The Lancashire Aikikai was founded by Marion Mucha. He was born in Niwaka in Poland in 1919 his father during the Depression sought work first in France and then Belgium. When the Second World War broke out Mr.. Mucha joined the Polish forces in France and saw action. He came to Britain in 1943 and returned to France in 1944 where he was wounded in action.
Returning to Britain after being wounded, he was hospitalised in the Polish Hospital in Ormskirk, Lancashire. After the war he decided to settle in this country having met his future wife here.
Mr. Mucha had been practising Judo for two years when at a Summer School in Chigwell in 1956, he practised Aikido for the first time. Mr.. Mucha was fascinated by Aikido, since it seemed to him to be a real fighting art.
Though at this first introduction there was much he did not understand, there was something about it that attracted him even more than Judo.
From then on he started training in both Judo and Aikido. Mr.. Mucha's progress in Judo continued and he was to be awarded 1st Dan in 1962, 2nd Dan in 1967 and 3rd Dan in 1971. During the same period he was graded in Aikido by Nakazona Sensei and Ken Williams Sensei up to 1st Kyu.
He set up his own Budo (Martial 'Way') club, first in Ormskirk and then Chorley, Lancashire in 1965/6. This was to become the Lancashire Aikikai in 1967 a voluntary body that had at its heart the desire to promote and support Aikido - and this remains the same today. Lancashire Aikikai has no paid employees. All members give their time freely.
In 1967 a most significant event occurred. Chiba Sensei toured Britain with Noro Sensei from France. He had been sent by the Aikido Headquarters to teach Aikido in Britain. His tour included a course in Ormskirk. Mr.. Mucha was so impressed by Chiba Sensei's attitude and abilities that he asked to join him as uchi-deshi ('inside student').
Mucha Sensei
As Chiba Sensei was based in Sunderland at the time this involved a great deal of travelling. Often accompanied by Mrs. Mucha he journeyed all over the country once or twice a month to practise Aikido with his teacher. Mr Spence, the current Principal, started Aikido with the Chorley Budo Club in 1968 and also travelled to train under Chiba Sensei.
Mr. Mucha’s persistence and dedication were rewarded by the award of 1st Dan in 1969, 2nd Dan in 1972 and 3rd Dan in1975, all awarded by Chiba Sensei. He was also awarded his Teacher's Certificate from the Seikai Hombu in 1974. .........
In 1975 Chiba Sensei returned to Japan and since then he has moved to San Diego, USA. Despite this distance Mr. Mucha always considered Chiba to be his teacher and continued to teach in the way that Chiba Sensei had taught him.
In the years that followed the Lancashire Aikikai expanded until now it consists of clubs spread all over the North West and beyond. Mucha Sensei passed away in 1998 and Spence Sensei became the second Principal of the Lancashire Aikikai.
Bob Spence was awarded his first black belt in August 1971 by Chiba Sensei.
He himself has been taught and influenced by many teachers including Tada, Sekiya, Kitaura, Kenshiro Abbe, Nakazona, Tamuru and Chiba Sensei.
Mr Spence had a wide background in martial arts having studied Karate, Judo and Kung-Fu (White Cloud).
In 2011 he celebrated 40 years as a Dan Grade. He is known to many in the Aikido world through his work as a BAB Coach Tutor as he has tutored many coaching courses. Further on that later on this page
He lead the Lancashire Aikikai according to the principles handed down to him personally by Mucha Sensei until 14th July 2024. when he passed away.
