ki aikido scotland
The club has had a long and rich history. Consistently teaching to a high
standard, many students have attained the rank of black belt, and gone on to
teach Aikido themselves. Sensei Matt Tennant has studied aikido for over 50
years and continues to develop his art and his students. His aikido journey
started in 1958 when aikido was still relatively new to the UK and he was one of
the early students in Scotland, initially studying under Tom Weir. His main
teacher for many years was Ken Williams during his years with the Aikikai and
later with the Ki Federation. Sensei Tennant started the East Kilbride Aikido
Club in 1967. In addition to training under Sensei Ken Williams, he attended
regular courses from Sensei Noro and Sensei Chiba. When the Ki No Kenyukai was
formed by Sensei Koichi Tohei, the club joined through the Ki Federation of
Great Britain led by Sensei Ken Williams. Originally organised in 1967 as extra
training time for the Hamilton Hill Aikido Club, the first Aikido dojo in
Scotland, the East Kilbride club quickly grew in numbers and established an
identity of its own. The club has had a number of influences throughout it’s
development. Having been affiliated with the Aikikai of Great Britain, under
Sensei Kazuo Chiba, and Ki No Kenyukai, under Koichi Tohei Sensei (through the
Ki Federation of Great Britain), the instruction at the club represents a deep
and wide understanding of the principles of Aikido and mind/body unification. In
1984 the club left the Ki Federation and therefore the Ki No Kenyukai. Since
that time the club has remained unaffiliated with any governing Aikido
organisation and continues to teach to a high standard the principles of SHIN
SHIN TOITSU DO(unification of mind and body) and SHIN SHIN TOITSU AIKIDO (Aikido
with mind and body unified) as taught by Sensei Koichi Tohei.
