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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 22 March 2017

Equality on tatami, leadership and self-confidence were the key points of the Aikido Gender Day that was celebrated in Nederlands, with the participation of practicioners, both women and men, from Switzerland, Slovenia, Germany, Austria, Norway and, of course, The Netherlands.

Read more: Aikido Gender Day, celebrated in Europe

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 09 February 2017

We went back to the footage that we shot during the 12th International Aikido Federation Congress in Takasaki and thought that you might enjoy seeing some excerpts of the classes. Here is the Youtube playlist where we will post this content as it is being sorted.

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 08 January 2017

The Kagami Biraki ceremony 2017 took place last Sunday at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo. The International Aikdio Federation would like to sincerely congratulate all the people who were promoted this year!

Read more: Kagami Biraki 2017

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 05 January 2017

The International Aikido Federation Gender Balance working group presents its first up-coming event in spring 2017. On the 12th of March, Arnhem, a beautiful city in the eastern part of Nederland, will host a seminar, a forum and a leadership workshop for promoting the gender equality.

Read more: Gender Balance Aikido Event

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 08 December 2016

The main event of the year in the world of Russian Aikido took place between the 2nd and the 4th of December 2016. The Open All-Russian Aikido Festival "Tornado" that Moscow hosted convened all the Aikido groups in Russia for a friendship reunion. This is an annual gathering that is organized by the Russian National Aikido Board (RNAB).

Read more: Open All-Russian Aikido Festival "Tornado"

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 13 October 2016

The theme for the 12th IAF congress was the promotion of gender equality in aikido. Through classes taught by senior female instructors as well as two gender forums to explore issues of gender equality in martial arts we have started to address this important issue for the future of aikido. We are committed to continuing this journey in the future.

Read more: Gender Equality in Aikido

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 19 September 2016

To All Member Federations of the IAF

During the forthcoming IAF Congress elections will be held for a new Directing Committee, to hold office for the next four years. 

Paid-up member federations can nominate as candidates any individuals who are also members of paid-up member federations -- and the IAF Statutes place no restrictions at all on the freedom of IAF member federations to nominate whomsoever  they wish for office, or on the number of positions for which a candidate may stand for election. Individual IAF member federations are, of course, free to make their own internal rules and their autonomy is respected, but individual IAF federations are neveretheless free to nominate whomsover they wish,  as stated in the IAF Statutes. Incumbent members of the Directing Committee may stand for reelection, but they must also be nominated by paid-up member federations.

Elections will be held in the following order: Chairman (1); Vice-Chairman (1); General Secretary (1) ; Assistant General Secretary (1); General Treasurer (1); Members (up to 4), which will yield a Directing Committee of nine (9) members.

The names of candidates must be sent to the IAF General Secretary in writing -- and nominations sent by e-mail are acceptable for the purposes of this requirement.  

There is no specific time limit for nominations, but it is desirable that IAF delegates at the Congress know in reasonably good time before the Congress convenes who is being nominated and for which office. The deadline for giving the names of candidates that are sent to the General Secretary in advance (in accordance with the above short paragraph) is the first day of the Congress and the names of such candidates will be announced during the first Congress session.

Nominations will also be accepted during the Congress, with a probable deadline of Thursday, September 29 (in order that the names can be printed on ballot papers etc).

Of course, it is assumed that candidates for office accept their nomination, though this will be confirmed by the Ad-hoc Chairman who presides over the election.

There is a restiction on the election of auditors, which is that auditors have to be elected from member federations other than those federations from which DC members have been nominated. In practice this means that the auditors are nominated from among the delegates during the Congress itself, but they may of course be nominated beforehand.

If they have not already done so, I would urge those who are considering standing for office to have their nominations submitted in writing to the IAF General Secretary (whose address / e-mail address can be found elsewhere on this website).

As the Japanese would say in this context: Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.

Peter Goldsbury

IAF Chairman

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 04 September 2016

In the practice of Aikido, gender equality is a core principal, introduced by O’Sensei. The IAF would like to celebrate women's achievements in Aikido as well as address the theme of gender equality in Aikido through this forum, where the international Aikido community will be able to discuss particular concerns related to women and girls. It will also be an opportunity to explore how to provide development opportunities for women in leadership and women as high-ranking instructors.

