Our Story

Shinzenryu Aikido

Small steps along the way.

Twenty years ago I founded the Melbourne Aikido Dojo. Over that time I have had the privilege of sharing the mat with hundreds of students and witnessing the profound opportunity that sincere Aikido practice offers each of us: a path back to harmony through disciplined work upon oneself. The dojo has grown into a community of dedicated practitioners united by a genuine desire to deepen their understanding of Aikido and to support one another’s development.

Throughout these years I have made a conscious decision to remain focused on one pursuit above all others: the continual refinement of the art itself. Rather than measuring success by the number of affiliated dojos, instructors, or countries represented, our measure has always been the quality of practice taking place on the mat each day. My commitment has been to remain a full-time teacher, personally leading classes and working directly with students, refining both my own understanding and the methods through which Aikido is transmitted.

This philosophy is deeply rooted in the lineage entrusted to me. Morihei Ueshiba passed his teachings to Gozo Shioda, who established Yoshinkan Aikido and became renowned for preserving and systematically transmitting the founder’s techniques. Among Shioda Sensei’s most accomplished students was Takafumi Takeno, widely regarded as one of the finest Aikido practitioners of his generation.

It was one of the greatest privileges of my martial arts journey to study directly under Takeno Sensei at his dojo in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. As his personal uke and an instructor within his dojo, I experienced a level of training and mentorship that profoundly shaped my understanding of Aikido. Of all the honours I have received throughout my career, none carries greater significance than being awarded an instructor’s licence directly by Takeno Sensei. I remain the only foreign practitioner to have received this recognition from him, and I regard it as both a profound privilege and a lifelong responsibility to preserve the standards and spirit of the teachings he entrusted to me.

Those teachings continue to guide everything we do at the Melbourne Aikido Dojo. After many years of practice, research and teaching, we gradually developed our own distinctive methodology for introducing and transmitting the principles of Aikido. In 2019, I formally named these teachings Shinzenryu Aikido.

Shinzenryu (心然流) may be understood as “the school of moving in accordance with one’s true nature.” It expresses the understanding that genuine harmony cannot be imposed externally; it must first arise from within. Only when the body, mind and spirit become integrated can harmony be expressed naturally through movement.

Our approach combines traditional Yoshinkan Aikido with the contemplative traditions of Japan and India to bridge the movement from the gross to the subtle, from technique to principle, and ultimately from separation to unity. Physical training is complemented by breath cultivation, meditation and philosophical inquiry, while insights drawn from other martial disciplines continue to inform and refine our practice.

Although our methodology continues to evolve, our purpose remains unchanged: to honour the lineage entrusted to us by pursuing excellence in practice rather than expansion for its own sake. Every student who steps onto our mat is taught directly by me, carrying forward the teachings I received from Takafumi Takeno Sensei with the same care, attention and standards that have guided our dojo since its founding.

Morihei Ueshiba – Founder of Aikido