History

All of Aikido traces its line back to the founder O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, but there are other, perhaps less well known, martial artists that have played key roles in taking Aikido beyond the shores of Japan. These pages provide a little background to the Aikidoka most influential in formation and development of Banyu Hatten Aikido Yuishinkai.

Based in the South West of England, Banyu Hatten Aikido was formed in 1987 by Geoff Flather. As a 'Ki-Style', Banyu Hatten Aikido follows the Ki Principles developed by Koichi Tohei and the organization he founded in 1971, the Ki no Kenkyukai.

In 2004, Banyu Hatten Aikido affiliated to Aikido Yuishinkai, an organisation founded in 2001 by Koretoshi Maruyama (a former student of both Morihei Ueshiba and Koichi Tohei).

---

Aikido was first taught in the UK during 1955 by Kenshiro Abbe (a student of Morihei Ueshiba), in 1966 Kazuo Chiba was sent to the UK (by Morihei Ueshiba) to continue Abbe's work.

Ken Williams a student of (and later, assistant to) Kenshiro Abbe, formed the Ki Federation of Great Britain (circa 1975), having travelled to Japan to meet and study with Koichi Tohei.

Banyu Hatten Aikido Yuishinkai's founder and principal, Geoff Flather, was first introduced to Aikido by Kazuo Chiba in 1967, before joining the Ki Federation as a student of Wasyl Kolesnikov in 1979. Shortly after the formation of Banyu Hatten Aikido was invited to study under the guidance of Tomio Otani (himself a life-long student of Kenshiro Abbe).