Introduction:

Every Month and/or occasionally we are posting our members profile here. A very good chance to be known.  This individuals has given lots of effort in their training and/or gave a huge effort for the improvement of our club hence they should be gratified. In this way we are very proud to post such profiles.

Featured Profile of the Month

Emad Basfar
Brother Emad Basfar, saudi citizen, a medical practitioner who has been practicing Yoshinkan Aikido for almost 7 months now. He is not new to the art. He is already a practitioner of Aikido some 2 years back when he realizes there are some missing points in his training. His progress was very slow and so because of his eagerness to learn further and to find some truth behind his earlier Aikido, he eventually find our website and on January 2009, he begun his formal training into the basics of Aikido. Brother Emad admits that he was very much surprise of Yoshinkan Aikido and said that it is the right aikido training for him. because of the Kihon Dosa his movements was refined. Although there was lots of Aikido style in Jeddah, he was very happy that he found yoshinkan aikido. He is currently one of the seniors of Society Aikido Club who is actively participating in teaching the Kihon Dosa to the Beginners in Arabic Language. And when assigned he is also been an Uke to the Sensei. Here in our Dojo everybody must develop their teaching skills because this is included to the clubs curriculum. We thank brother Emad and the rest of the Senior Members in helping our Organization by translating English and teaching this techniques in Arabic.

Erlangga Sosronegoro
Engineer Erlangga Sosronegoro, Indonesian citizen, working at the Saudi Telecommunication Company (STC) is a Yoshinkan Aikido practitioner for more than 3 months since this profile has been created. Amazingly in this short period of time he do Zenpo Ukemi perfectly either left or right. He started Joining our club because his son Gentha Sosronegoro is a fan and a member of our yoshinkan club. He is currently a 6th kyu and gaining credit by being an uke to the instructor. He is also one of the seniors who in emergency helps the instructor teach the new members.

April-2009



Maher Al Sharhan
Maher Al Sharhan, a Pilot of the Saudi Arabian Airline and one of the most active member of the Club. In spite of his hectic schedule, He tremendously inspired all members of Society Aikido because of his dedication and effort to learn Yoshinkan Aikido. "He is truly an Aikidoka" said by some members. During the training, you will always see that he enjoys all the activities starting from junbi taiso until the end of the session that is to execute the shumatsu dosa. Well, ukemi waza specially zenpo ukemi (or breakfalls) is what he is currently working out right now. He is also amaze of the jiyu waza and how small movement can have big effect on his partner. He always pays attention to details and upon the advise of the instructor and always ask question of what he don't understand. That is a good quality of a true budoka, said the instructor. Ask if you don't understand and not just make it out for yourself. Brother Sharhan is also scheduled to visit the Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo Japan in the near future...

February-2009

Our Yoshinkan Family in Japan... Osu!!!

Romeo Alba Ballares, Shihan-Dai Hombu Dojo
Age :  Undisclosed
Martial Arts : Yoshinkan Aikido, Kali -stick and knife fighting art founded in the Philippines.

Sensei Romeo Ballares of the International Yoshinkan Aikido Federation (IYAF) Head Quarters, Japan started his journey into the Aikido world in mid 80's. A very young and energetic person, his first martial arts is KALI for which he is very good from it. I really mean he's good from it because as a matter of fact he gain the International Kali competition Gold Medal last October, 2008 held in the Philippines. After 17 years of blood letting hard work training in Yoshinkan Aikido. Today Sensei Romeo Ballares has been teaching the metropolitan Riot Police (KIDOUTAI) and has been promoted to 5th Dan and as a Shihan-Dai of the Hombu Dojo. He is the founder of the first legitimate Yoshinkan Aikido Dojo in the Philippines the "Yoshinkan Aikido Philippines" (YAP) and is one of the founding officer of "Yoshinkan Aikido Saudi Arabia" (YASA) or its current posted name "Society Aikido Yoshinkai". The instructor of Society Aikido Yoshinkan Club is a direct student of the Mr. Ballares Shihan-Dai. Meeting every year in the Philippines for intense training, we are really grateful.


Kenneth Salazar Sensei
Age :  Undisclosed
Martial Arts : Karate, shorinji Kempo, Yoshinkan Aikido (Yamanashi), Kyokushinkai Karate.

Sensei Ken(as we always address him even though he really don't like to be called sensei) is a truly humble Filipino that has a big heart to Society Aikido Yoshinkai Members. He become one of the big contributor to our Yoshinkan Training... We asked him some questions and here is what he says... What is your first Martial Arts? I started martial arts training in 1989 in Niigata Prefecture at the Seishinkan Karate under Hayashi sensei and Kanazawa Hirokazu and left the karate dojo with a shodan rank. Because of job assignment I was relocated to Kofu city in Yamanashi Prefecture. How did you enter the world of Yoshinkan Aikido? Well, As I have said earlier I was relocated to Kofu city in Yamanashi Prefecture where I found a martial arts dojo unknown to me at that time, They called that martial arts Yoshinkan Aikido and it became my first encounter with aikido. I met the sensei there and his name was Takeno Takafumi... It was winter of 1991 when I first put on a dogi of Yamanashi Yoshinkan and It lasted for almost 9 years but that was that coz I have to move somewhere ,I have a life to live so I left yamanshi yoshinkan dojo after so many years of training under the best Yoshinkan Aikido shihan in Japan. I moved to Yokohama and live there until this moment. During my first 2 years of training under takeno sensei in yamanashi it was at that time i found the great art of Shorinji kempo and as long as i could I tried to train shorinji kempo along with yoshinkan aikido for almost 16 years now of course its not on a regular basis but it became a routine of my everyday life here. This is how I could brief you about my involvement in martial arts training. After Yamanashi yoshinkan I ended up training under Terada sensei in Yokohama YMCA.
Sensei kenneth is now practicing other styles such as Kyokushinkai Karate, one of the finest he said.