Read more: IAF Forum: Gender in Sport, Budo and Aikido

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 15 August 2016

Hello Everybody,

The time of the 12th IAF Congress is approaching and the Directing Committee are working hard to prepare for the event.

A daily schedule has been prepared and the following link will take you to a PDF file.

The Congress agenda is still provisional and some changes might also be made to the timing of other events. 

Peter Goldsbury

IAF Chairman

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 05 July 2016

The IAF sends it sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mitsuyoshi Ishihara, former IAF General Treasurer, who passed away on July 3 at the age of 90 years.

Mr Ishihara was elected General Treasurer in at the IAF Congress in 1984 and served continuously for 7 terms until he retired in 2012.

Peter Goldsbury

IAF Chairman

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 13 June 2016

The IAF congratulates Tony Smibert Shihan, who has recently been awarded an honour on the occasion of the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth.

Tony has become a Member of the Order of Australia (the abbreviation is AM) and joins a very small group of aikido practitioners who have received such honours in their respective countries (the others, known to me, being the late William Smith, from the UK, Erik Louw, from the Netherlands, and Dany Leclerre Shihan, from Belgium, but who received an honour fron Japan.

Peter Goldsbury,

IAF Chairman

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 18 May 2016

Today, I received the following message from Frédéric Heylbroeck, President of the IAF Member for Belgium:

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Dear Peter

This is to inform you that Dany Leclerre Shihan has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun - Gold and Silver Rays, by the Japanese government.

This, in acknowledgment of his career spreading Aikido.

I understand it is a rare and prestigious decoration.

Best regards

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On behalf of the IAF, I would like to offer warm congratuilations to Leclerre Shihan and send him our good wishes.

Peter Goldsbury

IAF Chairman

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 31 March 2016

We are delighted to announce that we are now able to take registrations for the 2016 IAF Congress in Takasaki! Just follow this link and make sure you read the instructions. We are very excited to see you all in September!

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 27 December 2015

With only two weeks left until the New Year 2016 begins, the IAF would like to extend its best wishes for the winter season to all its members and friends. In 2016, IAF will celebrate its 40th anniversary and its 12th Congress will be held in Takasaki, Japan. The Seminar accompanying the Congress is scheduled to have over 20 of the world's top Aikido instructors. Waka Sensei and Doshu will also be teaching classes to the participants. Everybody is welcome, you do not have to be an IAF-affiliated federation to participate in the seminar and we hope to see as many of you there as possible. More information will be publish in the first quarter of 2016. Online reservations for the event is scheduled to start in April 1, 2016.

New Year's greetings from IAF Chairman Peter Goldsbury (video and music by Guillaume Erard)

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 23 November 2015

The 12th International Aikido Federation Congress will take place in the city of Takasaki in the prefecture of Gunma. We previously reported that the city was building a brand new sports facility to host the event, which we are all very excited about. However, Aikido is not everything and prospective attendees may well be wondering what else Takasaki might have to offer in addition to top level Aikido instruction in fantastic practice conditions. In this video, Irie Yoshinobu Shihan and Guillaume Erard try to answer that exact question. Follow them as they find out about the city and experience some of the excitement that attendees can look forward to when they visit next September. Keep in mind that this is barely scratching the surface and that all the places featured in this video are located whithin a 10 km radius from Takasaki's train station. Much more can be discovered in the rest of the region!

Presentation of the city of Takasaki

Filming and editing by Guillaume Erard and Megumi Fukuda-Erard. Many thanks to Arai Shihan for serving as our guide in Takasaki.

Read more: New Video: Presentation of Takasaki, host city of the 12th IAF Congress

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 10 July 2015

Please enjoy and re-post this IAF promotional video to disseminate the beauty of Aikido. This is the official promotional video for 2015-2016 .

Video was produced in cooperation with IEC, a longer movie will be available soon! Check back soon.

