Kenji Tomiki, master of Judo and Aikido

Kenji Tomiki (1900 - 1979) founder of Shodokan Aikido

Kenji Tomiki was born in Akita Prefecture, Japan, on 15th March 1900.

He started learning to use a Bokken (wooden sword) when he was six years old and joined the town Judo Club as soon as he was aged ten.

Kenji Tomiki did very well in Judo and won top prize in both academics and physical education when he graduated from junior high school.

In November of 1919 he received his Shodan (1st Dan black belt) in Kodokan Judo, but he became seriously ill and was confined to bed for three and a half years.

In 1924 Kenji Tomiki entered the Political Economics Department of Waseda University. He was renowned for his top Judo skills and was secretary of the Students' Judo Association in Tokyo. There, he was greatly influenced by Jigoro Kano Sensei, the founder of the Kodokan (home of Judo).

In 1926, Kenji Tomiki met Master Morihei Ueshiba, was most impressed by him and enrolled in Ueshiba Sensei's dojo to learn what was then mostly Daitoryu Aiki Jujitsu. Master Ueshiba would later change the name of his art first to Aiki Budo, and later, after World War II, to Aikido.

In 1929, Kenji Tomiki was selected to compete in the first National Judo Tournament before the Emperor of Japan.

In 1931, Tomiki returned to Akita Prefecture to be a high school teacher. There he met Hideo Ohba who became a lifelong friend and assistant.

Three years later, Kenji Tomiki moved to Tokyo so he could learn Aiki Budo from Morihei Ueshiba Sensei. In 1936, the Japanese army invaded China and occupied Manchuria. Both Morihei Uyeshiba and Kenji Tomiki joined in this "adventure" and Tomiki became a physical education (martial arts) instructor at the Daidogakuin University in Manchuria.

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