Paul Wilkes

Mr Paul Wilkes Rokudan Shidoin ; Principal

Paul Wilkes began his Aikido career in 1971 practising at the Ren Shin Kan at West Heath Community Centre mainly under the tuition of Sensei W J Smith MBE and at the Austin Longbridge Club as assistant instructor.

He soon attended courses held by K Chiba Sensei and gained Shodan in 1979, Nidan in 1988, Sandan in 1989 by Senseis K Chiba and W J Smith. Awarded Fukushidoin in 1992, Yondan in 1996, Senior Coach in 2001, Godan in 2002 and Shidoin status by Senseis W J Smith and G Jones.

Promoted to Rokudan in 2014 by Sensei G Jones.

Paul is a Senior Instructor at the Go Shin Kai. Headquarters Dojo (Ren Sei Kan) at Kidderminster.

Roger Douras

Mr Roger Douras Rokudan Shidoin

Roger Douras began practising Aikido in 1967 at the Birmingham Athletic Institute under the instruction of Sensei Ralph Reynolds who also taught at Hampstead House Community Centre, West Heath where he first met the ‘gaffer’ Mr W.J. Smith M.B.E.

He trained under Chiba Sensei at Leicester. His progression took him to Fukushidoin status in 1986 and Coach recognition in December in 1992 and Senior Coach 18th November 2001. He gained Shodan August 27th 1977 by Chiba Sensei, Nidan July 30th 1985 by M.Fujita Sensei – M.Kanetsuka Sensei, Sandan July 18th 1989 – Chiba Sensei and Yondan August 19th 1996 – W.J.Smith Sensei – G.Jones Sensei and Rokudan/Shidoin March 24th 2002, and promotion to 6th Dan Shidoin 2014.

Roger is a Senior Instructor at the Go Shin Kai. Headquarters Dojo (Ren Sei Kan) at Kidderminster.

Mike Smith Shihan

Sadly, Mike Smith was awarded the title of “Shihan” by the Mother Dojo in Hombu Japan on 1 April shortly before his untimely and unexpected death on 20 April 2022.  He is a huge loss to all of us.

Shihan Michael Smith had over 50 years experience in aikido and a wealth of weapons knowledge handed down from Shihan’s Chiba and Smith.

HISTORY

Michael Smith began practicing Aikido in 1968 with Mr W.J. Smith M.B.E, that year he was promoted to 5th Kyu on his first gwas later this year he met Chiba Sensei and soon realised that this was the path of Martial Arts training he wanted to take.

On being promoted to 3rd Kyu on his second grading by Chiba Sensei in early 1969, (this is when he joined the Aikikai of Great Britain) he embarked on almost eight years of dynamic concentrated training in Bokken, Jo, Bo, Iaido and of course the body art itself.

These years with Chiba Sensei, and under the strict instruction of Mr Smith gave him and many others a good realisation of Aikido, making the foundations of what is practised and taught today. Already being 1st Kyu he was given permission to wear Hakama in 1973 and then promoted to Shodan in 1974.

His progression took him to 6th Dan in January 2010, by the way of 2nd Dan in 1989, 3rd Dan in 1993, 4th Dan in 1996, and 5th Dan in 2002 gaining his coaching qualifications on the way, being awarded Fukushidoin in 1989, Senior Coach in 1994 and Coach Tutor for the British Aikido Board in 1995. In January 2000 he was promoted to Shidoin. Michael Smith is a Senior Instructor at the U.K.A. Headquarters Dojo (Ren Shin Kan) at Dudley.rading. It was later this year he met Chiba Sensei and soon realised that this was the path of Martial Arts training he wanted to take.

On being promoted to 3rd Kyu on his second grading by Chiba Sensei in early 1969, (this is when he joined the Aikikai of Great Britain) he embarked on almost eight years of dynamic concentrated training in Bokken, Jo, Bo, Iaido and of course the body art itself.

These years with Chiba Sensei, and under the strict instruction of Mr Smith gave him and many others a good realisation of Aikido, making the foundations of what is practised and taught today. Already being 1st Kyu he was given permission to wear Hakama in 1973 and then promoted to Shodan in 1974.

His progression took him to 6th Dan in January 2010, by the way of 2nd Dan in 1989, 3rd Dan in 1993, 4th Dan in 1996, and 5th Dan in 2002 gaining his coaching qualifications on the way, being awarded Fukushidoin in 1989, Senior Coach in 1994 and Coach Tutor for the British Aikido Board in 1995. In January 2000 he was promoted to Shidoin. Michael Smith is a Senior Instructor at the U.K.A. Headquarters Dojo (Ren Shin Kan) at Dudley.

