The origin of Aikido is in a Japanese fighting technique known as
Daitoryu Aiki-Jujutsu. One of the most prominent students was
Morihei Ueshiba, who, after deep study developed the basis for
modern day Aikido. One of his students, Gozo Shioda, began
studying with Ueshiba Sensei in 1932 during the developmental
stage of modern Aikido. In 1952, Shioda Sensei put on the first
major demonstration of Aikido for the general public in Japan. That
same year he organized his own school of Aikido, the Yoshinkan,
and took in eleven live-in professional students, including Takashi
Kushida.
Kushida Sensei studied Aikido at the Yoshinkan school for ten years
as a live-in student. After this period of intense study he was made
Senior Assistant Instructor at the Yoshinkan. In 1973 Kushida
Sensei retired his position at the Yoshinkan after he was invited to
teach in the United States. In 1991 Kushida Sensei formed his own
organization called Aikido Yoshokai Association of North America
(AYANA).
Today, Kushida Sensei continues to teach Aikido to students at his
school, the Genyokan Dojo located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. AYANA
sanctions over 50 instructors at nearly 40 locations around the
United States.
The Enbukan Dojo was founded in 1995 by head instructor Tom
Blackburn and his students. Blackburn Sensei began his study of
Aikido under Kushida Sensei in Michigan in 1973. Three other
Enbukan instructors also started their Aikido training under Kushida
Sensei in Michigan between 1976 and 1980. The remainder have
been training with Blackburn Sensei as early as 1988. All
instructors at the Enbukan have studied Yoshokai Aikido for a
minimum of 10 years and have completed an intensive 20 month
program for instructor certification and in-depth study of Aikido. All
instructors must continue to attend special study clinics to keep their
teaching and knowledge up to date, as well as to actively train and
grow their own understanding of Aikido.
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