Reason for joining Hombu and Yokohama Int. Aikido Club

I started Aikido in late November 1968 as a member at the Chorley Budo Club this was run by Sensei Marian Mucha who was to become my Mentor, Friend, and Father Figure, he started to learn Aikido under Sensei Abbe in 1956 in 1967 Chiba Sensei was sent to this country from the Aikido World Headquarters (Hombu Dojo) in Japan by the Founder Morihei Ueshiba (Chiba Sensei was his last live in student) to set up an organisations which was to become the Aikikai of Great Britain which we joined and were then known as the Lancashire Aikikai.

I was awarded my 6th Kyu grade at Chorley by Sensei Chiba in June 1969 and in August 1971 was awarded 1st Dan then achieved 2nd Dan in 1973 right up to 1976. When Chiba Sensei left to go to America leaving Sensei Kanetsuka to run The Aikikai of Great Britain, this caused problems as politics seemed to take over resulting in the Lancashire Aikikai leaving and becoming an Independent Association.

In all this time we had regular general, teacher, and weapon courses with Chiba Sensei also an Easter and Summer school each year, as well as travelling all over the country to attend courses with Sensei he also used to bring over high ranking Sensei's from Hombu Dojo as guest instructors so we were continuously being updated with our Traditional Aikido style as taught by the founder.

Chiba Sensei was not only my Sensei but also a friend, as he used to stop over at Mr Mucha's house on the Saturday evening and we would go over for a chat and a few drinks he also invited my wife and I to his house for a traditional Japanese meal as well as a few times going out for dinner when we were in London, he was always pleased to see me when went to his club in London he also liked using me as his Uke, though at times it felt like torture but in those days it was necessary for my progression.

It came as a great shock to me when he passed away in June 2015 and I got to thinking just how much this man has meant to me, all the things he had taught me even changed my attitude to life, then I think of Sensei Mucha and read a statement on the back of our handbook about Aikido being like a stream, which is pure at the source but gets muddied as it travels downstream, I felt that there was a need to go back to the original source which is the Aikido World Headquarters to ensure that we practice pure Aikido.

I felt that I could achieve this by going through a connection one of the clubs has with the Yokohama International Aikido club that is affiliated with the Hombu Dojo so I approached Chris Wallace to see if he could arrange a meeting with Mimuro Sensei about the possibility of Lancashire Aikikai becoming a member with Hombu, this was done and the outcome is that we can become members registered in Japan through the Yokohama Club with all Kyu grades being recognised as they stand and Shodans after an assessment.

There a few benefits:-

• Having an International Standard Recognition
• Helps with our marketing
• Simplifies the grading syllabus
• As it is a Japanese Martial Art we have contact from the original source therefore Pure Aikido
• Having a High Grade Japanese Sensei as the Technical Director to ensure very high standards
• Thinking to the future of Lancashire Aikikai.

Bob Spence – Principal of the Lancashire Aikikai
Aikido & Hombu

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