The Swiss aikido web

In the Sixties where in Europe aikido was almost unknown even in Switzerland there was no aikido dojo. Some individuals tried to build up some contacts with different masters like Nakazono and Tamura senseis, and seminars have been managed. In 1969 ACSA has been founded as the the first Aikido Association in Switzerland. Nakazono and Tamura sensei had a vital role for the first development of aikido in Switzerland and the relationship with such important masters was consolidated since more than 5 years.

ACSA was developing year after year, increasing the amount of its sections. The short interludes of the Japanese senseis Tamura and Nakazono were not considered up-to-date anymore. Furthermore neither the commitment for several months of Nakazono Sensei Junior (4th dan), one of the best trainers ever had, managed to change this matter of facts.
Nonetheless some members built up strong relationships with the Japanese senseis.
As a result, in 1977 ACSA decided to build up its own Shihans program in Switzerland.
Until then many very different training styles had been practiced in the existing dojos. Some were deeply influenced by Tamura Sensei or by Noquet Sensei, others tried to maintain Nakazono Sensei’s inheritance.

And finally the moment came! Ikeda Sensei started to teach as an official trainer in Switzerland. He was introduced during a seminar. Everybody was impressed and enthusiastic. Everyone noticed, besides his extraordinary height, his steadfastness and his posture. Resistance to his movements was useless, otherwise one would hurt oneself! It was immediately possible to notice a systematic training structure.
Hopefully the catastrophic conditions prior to Ikeda’s efforts had been forgotten. ACSA was blessed by the presence of a Japanese sensei. As a result, different positions regarding this sensei and his approach were taken: going from hard critics to strong collaboration, whereas critics were the less.
Having a Japanese sensei paid in such a situation.

The clear structure of his training really was fruitful. Aikido has never been taught and practiced so seriously and intensively as during that first period of ten years with Ikeda Sensei! There were regular international seminars, regular weekend trainings with 50 to 100 participants, an increasing amount of members and of initiatives in the dojos. When you say growth in aikido, it goes without saying that there was a qualitative expansion rather than pure quantitative. Suddenly Ikeda Aikido was not to be smiled at anymore, but appreciated by the other Budo disciplines.

Aikido Switzerland has been established in 2011 by Michele Quaranta, a student of Masatomi Ikeda, following a spinoff of few dojos from ACSA (see above). It is open to all aikido styles and indipendent from any Shihan.
Aikido Switzerland is an association of dojos organized around the idea to explore, promote and distribute the knowledge of the Aikido.
Aikido Switzerland is organized as an umbrella organization, with different dojo-groups inside. Every group is an organization for itself. It has to respect the common regulations of the association which are based on the international regulations edited by the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo.
There is no unique aikido style that characterizes the association. It is based on the mutual respect toward personal differences and expressions of Ai, Ki and Do. Aikido Switzerland encourages and supports the exchanges between the different groups and dojos of the association.

The UAS has been established by J.P. Paillard and Y. Cauhépé in April 1972 in Fribourg as a representative of the European aikido Association.
In Year 2007, the Swiss Aikido Association did emendate the statute from 1972 maintaining the philosophy and the association's purpose, as suggested by Y. Cauhépé in 1980.
The Swiss Aikido Association UAS is a national association and affiliated as an autonomous section to the Swiss Judo & Ju-Jitsu Association (SJV).
The Swiss Aikido Association is a national association and preserves different styles and interests, offering several events where all different styles of aikido would be considered.

The goal of AIATJ is to promote the development and traditional Japanese principles of Aikido following the spirit of its founder O sensei Morihei Ueshiba and the teachings of Gérard Blaize

This federation has been established in 1984, because of a spin off from originating ACSA (see above). Basically following the teaching of sensei Nobuyoshi Tamura, this group has grown during the years, and is now present in all regions of Switzerland.

Established by Yoshigasaki Sensei to further develop the concepts of Tohei Sensei. The organisation has over 4000 members and 120 clubs predominately in Europe but also in Africa and South America.

The Birankai is the school founded by T.K. Chiba Shihan. He has long desired that his students, who are scattered across the globe, should have a single organization to support their training. Birankai International, established in 2001, represents the culmination of a long-held wish of Chiba Sensei. It has regional chapters for Continental Europe, United Kingdom and the United States. Dojos and associated dojos from France, Greece, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Poland and Switzerland are part of the Continental Europe Chapter.
The role of Shihans (highest teaching certification) pupils of Chiba Sensei is:
• To establish good communication between themselves and the general members.
• To strengthen the connection between continental Europe, the UK, and the US.
• To maintain the clear, high standards that Sensei has developed for teachers.
• To stimulate the growth of the art by providing strong support for the teacher-student relationship.
Birankai is recognized by Hombu Dojo.

