Technical Direction for Aikido in Canada
Kawahara Shihan
Kawahara Shihan (8th dan) is the Technical Director of the Canadian Aikido Federation and the British Columbia Aikido Federation. He has been designated by the Hombu Dojo in Japan as their official representative to Canada.
Kawahara Shihan began Aikido in the 1950's as a student of Bansen Tanaka in Osaka. Tanaka Shihan started studying with O'Sensei in 1935 and continued until the War. After WWII he built the Osaka Aikikai in 1951 under O'Sensei's direction. O'Sensei would frequently stay in Osaka for extended periods during those years.
Before coming to Canada in 1975 Kawahara Shihan taught for a period in Taiwan. His first 2 years in Canada were spent in Montreal but he re-located to the West Coast in 1977. Since that time he has travelled extensively to encourage the growth of Aikido in Canada. He also teaches a yearly summer camp in British Columbia that draws participants from across the continent as well as from overseas. The first of these camps was held in 1979 in the small town of New Denver. Since that time the camp has grown and included such guest instructors as the present Doshu, Fujita, Miyamoto, Masuda, and Osawa Shihan's from Hombu dojo as well as North American Shihan such as Yamada, Kanai, Chiba, Tohei, and Sugano.
Morihei Ueshiba
"It is neccessary to develop a strategy that utilizes all the physical conditions and elements that are directly at hand. The best strategy relies upon an unlimited set of responses."
Excerpted from The Art of Peace translated by John Stevens.