Greensboro Kodokan Aikido

ounder of Aikido. Morehei Ueshiba and Tanaka Shihan's father were uchi deshi (live in students) of Onisaburo Deguchi, the charismatic Omoto Kyo priest who was instrumental in shaping the philosophical basis of Aikido. Ueshiba established and named the Kodokan Dojo in Okazaki in 1957. Tadamitsu Tanaka Shihan was formerly a practicing Omoto Kyo priest and continues his father's connection with the Omoto Kyo sect and the Aikido of Morehei Ueshiba. He maintains the Kodokan dojo at his home in Okazaki, Japan. Since 1993, he has opened four additional dojo in Aichi prefecture: Toyota-shi, Anjo-shi, Kota-cho and Chiryu-shi. Tanaka Shihan founded the first Kodokan dojo in the US in Greensboro, North Carolina in October of 1989. He assigned the position of dojo manager to John Grinnell. John and Betsy Grinnell studied Aikido with Tanaka Shihan in Japan from 1987 to 1988. Prior to studying in Japan Grinnell Sensei practiced Tomiki Aikido for seven years under Dr. Jim Farr Sensei. Besides Greensboro, there are US Kodokan dojos in Blacksburg, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, and Woodberry Forest. Susan Dalton Sensei also teaches Aikido as a physical education class at Alamance County Community College.