AKS is the Swiss branch of the International Aikibudo Federation (FIAB) established by Alain Floquet in 1992 in France.
The main goal of FIAB is to promote the principles and teaching of Aikibudo and Kobudo internationally.
The Aikibudo in accordance with the original principles taught by master Minoru Mochizuki and adapted by master Alain Floquet, is that provided by the International Centre of Aikibudo (CERA), headquartered in Paris, France.
Kobudo from style Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto, the ancient techniques of Daito ryu Aikijujutsu and the lai from Yoseikan are an integral part of the Aikibudo.
Furthermore this federation will provide technical and educational assistance to different national authorities, as well as all members of the International Federation.
Last but not least to promote the teaching of Aikibudo by organizing meetings, demonstrations, workshops and other events.

The "Association Suisse d'Aikido Shodokan" has been established in 1995 in order to unify the clubs practicing Shodokan style Aikido in Switzerland. After the death of our Sensei Shingo Koshiyama in February 2000, the technical direction is now under the direct responsability of Tetsuro Nariyama from the Shodokan Honbu Dojo in Osaka. The Association organizes seminars, competitions (see below), as well as Kyu and Dan grade exams, and represents Swiss Shodokan Aikido at the Union d'Aikido Suisse (UAS) and the Japan Aikido Association (JAA).

Shodokan Aikido specificities

The Shodokan Aikido style has been founded by Kenji Tomiki Shihan, a student of the Founder Uyeshiba and Jigoro Kano. It differs from what we call "traditional" Aikido by the introduction of Randori Shiai (competitions) and a certain number of technical issues.

The Evolutionary Aikido Community (EAC) is a global community of more than 25 dojos worlwide exploring the art of Aikido in traditional and evolutionary ways by honoring the beautiful past and origins of the art that has brought the Aikido to where it is in the world today, and by recognizing that the art itself is continuously alive and evolving.
The EAC is a community supervised by Patrick Cassidy, 6 th dan Aikikai. The EAC is an organization recognized by the Aikikai, Japan. All ranks are certified by the Aikikai under the supervision of Patrick and the senior instructors of the EAC.

Established by Gozo Shioda, the IYAF (International Yoshinkai Aikido Federation) is a volunteer organization which links together over 100 Yoshinkan Aikido dojos worldwide. Based at the Honbu dojo in Tokyo, Japan, the IYAF coordinates the certification of Yoshinkan practitioners ranked Shodan and above.
The IYAF assists with tours by Honbu dojo instructors and is the focal point for foreign correspondance to the honbu dojo.
In addition, the IYAF assists the honbu dojo with the Kokusai Senshusei Instructor's Course. Later in 2008 the IYAF changed into AYF (Aikido Yoshinkan Foundation)

The CAA has grown into a worldwide community and is fortunate to have within its membership many teachers with varied backgrounds and complementary skills. Thus the CAA embraces many stylistic and technical traditions but is guided by the phsyical and philosophical ideals established by the founder, Morihei Ueshiba.
It is this very open-ness and diversity that uniquely defines the CAA not so much as an organization but as an 'Association' of teachers, dojos, and aikidoka whose primary common bond is the art we practice. This loose association also means that the CAA does not mandate, enforce, govern, oversee, direct, sanction, or otherwise control the specific operations and events within its member dojos.
Each dojo and each member is solely responsible for their own actions. CAA evolved into 3 divisions headed by Pat Hendricks (6th Dan), Frank Doran (7th Dan), Robert Nadeau (7th Dan).

The official name of this World Wide Organization is Iwama Shin-Shin Aiki Shuren-kai Shin-Shin Aiki-juku, represented by Hitohiro Saito, son of Morihiro.
Their philosophy is to preserve and share the great influence of Morihiro Saito while remaining faithful to the technical and spiritual heritage left by the Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

Established by Charles ABELÉ, a student of Hirokazu Kobayashi sensei, this school promotes and developes aikido and aikitaiso.

Jean-Pierre Le Pierres, founded the Fédération Aïkitai-Jutsu Ryu Abe in order to promote the teaching of Aïkitai-Jutsu.
In the beginning this federation was called Aïkido Ryu Abe, later Aïkitai-Jutsu Ryu Abe.
The practice style of Aiki Master Tadashi Abe, forerunner and pioneer of French and European Aikido, sent to Europe in 1952, is then called Aïkitai-Jutsu and wanted a martial and realistic practice.
Aïkitai-Jutsu is seen as the synthesis of the work of O Sensei and Tadashi Abe. In the spirit of Tadashi Abe’s practice, its attacks and techniques must be realistic and do not mix the educational side and the application side, therefore Aïkitai Jutsu is also called a "hard" style.
This discipline unlike other budo do not teach spiritual aspects leaving the choice to each practitioner its study, nor it considers the sports aspects. This discipline place itself as bujutsu.