IAF Webmaster

Kai Löfgren

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 30 December 2014

Dear Members of the IAF,

Everybody here in Hiroshima is preparing to celebrate the New Year. The shops were crowded and people were stocking up on the special food (osechi ryori) that is a feature of the new year in Japan. Now is also a good time to review 2014 in the IAF. The main event was the Directing Committee Meeting held in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, during the summer. It is customary to hold a training seminar at some point during the week of the meeting and this was excellently organized by Dorin Marchis and his colleagues at the Romanian Aikikai Aikido Foundation, which is the IAF member for Romania. The seminar was led by Mr Mitsuteru Ueshiba, who is the Acting Director of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo. He was supported by Mr Christian Tissier from France, Mr Ulf Evenas from Sweden, and other instructors who were members of the Directing Committee. Mr Tony Smibert, from Australia, was also on the teaching schedule, but unfortunately he was unable to attend.

Among the matters discussed at the Directing Committee Meeting was the date and location of the 12th IAF Congress. We will hold the Congress, with the customary aikido training seminar, in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, during the last weekend in September. More information will be posted here as it becomes available.

Finally, on behalf of the Directing Committee, I wish the members of the IAF all the very best for health and happiness in 2015.

Peter A Goldsbury

IAF Chairman

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 11 July 2014

Christian Tissier Shihan. Photo Goska SmierzchalskaChristian Tissier Shihan has kindly agreed to join Mr Mitsuteru Ueshiba, Acting Head of the Hombu Dojo, and other senior instructors at the seminar that will accompany the IAF Directing Committee Meeting at Cluj-Napoca, Romania, from September 8 till September 15. The final seminar schedule has not been finally decided yet, but it is likely that Mr Ueshiba will conduct classes on Saturday, Sept 13, and Sunday, Sept 14, while Mr Tissier will arrive in Cluj-Napoca on Thursday, Sept 11, and conduct classes on Friday, Sept 12.

More details will be published here as they become available. 

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 18 April 2014

Click for larger viewHello Everybody,

I hope you are all in good health and training hard. In Japan, the winter was quite severe, but spring has come and in Hiroshima the cherry blossoms were in bloom last week and the hanami parties were in full swing. (O-hanami parties are a traditional Japanese way of eating and drinking with friends under the cherry trees. 'Hanami' actually means 'flower viewing', but in my experience the emphasis has usually been on the eating and drinking, with the cherry blossoms providing a very pleasant backdrop.)

In my earlier New Year greetings, I mentioned that the IAF will hold its Directing Committee Meeting in 2014. As you know, the IAF holds meetings as a federation every two years. Meetings of the IAF Directing Committee are held every two years and an IAF Congress is held every four years. The last Congress took place in 2012 and we are now preparing for the Directing Committee Meeting, to be held in 2014. IAF committee meetings are usually attended by the committee members, but members of the Senior Council, Technical Council and the two IAF Auditors can attend as observers.

It is a tradition to hold a training seminar to coincide with the committee meeting and the seminar is open to all aikido practitioners and membership of an IAF member federation is not a condition for participating at the seminar. The seminar will be held on 11-14 September, at Cluj Napoca, Romania and is being organized by the Romanian Aikikai Aikido Foundation, under the leadership of Mr Dorin Marchis.

Read more: Waka Sensei Aikikai Hombu Dojo to Lead Seminar - Romania, Sept 2014

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Category: IAF latest News

Published: 08 January 2014

Closing Ceremony of the World Combat Games 2013Hello Everybody,

First I would like to offer New Year greetings to all our members, and also to everybody who practises aikido, wherever you may be. I hope that 2014 will bring health, happiness, prosperity and renewed opprtunities for continuing and deepening aikido training.

For the IAF, 2013 was an eventful and successful year. You can see from this website, and from our Facebook pages, what a success the SportAccord Combat Games has been. We will continue to upload video footage of the aikido demonstrations as these become available.

There are two main events in 2014. We will hold our two-yearly Directing Committee Meeting in Romania. A major training seminar is planned for this meeting and the principal instructor will be Mitsuteru Ueshiba, Waka Sensei. We will add details about the meeting and training seminar as these become available.

In April, the IAF will be represented at the SportAccord Annual General Meeting, which will take place in Turkey. It is very probable that the date and location of the 2015 SportAccord World Combat Games will be decided at this meeting. Once again, details will be posted as these become available.

Once again, all good wishes for 2014. 

Peter Goldsbury
IAF Chairman