Katsuyuki Kondo 近藤勝之

(Mar 1945). Soke Kyoju Dairi, May 1988. Contractor. First learned DAITO-RYU AIKIJUJUTSU from Tsunejiro Hosono in 1957 at the Shineikan Dojo in Koiwa, Tokyo. Tokimune TAKEDA visited this dojo on several occasions and first taught Kondo in 1960. After the death of Hosono, Kondo learned from Kotaro YOSHIDA for a brief period starting in 1963 in Hitachi. The latter was paralyzed on his left side and taught while watching or by showing techniques on his right side. After Yoshida’s death, Kondo became a student of Tokimune Takeda and visited ABASHIRI on numerous occasions. Takeda also taught at Kondo’s dojo on several trips to Tokyo. Kondo founded a Daito-ryu club at Chiba Kogyo University in April 1964 which became the present aikido club after his graduation. He is the only person to have received the KYOJU DAIRI certification from Tokimune TAKEDA (1974). Kondo established the Shimbukan Dojo in Tokyo in October 1982. He was awarded the MENKYO KAIDEN by Tokimune in May 1988 receiving at the same time a total of six Daito-ryu scrolls. Kondo participated in the AIKI NEWS FRIENDSHIP DEMONSTRATION III in 1987 and Aiki Expo 2002 in Las Vegas, USA. He has made frequent trips abroad to conduct demonstrations and seminars and established a Daito-ryu study group in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. Kondo is an authority on swordsman and calligrapher Tesshu Yamaoka and owns a large collection of original calligraphy. He published a bilingual technical manual covering the 30 techniques of the basic ikkajo series in 2000.

Josh Gold

Executive Editor of Aikido Journal, CEO of Budo Accelerator, and Chief Instructor of Ikazuchi Dojo.

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