Sensei Patrick Palmer I started my Aikido career in June 1995 after seeing a advertisment for a martial arts open-day at a newly opened dojo in Cradley Heath. On the day of the open-day I saw a small old man throwing three men about as if they were ragdolls. This I could not comprehend as these guys were over 6ft tall and the little old man was no more than 5.5ft! After watching for over a couple of hours what I would consider impossible, I was hooked and signed up to join this club with great enthusiasm. The next day I turned up in my tracksuit and T-shirt ready to try out some of the techniques that I saw the previous day...how wrong was I, as it was me who was being thrown about but I loved it. This small old man turned out to be the late Mr William Smith Shihan who had the most important influence on me, and the Dojo turned out to be Ren Shin Kan Martial Art Centre, the United Kingdom Aikikai Headquarters (UKA). At Mr Smith's request, I started my Aikido career under the instruction of his nephew Sensei Mike Smith 5th Dan Shidoin So Hombu. |
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Over a period of 5 years I went through the same struggles of all those martial artist before me, going up through the ranks from 6th Kyu to 1st Kyu, going on Aikido courses and all of the family struggles that go along with it. Finally I was priviliged to obtain the rank of Sho-dan at winter school 2001,awarded by Shihan Smith. It was soon after obtaining my Sho-dan, I decided to give back something to Aikido, the art I have grown to love and after some months of talking to my instructor (Sensei Mike Smith, Nephew to Shihan Smith) and my peers, Zanshin-Kai Aikido club started on 31st October 2002 at its first venue "The old art school" in Sutton Coldfield College with the help of Sensei Brian Borrows who gave us our first set of old mats and canvas. The club started off with one student (Alex Lawrence) and within two years its members totalled 25. In 2004 I reached the rank of Ni-dan and accepted the title of Fukushidoin |
In 2004 I decided on a journey to Japan to try to understand more about the Japanese people and thier culture. In 2005 I spent 3 weeks in Tokyo where I took instruction from Shihan's Seijuro Masuda,Tsuruzo Miyamoto,Yukimitsu Kobayashi and Shigeru Sugawara. While staying in the ikkebukkeru district of Tokyo, I was invited by a fellow Aikidoka to train at his dojo a few miles away. The instructor there was a Sensei Ichiro Shishiya a former student of Shoji Nishio,who was a famous Aikido and sword master in Japan. I learnt alot while in Japan, especially about japanese culture and traditon. I consider my style of aikido to be in the same vein as that taught by Shihan Smith, where the concept of a martial mind is mantained and weapon and body art are one and the same. As I try to follow all that has been taught to me over the years. My main influences are the late Shihan Smith, Shigeru Sugawara,Yukimitsu Kobayashi and the late Shoji Nishio. |
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