The Aikido World Championships is a tournament organized by the style of Tomiki Aikido or Shodokan Aikido following the wishes of its founder Tomiki Kenji. Although, the competition itself is open for all practitioners regardless of style, competitors are predominantly Tomiki Aikido or Shodokan members. Events are split into Embu (Kata) and Randori, as well as team events, with some events being specific to Kyu or Dan grades. The competition is held in a different location every two years. The most recent events include Tokyo in 2005; Ohio in 2007; Kyoto in 2009; London in 2011, and Osaka for SAF members and Kawasaki City for (JAA) members in 2013.
Locations
NoYearHost city, Country1 1989 Tenri, Japan 1991 Cardiff, United Kingdom2 1993 Katsuura, Japan 1995 Vandalia, United States3 1997 Imabari, Japan 1999 Brisbane, Australia4 2001 Osaka, Japan5 2003 Leeds, United Kingdom6 2005 Katsuura, Japan7 2007 Vandalia, United States8 2009 Kyoto, Japan9 2011 London, United Kingdom 2013 Kawasaki City, Japan and Osaka, Japan 2015 Fiesch, Switzerland and Gold Coast, Australia 2017 Akita, Japan and London, United Kingdom 2019 Málaga, Spain and San Diego2023 Tenri, Japan
Current Events For the 2013 Aikido World Championships, there are 8 different events. These include Embu, Randori and Team Events: SFA and JAA
TypeGradeEventAdditional InfoEmbu Kyu Basic Randori No Kata Performed open hand, without tantoEmbu Dan Basic Randori No Kata Performed with tantoEmbu Dan Koryu Goshin no Kata Suwari waza and Tachi waza, 16 techniquesEmbu Dan Freestyle/Open Kata Must be performed without weapons, and with a 2-minute time limitRandori Open Men's Individual Randori Randori Open Women's Individual Randori Randori Open Men's Team Randori Teams consist of three male competitorsRandori Open Women's Team Randori Teams consist of three female competitors
Previous Events
In tournaments prior to and including the 2013 Aikido World Championships, a mixed event called the Kongodanteisen took place. This consisted of 5 events: Koryu Goshin no kata suwari waza; Koryu Goshin no kata tachi waza; Women's Tanto Taisabaki; Men's Toshu Randori; Men's Tanto Randori. This was introduced at the 2001 Maishima Tournament.
References
External links Shodokan Aikido International Headquarters Official Site Japanese Aikido Association Official Site