White
Oak Aikido
Aikido in Reading
Berkshire
and Aikido on
Powys, Shropshire,
Herefordshire Borders
offering classes in the
Japanese martial art of
Aikido since 1991
Some stories
of those that went
before - Bain Sensei
This
was written by me (Simon
Thackeray of White Oak
Aikido and Reading
University Aikido Clubs)
without any intention to
make any claims as to
accuracy or it being any
version of a 'complete and
true' UK Aikido history.
It is based on my own
memories of events,
written information that I
have and my memory of what
I have been told. Lots of
Aikido people and lots of
Aikido events have been
omitted because this is
only about people and
events that interacted
with my own development in
Aikido and that of the
White Oak and Reading
University Aikido Clubs,
so it is all very much
written from my own
perspective and only
includes what I want to
and what I remember right
now as I write it.
However, if you think
anything is seriously
inaccurate as opposed to
being omitted, then please
let me know! Find
out more about Aikido
history below, or discover
martial
arts in Berkshire or martial
arts near Knighton
Shropshire at White
Oak Aikido.
My first
Aikido instructor in
Edinburgh as a result of
me turning up in response
to an advert in the
Edinburgh free paper for
'Marshall Arts'. She
started teaching Aikido in
1980 just after being
graded to 1st dan by Haydn
Foster Sensei. Her first
club was Holycross Aikido
Club, named after the
primary school in which it
was: thin foam school mats
and no changing rooms with
a noisy youth club next
door. Renamed Yamashita
Aiki Rinzai (the school
under the mountain) on
moving to the St. Philips'
Church Hall in Canonmills;
the Aikido club later
moved to a youth club in
Tolcross. Known for being
a highly interventionist
teacher and really picky
about technique - traits I
inherited! She also ran an
Aikido club at Edinburgh
University on Saturday
mornings for a while and
Mr. Foster directed a
course there, where he
demonstrated Kumitachi
using real katana.
Her partner Robert Brodie
also taught Aikido at the
club when he wasn't away
for work. They were both
awarded 3rd dan in 1989
and 4th dan in March
1993. A few years
later around the end of
1996, they both stopped
practising Aikido.
This Aikido
video shows Fiona Bain
Sensei at The Hut dojo in
1988, demonstrating
techniques and 31 jo kata
partner practice:
This Aikido video shows
Robert Brodie Sensei
teaching Iriminage at the
Aikido Summer School in
Durham in 1996:
Watch
our Aikido video
here!
Not
what you'll be doing
when you start, but
sometimes our more
senior grades like
to show off a bit!
Find out
more about getting
involved in the
martial art of
Aikido in Whitton
and Aikido in
Reading:
Home page
of White
Oak Aikido UK Info
for Beginners
- some more
details about Aikido and
what to expect if you come
along to either our
Reading or Whitton dojos.
Discover
the martial art of Aikido
near Knighton
Powys at our Whitton
dojo.
Find out more about
the martial art ofAikido
Reading Berkshire at our
Caversham dojo.
Or
please Contact
us if you have any
questions about Aikido
classes in Reading or
Whitton.
White
Oak Aikido