Some aikido professors have decided to create a group in order to share their experience - several decades - of practice, teaching and understanding of structures that govern the Aikido practice.
A single professor alone is nothing: many qualified practitioners are involved in this process.

Fundamental Aikido Association (FAA) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to preserve and promote the teaching of Morihiro Saito sensei. Its headquarters are located in Sakura Dojo in Belgium, Central Dojo of the association. FAA is represented in many countries by a large number of teachers Dojocho. The association is open to all those wishing to explore and deepen this teaching in international technical direction of Daniel Toutain, direct student of Morihiro Saito sensei.

International School of Traditional Aikido has been etablished by Alain Peyrache, an European expert who has been practicing and passing on his teaching for more than 35 years.
ISTA aims the teaching, the development, and the promotion of traditional Aikido, proposing a structure in accord with the model in which UESHIBA's Aïkido was born and got developed.

The teaching follow the traditional model "one teacher, one dojo", nonetheless, due to completeness reasons, altough the teacher could be the same, all the present dojos in Switzerland are mentioned as affiliated, since the goal of this site is to report the "dojo" as unit.

The International Yoseikan Budo Federation has its headquarters in Torrance, California (south of Los Angeles). This federation is a non-profit organization which exists solely to serve its members. In North America, the Federation is managed by Patrick Augé Sensei Shihan, technical director.
Yoseikan Budo or Yoseikan Aikido is the composite martial art developed by Minoru Mochizuki, who first taught it at his dojo in Shizuoka in 1931.
This style of Aikido incorporates elements of the pre-war Aiki Budo of Morihei Ueshiba, as well as elements of many other martial arts: Judo, Aikijujutsu, Karate, traditional Jujutsu, Kenjutsu, Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu, Gyokushin-ryu Jujutsu, Iaijutsu, Kendo, Yari, Kito-ryu etc. The techniques are executed empty-handed or with weapons.

Iwama shin shin aiki shuren kai

The Takemusu Aikido Association is dedicated to the development and dissemination of Aikido based on the highest ideals of the Founder, Morihei Ueshiba, O-Sensei. The Association does this by continuing and promoting the Founder's traditional teaching and training methods as passed on by his longest direct disciple, Morihiro Saito, Shihan.

The Takemusu Aikido Association is an association of dojos, clubs, and individuals who have a common interest in Aikido. It functions for the mutual benefit of its members, serves as a center of support to its members, and promotes Aikido nationally and internationally. The Association is managed by a Board of Directors of Senior Instructors. Members take turns volunteering to fill the administrative roles of President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

The Association is recognized as a qualified Aikido organization by the Aikikai Foundation, the Hombu, in Tokyo, Japan. It seeks to work cooperatively with other Aikido organizations nationally and internationally. This recognition enables the Association to obtain from the Aikikai Foundation internationally registered and recognized ranks for qualified students of its members.

The Association follows the teaching and training philosophy of Morihiro Saito, Shihan. Saito Shihan's method of training and teaching has greatly influenced the senior members of the Association. We have all trained for various lengths of time with him and feel his training methods, style of Aikido, and long personal association with the Founder have significant value to our own progress in Aikido. We have found that this view has strengthened our relationships with each other and gives us a common purpose.

The style or line of Aikido that is taught in this school is known as Takemusu Aikido and is a traditional form of Aikido rooted directly in the teachings of the founder of aikido Morihei Ueshiba as taught by late Morhiro Saito Sensei (1928 -2002) in the Iwama Dojo in Japan until his passing away.
Saito sensei was a personal disciple of O Sensei for over 23 years and took over his dojo in Iwama Japan after his death, considering it his duty to preserve and pass on the the Founders original source techniques in as pure a form as possible.

Takemusu Aikido can be characterized and differentiated from other schools and styles of Aikido by it's emphasis on the following three areas:
- Emphasis on basic training and a clear distinction between basic and more advanced levels of practice and technique.
- The integration of empty handed practice and practice with weapons (wooden sword, staff and knife).
- Aikido as a martial art (Budo).

Established by KOJI YOSHIDA Sensei to further develop the concepts of Nishio Sensei. The organization has over 600 members and 30 clubs predominately in Japan and Europe but also in USA, Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.