Classes available on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Over the years the aikido club at Fort Regent has been exposed to a wide variety of aikido philosophy and technique from teachers of many nationalities and outlooks. Aikido started in Jersey in the mid 70's at South Hill boxing gym under Sensei Ezio Chatrian, an Italian from the Aosta Valley living and working in Jersey. In early 1980 the club moved to Fort Regent when, in February 1980 current Director Nick Pitman, started his training under Ezio Sensei.

Ezio left the island in 1986 and his club was carried on under his daughter Yola. In July 1987 Nick gained his 1st Dan in Traditional (Kai-Shin-Kai) Aikido and in January 1988 he registered the Phoenix (Jersey) Kai-Shin-Kai School of Aikido.

During Nick's training years he has gained vast experience under some notable instructors and the style of traditional aikido in Jersey started to take shape.

The style currently evolving in the school at the moment is a more therapeutic style of traditional aikido based on meditative and therapeutic movements with a strong link to the martial history of the art and its derivitives.

Aikido to the lay person appears at first to centre around the ability to avoid an attack, blend with the attacker and then, using his energy, neutralise the attack by using a series of locks, pins and throws. As a student becomes more experienced, he notices that there is far more to the art than merely physical technique.

On closer inspection aikido goes much deeper than this. The founder placed great emphasis on the moral and spiritual aspects of this art, training to develop a student's mind and body and helping to promote harmony and inner peace. 'The Way of Harmony of the Spirit' is one way of translating the word 'ai-ki-do'.

Instructors of note who have trained both Nick and his students, some of whom have been to Jersey to instruct are listed below (those who have taught in Jersey have a (J) after their name):

Sensei Ezio Chatrian (J) - 5th Dan; Sensei Mike Smith (J) - 7th Dan; Sensei Tony Davis (J) - 5th Dan; Kancho Ted Devlin (J) - 8th Dan; Soke A. Francis Ramasamy (J) - Founder Mushin-Do; Naruhiko Murasaki and Tadatoshi Ueda - Harmonious Arts Association of Japan.

The Aikido section within the school is headed by Sensei Ian Michel - 4th Dan with Sensei Nick Pitman - 5th Dan as Technical Advisor.

For any information about the School in Jersey please do not hesitate to contact Sensei Nick Pitman on 07797713370 or just pay a visit to the Graeme Pitman Memorial Dojo at Fort Regent.