Spence Sensei
Started Aikido in December 1968 at the Chorley Budo Club
Teachers I have studied under are as shown below
| Grade | Date | Sensei |
|---|---|---|
| First grading | June 1969 | Chiba |
| 5th kyu | .August 1969 | Tada |
| 3rd kyu | December 1969 | Chiba promoted me from 5th to 3rd kyu |
| 2nd kyu | August 1970 | Nakazone |
| 1st kyu | December 1970 | Chiba |
| 1st Dan | August 1971 | Chiba |
| 2nd Dan | November 1972 | Chiba |
| 3rd Dan | November 1979 | Mucha |
| 4th Dan | December 1984 | Mucha |
| 5th Dan | November 1989 | Mucha |
| 6th Dan | January 1999 | dying wishes of Mr. Mucha |
Teachers Spence Sensei has studied under are as shown below
| Sensei | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sensei Marian Mucha | 1968 / 1998 | All over the country |
| Chiba | 1969 / 1976 | All over the country |
| Fred Wainright | 1969 | Eastham Village |
| Pat Butler | 1969 / 1971 | Sunderland |
| Jean from Liverpool | 1969 / 1971 | Liverpool |
| Tada | 1969 | Bracknell |
| Sekiya | 1969 | |
| Kitaura | 1969 | Bracknell |
| Kenshiro Abbe | 1970 / 1971 | Chorley |
| Tomita | 1970 & 198 ? | |
| Nakazona | 1970 | Sunderland |
| Tamura | 1971 | London |
| Kitaura | 1975 | Stirling |
| Kanai | 1975 | Chester |
| Doshu Sensei | 1975 | Oaxford |
| Kanet suka | 1976 | London, Chorley, Liverpool |
As well as a practicing visitor to other styles when I have been tutoring at their clubs
Other Martial Arts
Karate 1963-65 Preston and Liverpool
Judo 1970/74 Chorley
Kung-Fu (White Cloud) 1972/73 Blackburn
Coaching Awards
Coach MAC 1991
Coach BAB 1991
MAC Coach Tutor 1991
BAB Coach Tutor 1992
Senior Coach 1994
Children Coach 1994
Safe Exercise Coach 1994
Principal Coach 1999
He was a Lecturer / Tutor at the College of Building.
He held ASA Coaching qualifications and was a tutor for the Amateur Swimming Association and was involved with NVQ.
Involved in the development of the BAB coaching qualifications, both in content and delivery throughout the whole of Britain and recently in Germany.
Note by Andrew Baird who was the BAB CLO in the early 1990's to early 2000's
Mr. Spence was the first BAB Coach Tutor being appointed in 1992 and the first to deliver its Coaching courses. But had been advising on and working towards the BAB having its own coaching award system prior to that.
The BAB became fleetingly a member of the Martial Arts Commission (MAC) where other sport bodies in the martial arts world were members circa 1988. MAC did have a coaching system / framework which the BAB had to adopt. The first step was to prior accredit existing instructors and Heads of Association and the second step was to introduce coaching courses that qualified people.
However, circa 1990/91 the Sports Council were encouraging each sport to form and act as a national governing body as it said it would only recognise one body in each sport.
The BAB went this way and was recognised as the only national body the Sports council recognised. But a governing body has to fullfil certain function including having a coaching system to ensure regulation. The BAB had none of this as each Aikido Association generally relying on the hierarchal nature of martial art. (Which if you are technically good it means you can teach well - wrongly held view as didn't always follow.)
Martial Arts Commission (MAC) did not survive once the Sport Council recognised in vidual sports. But MAC did have a coaching system / framework which was tweaked. John Flint of a Karate NGB - Shirley Timms (BAB Secretary) recalls he thought Bob should be a excellent choice to develop coaching.
Bob was ideally placed and willing to help the BAB as was invested in Aikido and came from a education work as a lecturer and being delivering a coach education programme as a Tutor for the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA). Bob Spence worked with and led initially a small team to deliver coaching courses from 1991/92 of Bob Jones & Philip Smith supported by a Admin team of Andrew Baird (CLO) and Norman Bond.
Bob Spence went on to support coaching in the BAB for many a year from 1991 - truly remarkable and also brought on others so many Association had their own Coach Tutor to deliver local courses.
Some BAB documents from 1999 Spence Sensei had advised on included as a matter of historical record.
BAB Information Paper 5 Coaching Award Scheme: General Points and Requirements issued 1999
BAB Information Paper 18 Tutor Manual 1999
Putting the world to rights Mr. Mucha and a young Mr. Spence