Barbara Sotowicz

Barbara Sotowicz 5th Dan, GSK Shidoin, BAB Coach Level 3

Head of Dojo Cheltenham & Bloomsbury Aikido Club

  I have been practising, teaching and promoting Aikido and ‘martial way’ training for many years. I took up Aikido in 1977, while a postgraduate student, at the University College London (UCL) Aikido Club, becoming principal instructor there c.1986-2015. I currently run the Cheltenham & Bloomsbury Aikido Club and organise the UCL Alumni Aikido & Friends Group. I have trained students up to 4th Dan and up to Fukushidoin teaching rank. As one of GSK’s founding members, I work with GSK’s Principal and Committee to further its development and its good relations in the wider Aikido community.

The Cheltenham & Bloomsbury Aikido Club, which I formed in 2018, offers weekday daytime training to those adults who for work or family reasons may not be able to train in the evenings.

The UCL Alumni Aikido Group & Friends is an alumni, global, network which embraces all Aikido affiliations. I set up the group in 2013 in recognition of the significant role that UCL alumni and staff Aikido practitioners have always played in providing continuity, experience and teaching at UCL Aikido. The Group has social and working aims: to keep in touch with past UCL Aikido students all over the world; and to provide a platform of support for the student-run UCL Aikido Club. As a part of this support, I act as the UCL Aikido Club’s GSK Shidoin, mentoring the club’s next generation of instructors and I maintain the Bloomsbury Aikido Club (London) which, post 2017, is an alumni counterpart to the student UCL club for the organisation of special courses in London.

Aikido background: My Teachers; UCL and Bloomsbury Aikido

My early teachers at UCL were students Barry Hutchinson, Peter Goldsbury and Marian Hutchinson (then Holland). Between 1983 and 1994, I studied with Sensei M. Kanetsuka; from 1994 with Mr William Smith MBE (d.2006); now with Mr Mike Smith at Ren Sei Kan Dojo, Kidderminster. I gained my 1st Dan in 1986 and 5th Dan in 2012 and for me, Aikido training is lifelong learning.

From 1978 I was a student officer at the UCL club, as a 5th kyu grade I started taking responsibility for leading occasional practices, then teaching, eventually becoming its principal instructor. In the early years, I was also training at M. Kanetsuka’s Ryushinkan Dojo. In 1985, having successfully negotiated with UCL Students’ Union for Ryushinkan to hire the dojo, I was given the responsibility of being a club officer and, later, instructor for Ryushinkan (UCL site). The two clubs were closely associated until 1994. With the experience of having been a student officer and then taking up a job developing the gym for the UCL Students’ Union (in which I stayed until 2010), I was able to mentor successive generations of UCL Aikido Club student officers and keep the club going academic year after year, assisted by instructors whom I had trained.

I have been involved in two status changes of the club at UCL, both of which were effected to preserve the continuity of Aikido at UCL. In 2004, UCL Aikido transferred from a student union society to being a part of the volunteer ‘Martial Arts Activity Programme’ that I introduced at the student union gym, Bloomsbury Fitness (BF). This status continued until 2015, with the club’s name becoming ‘UCL Aikido Club at BF’, then from 2013 ‘Bloomsbury Aikido Club at BF’. During 2013-15, the club had problems with a restructured gym management (which was gone by mid-2017). It demolished the traditional dojo then attempted to close down Aikido. I worked with the UCL Aikido students to revive the student union society, the UCL Aikido Club. In its early stages this survived as an alliance of three Aikido styles, each having its own UCL student representatives. Alumni Group networking helped to bring this about. I continued to run my Bloomsbury Aikido Club externally, now as an UCL alumni counterpart to the student UCL Aikido Club. In January 2017 I handed over the teaching of the UCL Aikido Club to talented younger instructors from our Bloomsbury, UCL and Alumni groups, headed by Andy Washbrook, 2nd Dan and Ara Schorscher-Petcu, 2nd Dan.
 

Patrick Palmer

Mr Patrick Palmer Sensei Yondan Shidoin

Patrick Palmer Sensei started training in spring 1995 under the instruction of Sensei Mike Smith and Shihan William "Bill" Smith (affectionally known as the gaffer). He obtained the rank of Shodan (1st Dan black belt) at winter school 2001, which was awarded to him by Shihan Smith.

