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About The Takagashirakai
The Takagashirakai (鷹頭会) takes its name from the Takagashira Dojo which was founded in the village of Hawkshead in Cumbria (takagashira means Hawkshead in Japanese) in September 2008 by Mike and Becky Haft. Prior to settling in the Lake District Mike and Becky had run a number of successful dojos in Aberdeen where they were both studying at University. Until 2009 Mike and Becky were members of Banyu Hatten Aikido Yuishinkai (BHAY) and a student of Geoff Flather Sensei (7th Dan). BHAY is one of several independent Aikido Associations affiliated to Aikido Yuishinkai in the UK.
In May of 2009 the Hawkshead dojo separated from BHAY and became independently affiliated with Aikido Yuishinkai. A few months later they were joined by the Aberdeen BHAY clubs that Mike and Becky had founded and helped to build during their time in Aberdeen, and so the Hawkshead dojo went from being a single dojo to become a separate aikido association and took its name from that original independent dojo in Hawkshead.
About Aikido Yuishinkai
Koretoshi Maruyama Sensei Aikido Yuishinkai was founded by Koretoshi Maruyama Sensei to promote universal values and principles of peace throughout the world. Students from all styles of aikido are welcome to train with us as we are non-partisan in our approach. Friendship with other dojos is encouraged in keeping with the harmonious spirit of Aikido. Aikido Yuishinkai is truly Aikido without boundaries.
An uchideshi of Morihei Ueshiba, the Founder of Aikido, Maruyama Sensei was for many years Chief Instructor of the Ki no Kenkyukai and later became President of the Ki Society. In 1991 he resigned and entered a Zen monastery. There he remained for 10 years until emerging in 2001 to develop Aikido Yuishinkai. Aikido Yuishinkai could be described as a return to the core of Aikido, to its origins, offering un-complicated solutions and an elegant approach to movement.
Maruyama Sensei is widely admired and respected as a teacher who has dedicated his life to communicating the benefits of positive mind through Aikido training. He has inspired many thousands of people throughout the world over many years.
Membership of the Takagashirakai
The Takagashirakai is a not-for-profit aikido association and as such aims to keep the costs of membership and training as low as possible, however the association has numerous running costs to meet such as cost of insurance, maintenance of websites/online resources and production of membership booklets and so needs to pay for these by charging an annual membership fee. The membership fee must be paid in order for you to be insured against injury. Failure to pay this fee will mean that you are not insured, nor are you able to grade or receive other membership benefits.
Please note: Membership is currently being altered to fall in line with the British Aikido Board membership payment timetable, and so the payments schedule is subject to change. Ask your instructor or club secretary for more information.
The annual membership renewal date in 2011 will be March 1st, all membership expires on 28th February 2011 unless renewed. For those newly joining the Takagashirakai a temporary fee must be paid in order to insure you until the annual renewal date, details of this fee are available below:
| Employed | Student/Unemployed | Junior (age 5-14) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| May-August | £30 | £25 | £15 |
| September-December | £20 | £15 | £10 |
| January-March | £10 | £10 | £5 |
Membership forms are available from the Membership Secretary (membership@takagashirakai.co.uk) or from the instructor(s) in your dojo.
Instruction in the Takagashirakai
All those licensed to teach within the Takagashirakai hold Fixed-Term Licences, these licences are renewed annually on 1st March. In this way we guarantee the highest standards and up-to-date practises with regard to:
- Aikido technical standards
- Teaching methods
- Code of conduct
- Current Policies, including H&S and child protection
- CRB checks
- Insurance cover
All our instructors are required to obtain nationally recognised coaching qualifications provided by the British Aikido Board. The minimum Aikido rank required to be a Takagashirakai Instructor is 1st Kyu.
What is Aikido?
Aikido is a Japanese martial art created by Morihei Ueshiba between 1930-1940. It is a non-competitive art based purely on self-defence and personal development of mind, body and spirit. Aikido is often characterised by its fluid and dynamic movements, often circular in nature, and its defences against not just one but many attackers employing a variety of punches, strikes and holds, both armed and unarmed. It is practiced by men and women of all ages (not just the young and fit!).
Aikido is usually described as a non-aggressive martial art, which at first glance sounds a little contradictory. But in Aikido the emphasis is on control and restraint rather than inflicting injury upon your opponent or attacker. In practical terms this makes Aikido the only completely legal means of self-defence available in certain situations.
Often the best defence is simply to remain calm and not to panic. This is more often than not much more difficult than it sounds. In Aikido however there are practical exercises taught to increase awareness of tension in the body and increase the students ability to retain a calm mind even under pressure in difficult circumstances. As such much of the benefit of other practices such as yoga for example can be found within Aikido training, where they are effectively combined with practical self defence methods.