The mission of the Association is to disseminate, teach and popularize, in cooperation with the international aikido centre Hombu, aikido as an eastern martial art, culture and philosophy.
On the Hungarian side Sensei Shihan Michel Gollo, the 'father of aikido', founder and chief instructor of aikido in Hungary keeps touch with the Hombu Dojo. On the Japanese side the contact keeper is Shihan Masatake Fujita 8th dan sensei of Hombu, who had been the secretary of the Founder for 15 years. Shihan Fujita comes to Budapest twice a year to supervise and give directions to the activity under the guidance of the chief instructor appointed by himself.
The technical director of the Association is Shidoin Attila Pivony Sensei 4th Dan.
The goal of the Association is to teach and popularize Aikikai aikido and within its framework to make Eastern culture and values accepted, to emphasise the role of respect, politeness and honesty, and also to educate people to a healthy lifestyle without drugs and alcohol.
The Association also considers it to its duty to establish and promote cultural, social, and friendly relations within Hungary and with other countries.
It also takes part in the organization of educational and cultural programmes, demonstrations, training courses and lectures aiming to the useful spending of spare time, as well as in the publication and distribution of reference materials on such topics.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF HUNGARIAN AIKIKAI AIKIDO ASSOCIATION:
An aikido master possessing Hombu Recognition, he is Shihan Michel Gollo 6th dan master's most illustrious senior student who has practised martial arts including aikido since the year 1985, that is, age of 16. He learnt judo, karate and kungfu, too. Nevertheless, he has not limited his studies to technical knowledge but completed an aikido trainers' course as well. At present he has the 3rd dan grade in aikido. He participated in numerous training seminars abroad, several times for example in Zurich, where 7th and 8th dan masters held the trainings in a university sports hall. At one of these training camps of Zurich in 1996 he had his first personal meeting with the present Doshu of aikido Moriteru Ueshiba Sensei. Shidoin Attila Pivony Sensei travels to Japan every year with the purpose of enriching his knowledge and participate in the annual All-Japan Aikido Demonstration. First time, in 1999, he spent 10 days in the Hombu Dojo for the invitation of Shihan Masatake Fujita 8th Dan. He attended every single training from the early morning hours – the first one beginning at 6.30 each day was conducted by the Doshu himself –, and participated in the monumental programme of the second Doshu’s initiation. (At the same event the 7th dan grade was given the famous film star Steven Seagal who has had the indisputable merit of making aikido as a martial art and a youth sports alternative worldwide known through his films). Since 1999 Shihan Fujita has invited Sensei Attila every year to take part together with him in the Annual All-Japan Aikido Demonstration held every year in memory of the Founder, where all Japanese grandmasters traditionally give a show with their students. An invitation like this is quite a great honour, regarding that the event itself has a great publicity and all the participants are highly esteemed persons of major positions. Shidoin Attila Pivony Sensei's name is also listed among the names of the participants announced in the newspapers. Recently he was called upon to proceed an own demonstration, too, with a chosen uke having a similar 3rd Dan grade.
He started to teach aikido in 1996 at a club with 8 or 10 students. Later on he established his central dojo at the Sports Hall of Vendel Street. The number of his students has gradually increased and from time to time he opened new dojos in Budapest an neighbouring towns. Today Sensei Attila operates 6 dojos with some 100 students altogether. At one of his groups he has private students, including actors and other persons with special needs, receiving individual lessons. Foreign students are not rare in his dojos either; foreign-language instructions are given them if necessary. But Sensei Attila has considered further enlargements so that more and more people get to know and learn aikido, this amazing, fascinating martial art which teaches peace instead of fight and mental way-seeking instead of violence.
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