In 2004 he reached the rank of Ni-dan (2nd Dan Black Belt) and accepted the title of Fukushidoin (Assistant National Coach) awarded yet again by Shihan Smith. In the same year he went to Japan, spending 3 weeks in Tokyo where he took instruction from Doshu, Shihan's Seijuro Masuda, Tsuruzo Miyamoto, Yukimitsu Kobayashi and Shigeru Sugawara.

In January 2010 Sensei Palmer obtained the rank of San-dan (3rd Dan Black Belt), and dedicated his efforts to his ill father who passed away a month later.

2015 marked the 30th anniversary of the UKA and a special visit from Waka Sensei (Dojo-Cho). During this summer school, Sensei Palmer was promoted to the rank of Yon-dan (4th Dan Black Belt) and he continues to improve his Aikido through diligent training and instruction at his club in Birmingham (Zanshin-Kai) and at Kidderminster. He is authorised to grade up to 1st Kyu (Brown Belt).

Patrick is an Instructor at the Go Shin Kai. Headquarters Dojo (Ren Sei Kan) at Kidderminster.

Stephen Brignall

Sensei Stephen Brignall 4th Dan

GSK Association Chairman

Sensei Stehpen Brignall has been a strong member of Gloucester Aikido Club and brings to the Association a wealth of corporate knowledge.

I have been assisting Dennis Cantillion since 1994 in the teaching at Stroud and Gloucester.  This has involved taking the class when Dennis has been away and assisting when Dennis has split the class.

I have attended many of the teaching courses over the years and have regularly attended Shihan W. Smith’s monthly Sunday classes.

I have worked closely with and influenced a number of club members in their run up to gradings, in particular Andy Packer, Steve Lobley, Darren Wells, Ian Webb, Richard Prosser and Philip Cook, who are all now dan grades.  I am currently helping Eric Weir, who is looking to retake his dan grading shortly.

I started a club in Tetbury late in 2006 in order to teach and train more regularly, so most of my plan for 2007 was to do with the establishment of this club.  The club is now well established and has 6 to 8 regular students with 3 beginners.  I have been to Japan twice in 2005 and 2007 both to practice at Hombu dojo and to experience Japanese culture first hand.  I'd like to go back again soon.

I now teach most Sundays in Stroud and every Wednesday in Tetbury.  Outside of Aikido I am the technical director for SCISYS Plc, a software development company with offices in the UK and Germany.  This involves a significant amount of travel but I manage to fit Aikido in to a busy schedule.

Tim Lee

Tim Lee Sensei, Yondan Shidoin

Tim Lee, first practiced Aikido in the 1980s, shortly after starting out on a 30 year career as a police officer. He found the range of techniques and martial principles, together with the philosophy of controlling an attacker with the minimum of force, greatly enhanced his skills in dealing with confrontation and violence in his daily work. 

        "It was quite different from other martial arts I had practiced and I was hooked on my first lesson!"

   He was subsequently awarded Sandan in 1992 by the late Sensei Tamura Nobuyoshi 8th Dan.

         "I would say that my Aikido studies, not only complimented my professional development but also supported my personal growth and what I'm about as an individual"

  Ironically, work commitments prevented Tim from practicing for a number of years but upon retirement and a move to Shropshire, he resumed training with Sensei Paul Evans 5th Dan, under the leadership of Brian Burrows 7th Dan Shihan at Shun Poo Kan Aikido.

          "I was a little apprehensive at going back onto the mat after so many years but I was warmly welcomed by Paul, Brian and their students - something I have found is the norm wherever I have practised in the world" 

   He achieved Yondan in 2016.

 Through Shun Poo Kan, Tim was introduced to Sensei Mike Smith (6th dan ) Principal at Goshinkai Aikido, Kidderminster and now practices regularly at both SPK and Goshinkai.  

           "The continual improvement process of physical and mental refinement, the obvious health benefits and enjoyment of training and constant learning with a diverse group of people, is what drives me now"

OSS

The First Generation

Morihei Ueshiba

O'Sensei

Morihei Ueshiba (植芝 盛平 Ueshiba Morihei, December 14, 1883 – April 26, 1969) 

was a martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art of aikido.

He is often referred to as "the founder" Kaiso (開祖) 

or Ōsensei (大先生/翁先生), "Great Teacher".