ANNOUNCEMENT: Joining the Komyokan Aikido Association

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:21:49 GMT

A message from Simon Whittaker sensei (chief instructor for Cambridge Aiki Dojo):

Cambridge Aiki Dojo is pleased to announce that it is joining the Komyokan Aikido Association (KAA), under the leadership of Terry Ezra shihan.

Consequently gradings and curriculum in Cambridge will be conducted in accordance with KAA guidelines. Notwithstanding this, our dojo has thrived on freedom of expression and styles of aikido, as well as benefitting from the diverse range and depth its teachers, in addition to Chief Instructor, Simon Whittaker (Messrs Davies, Britta, Steve, Matt in particular). And this freedom will continue as we move under the umbrella of KAA.

It is important to make some comments about the UKA (the association to which we were previously affiliated), and in particular Keith Hayward sensei, who many of you know, and who has been head of our ‘house’ within the UKA. We are grateful for the support and teachings of Sensei Hayward in recent years, and our heartfelt thanks go out to him. Secondly it is expected, and encouraged, that we will continue our interaction with UKA and attendance at its many excellent courses. Equally we will continue to welcome instructors and students affiliated with UKA at our dojo in Cambridge.

We now looking forward to a new era in the development of our dojo, whose real strength comes from you all, its members, both in your training on the mat, and in the friendship and camaraderie off it.