About

The Takagashira Dojo (鷹頭 道場) was opened on 3rd September 2008, previously located in Hawkshead (Takagashira is Japanese for Hawkshead) it moved to its current location in Windermere on 19th November 2008. It is affiliated nationally to Aikido Yuishinkai UK and globally to Aikido Yuishinkai International. Aikido Yuishinkai was founded by Koretoshi Maruyama Sensei a student of the founder of Aikido.

Club Instructors

Mike Haft Sensei

Dr Michael Haft began practicing Aikido with Banyu Hatten Aikido Yuishinkai whilst studying at the University of Plymouth in 1997, eventually being awarded his shodan (1^st Dan black belt) in 2001 by Geoff Flather Sensei (7th Dan Aikido Yuishinkai).

He has been teaching Aikido since 2002, when he established the Imperial College Aikido Club with the help of his friend Stephen Cohen. He also established the University of Aberdeen Aikido Club in 2004, and the main Aberdeen City Aikido Club in 2006 and also oversaw the establishment of the Robert Gordon University Aikido Club in 2007.

He is currently based in the Lake District, where he opened the Takagashira Aikido Dojo in Hawkshead with his wife Becky in September 2008. He is the senior instructor of the Takagashira Aikido Dojo.

He is also the Chairman and Technical Director of the Takagashirakai Aikido Association, a small independent not-for-profit Aikido Association based in the UK and affiliated nationally and internationally to Aikido Yuishinkai.

Becky Haft Sensei

Originally from the Lake District in Cumbria Becky began practicing Aikido at the Aberdeen University Club in 2004 while studying at Aberdeen University. In December 2006 she was made an assistant instructor of both the Aberdeen City Aikido Club and the University of Aberdeen Aikido Club, eventually becoming the senior instructor of the University of Aberdeen Aikido Club. After completing her MA in Aberdeen, Becky returned to the Lake District in 2008 and opened the Takagashira Aikido Dojo in Hawkshead with her husband Mike. In addition to Aikido she is a keen student of Parelli Natural Horsemanship.

• What is Aikido?

  

   

  Aikido is a Japanese martial art created by Morihei Ueshiba between 1930-1940. It is a non-competitive art based purely on self-defence and personal development of mind, body and spirit. Aikido is often characterised by its fluid and dynamic movements, often circular in nature, and its defences against not just one but many attackers employing a variety of punches, strikes and holds, both armed and unarmed. It is practiced by men and women of all ages (not just the young and fit!).

   

  Aikido is usually described as a non-aggressive martial art, which at first glance sounds a little contradictory. But in Aikido the emphasis is on control and restraint rather than inflicting injury upon your opponent or attacker. In practical terms this makes Aikido the only completely legal means of self-defence available in certain situations.

   

  

   

  Often the best defence is simply to remain calm and not to panic. This is more often than not much more difficult than it sounds. In Aikido however there are practical exercises taught to increase awareness of tension in the body and increase the students ability to retain a calm mind even under pressure in difficult circumstances. As such much of the benefit of other practices such as yoga for example can be found within Aikido training, where they are effectively combined with practical self defence methods.