I spent many happy years there receiving some of the best tuition available from several of the home grown teachers and later by Kensiro Abbe and in 1959 Senta Yamada.

After obtaining my 1st Dan in 1954, I was invited to become the first instructor at the club to teach a junior class and later to teach the senior members of the club.  As the years progressed I moved through the grades until in the mid 1980s I received my Judo 5th Dan.

It was in 1959 that Yamada Sensei came to the LJS to take up the position of resident teacher for Judo and later Aikido.  It was shortly after his arrival that I was approached by Eric Domini, one of the co-owners of the club and asked if I would care to assist Yamada Sensei in the forthcoming annual LJS exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall. This I was happy to do.

This was the first demonstration of Tomiki Aikido ever seen in England and from that time on I have become Yamada Sensei’s senior student and friend.

It was in the early 60s, when Yamada sensei opened his own dojo in North London that the Kikusui Kai was born.  I and several of his students moved with him and from then until 1965 that we were able to continue our Judo and Aikido studies under his careful tuition.

When Yamada sensei decided to return to Japan in 1965 the running of the dojo was left to three of his senior students Peter Martin, Cliff Baker-Brown and myself.  Peter and Cliff took charge of the Judo and because of my commitments in

other dojo's I was given the responsibility for the Aikido teaching.  Unfortunately, due to economic pressures we had to close the dojo but still continued to teach in various other venues.

From 1951 through to today I have continued to practice and teach both Judo and Aikido.  As mentioned earlier I currently hold:

7th Dan in Aikido with the British Aikido Association (BAA)

7th Dan with the Japanese Aikido Association (JAA)

5th Dan in Judo with the British Judo Association (BJA)

Over the years I have held various teaching and coaching post in both activities. British Judo Association Area Coach for the whole of the South of England, which included Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and the Channel islands.

British Aikido Association National Coach for Aikido.  

Tutor for both Judo and Aikido for the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), from 1973 until it disbandment in 1986.

During this time I also managed to attend a branch of the London University to become a qualified teacher in Craft Design Technology from 1969-72.

Over the years I have traveled to many countries around the world teaching Aikido and Judo.  In October of 2002 I moved to New Zealand where I plan to continue teaching and spreading the word of Aikido and Judo and all its benefits and through these activities the spirit and true meaning of the Kikusui Kai.

Principles and Philosophies of the Kikusui Kai

Several times I have been asked to explain about the Kikusui Kai and what it all means.  I usually reply that I will take too long to explain but if the person asking the question sticks with us long enough they will find out for themselves.   This is a very simplistic answer but it’s the best I can do without becoming very philosophical, something that I try not to do because initially people join our classes to learn either Aikido or Judo and our system is based on Doing, rather than talking about it.

I do not mean this in any way disparaging to those who wish to teach the philosophy of their activity before the move on to the practical side. It is just how I have learned to teach my Judo and Aikido.

There is no joining fee. No contract to sign. Only that once you join you can never leave.  I don’t mean this in any damaging or dangerous way I simply mean that if you need us we are here.  This is what the circle round the outside of our Mon represents,  "A circle of friends".  People have left our group and many years later have contacted us and found us as welcoming as if it was only the day before that they left.

Students join the classes for a variety of reasons.  Some as a means of Self defense, as a means of getting a little fitter, as a means of socializing and meeting people, others just because they like the funny outfit we wear and others because the watch our classes.  Like the way we teach and the way we talk to the students.

Slowly those who stay begin to realize that the martial art we teach is not only about performing techniques and getting this or that colored belt. It is about the whole ethos of helping each other to lead a better and fuller life.

For example when we help a person we do not do it for personal gain.  The principle we like to show is that if we help someone we hope that person will then go on to help someone else.  Again without expecting repayment but hoping the person they have helped will go on to help someone else.

Some time ago I watched a film entitled “Pay it Forward”.  When I watched the film I thought to myself this person must have met Yamada Sensei or someone who was part of the Kikusui Kai because the film portrayed all the principles and Philosophies of our group.  I therefore suggest to my students that it is a film they should watch, especially the senior grades who I hope, one day, will become teachers themselves.

John Waite June 2003