All Japan Yoshinkan Aikido Demonstration

Saturday, October 31st Yoshinkan Aikido Honbu Dojo hosted the 54th Annual Yoshinkan Aikido demonstration at Komazawa Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. About 700 people participated/attended, 106 of them from various Yoshinkan Aikido Ryu clubs.


Maihama Dokokai along with some members of Irifune Dokokai teamed up and won the group award for "Best club performance". Since Irifune's training is held on Tuesday's and Maihama on Friday's, it was a little tough to get everyone together to practice.

Here is our first and only practice before Saturday's demonstration.



Congratulations to everyone, and I'm already looking forward to next year!


Jim Dawes

Here are a few random pics from the last couple of months.


Shimura-san and Tsuchiya-san (Aikinage)


Orimoto-san and Kubo-san (Nikajo)


Orimoto-san and Kubo-san (Yonkajo)


Inoue-san and Nakamura-san (Shihonage). Goodluck to both on their upcoming tests!



Kubo-san and Kamioka-san (Nikajo)

6月から木曜日は片桐実里が担当します。

片桐実里です。木曜日の舞浜の一般稽古指導を、ジム先生から引き継ぎさせて頂きました。未熟ではありますが、皆さんと楽しく稽古できるよう頑張りますので、よろしくお願いします。「わかりやすく」「覚えやすく」「面白く」をモットーにしています。

New Blackbelt

Congratulations to Iori Orimoto who tested and passed her Shodan test in March. Orimoto-san has been practicing aikido for many years, but has only been a Thursday and Friday member of Maihama Dokokai for the past year and a half.


Since joining as a brown belt, Orimoto-san has greatly improved her ukemi and most importantly her overall confidence. Unfortunately, her job has recently been keeping her too busy, but we hope to see more of her this Summer.

Instructor Profile

Jim Dawes Sensei first began aikido in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, January of 1992. He trained for 6 months at the St.Clair College, Renbukan Dojo (Sensei James Jeannette, 7th Dan).


Unfortunately, his family moved out of the City and temporarily put his training on hiatus. But this short encounter with aikido, kept him wanting more. In 1996, Jim joined the Aiki Centre of Canada (Sensei Jeannette's new dojo) and continued to train diligently, not only at the Aiki Centre, but other nearby dojo's (Seikokan, Sensei Mark Lemmon, 6th Dan), and International guest seminars throughout Ontario and Mid-West America.


In 2004, Jim moved to Tokyo, Japan, and trained almost everyday for 2 years at the Yoshinkan Aikido Headquarters in Ochiai. On Friday's he would travel to Urayasu City, Chiba, to train in Yoshinkan Aikido Ryu's kenshu (intensive) class, with Ando Tsuneo Shihan. Ando Sensei's amazingly sharp, precise and powerful technique, inspired him to learn more.


In May of 2006, Jim joined Yoshinkan Aikido Ryu's 4th Annual Tokubetsu Course. And at the end of 2006, Jim quit his part-time job teaching English to become a full-time uchideshi (apprentice) at Yoshinkan Aikido Ryu.


Jim Dawes Sensei teaches classes throughout Tokyo, Saitama and Chiba, Japan. And has assisted Ando Shihan on seminars in Poland, Ukraine and Russia. Jim Sensei currently holds the rank of sandan (3rd degree blackbelt) and is a certified instructor by the Yoshinkan Aikido Honbu Dojo.

Urayasu City Sports Center

The Urayasu City Sports Center (urayasu-shi sogo taikukan) is located next to Tokyo Disney Land at 2-27 Maihama, Urayasu City, Chiba. It's a 10 minute walk from the JR Maihama station(Keiyo line). It's also easily accessible by car and/or bus.


The Urayasu City Sports Center is a great facility.It has a 65-person-capacity training room loaded with treadmills, cycle and weight machines and plenty of mat space to stretch out on. Then there's an indoor gym big enough for an NBA full-court press, a table-tennis room, two large martial-arts halls, one carpeted in tatami and a partially indoor archery range. Add to that two children's rooms, conference space and more. And that is just the North Wing.


The Southwest Wing houses four pools for your aquatic pleasure. They range from a 25-m-long eight-lane pool to its rehabilitative counterpart in which to walk a circular course. Top it all off with a spacious outdoor park, kids play area and eight pro-size tennis courts.


For more information on programs they offer you can contact the Sports Center at 047-355-1110. For Aikido Information please contact Jim Dawes Sensei directly at 090-9828-2602 or Yoshinkan Aikido Ryu at 047-355-7140.