had traveled from France to share his decades of experience with the Japanese aikido community.

This past Saturday, Yokohama AikiDojo had the pleasure of hosting a special joint class with our friends from Takeda Dojo. The event brought together nearly 50 enthusiastic participants for a wonderful day of Aikido practice, community connection, and seasonal enjoyment.

On Sunday, April 13th, 2025, our instructor, Mihaly Dobroka Shidoin (5th Dan), was invited by Okuyama Daiki Sensei (4th Dan) to teach a special class at his newly established Aikido Kita-Hachioji Dojo. The training was held at Fujimori Sports Center, located near Hachioji Station.