Iwama-Ryu Aikido Canterbury

In July 1999 Robert Wood Sensei left the Aikido club he was training with and decided to form his own. Initially he and Dylan Tindall, who had left with him, were training at the Christchurch Polytechnic gymnasium using old mats. By the beginning of 2000 they had one student and a few casual visitors from other clubs. They quickly realized that if the whole process of starting a viable dojo was going to be undertaken seriously, we would need an environment that could be used as a full time dojo and had a permanent mat. Kerry Madden, also from the previous club, began training early 2000, and assisted in the search for a new dojo.

In 2000 we began sharing premises in Cashel Street with another Aikido club. We extended the mat, completed minor renovations and had our first intake of new students (16 in total) while planning our next step. Robert Wood Sensei knew that for our new dojo to succeed we would need to be affiliated to a reputable system. He had trained with and seen many Iwama- ryu Aikidoka. This system offered many of the things we were seeking. In March 2000 Takemusu Aikido Christchurch formed an association with Nelson Aikido and Martin Hartman Sensei. He agreed to provide technical assistance and discuss our requests with Pat Hendricks Sensei, division 1 head, California Aikido Association. Martin delivered his first seminar in June 2000.

By the late 2002, growing class sizes required a larger mat and more training nights. In December 2002 we undertook the construction of a new site while training continued at Cashel Street. March 2002 saw the dojo at 165 Lichfield Street open. Mat size doubled in an instant. The work that went into creating that dojo can only be joked about now. But thanks to the steadily growing numbers of dedicated students everything ran to schedule. With timber flooring, high ceiling and big windows this new and bigger dojo was a great place to train and we could train every night. In our first year there we hosted seminars for Martin Hartman Sensei (Nelson/Switzerland), Mic Marelli Sensei (Australia) and Junichi Nishamura Sensei (Auckland/Osaka) and Alan Roberts Sensei (Auckland) in March 2003.

In October Robert Wood Sensei undertook the uchideshi program offered by Patricia Handricks Sensei in San Leandro. In December of the same year Takemusu Aikido Christchurch affiliated to the California Aikido Association, Division One. At the same time, renovation of a new site began and the beginning of 2004 saw us begin training in our new dojo at 3 Sandyford Street. This dojo filled all of our requirements: plenty of mat space, sole access, abundant parking and street frontage. In March 2004 we held an open day inviting instructors from local Aikido clubs to teach. One year later we celebrated our fifth anniversary on March fifth 2005.

Early 2007 saw some big changes for us with the closure of Takemusu Aikido Christchurch. Although this was the end of Takemusu Aikido Christchurch, as we knew it, it wasn’t the end of the club.  Iwama-Ryu Aikido Canterbury, headed up by Kerry Madden, took its place immediately (with the first classes starting the very next week) proving just how strong the spirit of our members is. This also involved a change of location for the dojo, to the Catholic Cathedral College gymnasium on the corner of Barbadoes Street and Moorhouse Ave. The new club,  Iwama-Ryu Aikido Canterbury, continues to train under the same system and with the same philosophy as previously.

At the end of 2009 plans were made to create our own dojo at a central city location.  Thanks to Kerry Madden Sensei and a small team of dedicated helpers, a space was created and improved.  At the beginning of 2010 Iwama-Ryu Aikido Canterbury moved to premesis of its own, upstairs at 6 Wilmer Street, Christchurch, where we enjoy a large mat area and ease of access from the one way systems heading North (Montreal Street) and South (Durham Street).