Free German Aikido Association
The Free German Aikido Association (FDAV) is a non-profit association of Aikidoka, which has set itself the goal of spreading Aikidō according to the principles of the Aikidō founder Ueshiba Morihei in Germany.
General
Technically, the members of the association are based on Nobuyoshi Tamura Sensei (8th Dan Aikikai Tokyo). Until his death on July 9, 2010, he was envoy and delegate of the Aikikai Tokyo for France and Europe. Tamura Sensei herself was a student of Ueshiba Morihei and Uchi-Deshi in the Aikikai Hombu Dōjō. The Free German Aikido Association organizes around 20 dōjō in 8 different federal states (Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia). The number of members is a few hundred. Organizationally, the FDAV is led by the board, which is supported by the individual dojos. The president of the FDAV is Gregor Hansen (2nd Dan Aikikai Tokyo). The technical management is the responsibility of the technical commission, to which all Dan holders from the 4th Dan belong. The chairman of the technical commission is Pierre Congard (6th Dan Aikikai Tokyo). The FDAV is a member of the Féderation Européenne d'Aïkido (FEA) based in Nice.
history
The Free German Aikido Association was entered in the register of associations on June 20, 1984. This hour of birth of the FDAV was initiated by eight founding members. Eginhard Köhler and Volker Riemann, who had previously separated from Aikikai Deutschland eV with some other Aikidoka, played a decisive role. The connection to Nobuyoshi Tamura was established early on. Initially, this connection was established through Sensei Jacques Bonemaison. In accordance with the request of the then FDAV board of directors to the French association FFAB, Jacques Bonemaison became Tamura’s technical delegate. Jacques Bonemaison conducted a large number of Aikido courses in Germany even then. In 1986, Tamura Sensei came to Germany (Münster) for the first time and thus initiated a new stage in the development of the FDAV. Until his death, at least one course with Tamura Sensei took place annually in cooperation with the FDAV.
After the reunification of Germany, the first dojos emerged in East Germany. First in Pößneck and then in Potsdam. At around the same time, the Frenchman Pierre Congard moved to Schwerin. As a student of Toshiro Suga and Nobuyoshi Tamura, he asked Tamura Sensei for guidance on how to organize himself in Germany. Tamura asked him to support the FDAV. In 1994 Pierre Congard founded a dojo in Schwerin. Through his contacts it came about that since then courses with Sensei Toshiro Suga take place regularly in Germany.
The development of Aikido in Germany by the FDAV has been shaped by the following teachers since it was founded in 1984:
- Nobuyoshi Tamura (8th Dan Aikikai Tokyo, March 2, 1933 - July 9, 2010)
- Toshirō Suga (7th Dan Aikikai Tokyo)
- Jacques Bonemaison (7th Dan Aikikai Tokyo)
- Pierre Congard (6th Dan Aikikai Tokyo)
Mission statement
In particular, the FDAV promotes courses with Toshiro Suga, Jacques Bonemaison and Pierre Congard to spread their understanding of Aikido. All are long-time students of Tamura Sensei. In addition, the FDAV encourages its member joys to invite other nationally and internationally recognized teachers.
The FDAV seeks unity in the diversity of Aikido. In concrete terms, this means concentrating on a technical understanding of Aikido that is based on a few selected teachers. The reasons that led to the imprinting in the tradition of Aikido by Shihan Nobuyoshi Tamura are clear from the history of the FDAV. In addition, members are encouraged to attend courses from other aikido masters or even to invite and organize their own comprehensive courses with aikido teachers from all over the world. The unity and diversity of Aikido also mean that the examination regulations (Kyu / Dan) strictly adhere to a uniform technical basic understanding. According to the FDAV, only the development of a good technical basis ensures that the variety of Aikido can be grasped as a Dan bearer. From the FDAV's point of view, training without a clear direction at the beginning of the practice of Aikido is not a variety, but arbitrariness.
Graduations
The student graduation for adults starts with the 6th Kyu and ends with the 1st Kyu, whereby the 1st Kyu is the most advanced student grade. In contrast to many other Budo sports (e.g. judo), a uniform white belt is worn for all Kyu degrees. From the 2nd kyu onwards, a black or dark blue hakama , a traditional Japanese trouser skirt, is also regularly worn. The grades start with 1st Dan and end with 10th Dan, whereby the highest grade of an FDAV member is currently the 6th Dan. The 1st to 4th Dan must be passed by an examination in front of the examination board. From the 5th Dan onwards, graduation takes place by means of an award without an examination. After attaining an FDAV-Dan, there is the possibility of attaining the respective Dan by examining or being awarded without an exam in the Hombu Dojo Tokyo (so-called Aikikai graduation). Aikikai graduations are held by Toshiro Suga (7th Dan Aikikai Tokyo).
swell
- Werner Lind : The dictionary of martial arts. China, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, India, Mongolia, Philippines, Taiwan and others special edition. Sport Verlag, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-328-00898-5 .