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Demonstration highlights clip of Joe Thambu Sensei, winner of the Tokubetsu Embu Sho (Demonstration Special Award) at the 50th All Japan Yoshinkan Aikido Demonstration held on 24th September 2005 in Tokyo, Japan. 'Tokubetsu Embu Sho' is reserved for the demonstration judged to be the best and most interesting.
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I had the AMAZING experience of meeting and personally training under Joe Thambu Shihan, 7th Dan Blackbelt in Yoshinkan Aikido, Chief Instructor of Shudokan Aikido in Melbourne, Australia. He is recognized by the Hombu and International Yoshinkan Aikido Federation as one of the top instructors today. Having established dojos in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Poland and Singapore.
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What is Yoshinkan Aikido? Click Here.
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I was on my SSBD seminar visit in Melbourne. While chatting with John Schieven in his office about martial arts, Shihan Joe Thambu’s name came up. In excitement I asked John “you know Joe Tambu?”, and John calmly with a smile said “Yes, he is my friend. You wanto talk to him?” John proceeded to call the Shihan and we chatted on the phone. Afew days after that I was at his dojo, on the 1st September, we had lunch together and in the afternoon I was being thrown around on the tatami by the Shihan.
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I always wanted to meet and train under Joe Thambu Shihan since I read about him. Lance, a friend in a Jiu Jitsu class did mention "go and meet Joe Thambu if Im ever in Melbourne", I was just not expecting to meet him without any proper appointment. He was one of the individuals that inspired me in the martial arts. To meet him was a dream come true, to train and be his uke (receiver) was both amazing and an honor. My weight is twice the Shihan’s and he was throwing me effortlessly.
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After having lunch together, around 2 pm we started class, I joined in the warm up session thinking that I was just going to join in the rest of the class, instead Shihan called me to one corner and be instructed personally by him. That itself was just mind-blowing.
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As a person I’m naturally curious about things, as a martial arts practitioner, I always leave my ego at the door, as anyone can see from my youtube channel, I thought I can hold my own in the martial arts; but in that single hour under his instruction, I came to realize that I have so much to learn in my martial arts journey. The feeling I got from Shihan’s body mechanics was just phenomenal. You have to feel it to understand what I am talking about.
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Thank you Shihan for keeping me honest, to understand the humility that I have a lot more to learn regardless from any style, system or individual.
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Regardless of any martial art that you study, Shihan Joe Thambu’s instuctions will benefit any practitioner.
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Joe Thambu Shihan was awarded a 5th Dan in 1994 by Soke Gozo Shioda, the youngest non-Japanese student of Aikido to be awarded that rank at the time. He was the last student to be tested by Soke Shioda Gozo before his death.
Joe Thambu Shihan had the opportunity to train under many great instructors; Soke Gozo Shioda, the founder of Yoshinkan Aikido, Sensei Thamby Rajah, the father of Yoshinkan Aikido in Malaysia, Sensei Don Draeger, Soke Toshishiro Obata, the founder of Shinkendo and a student also of Soke Gozo Shioda and Shihan Tetsuro Nariyama, (Chief Instructor of Tomiki Aikido), all world-renowned Martial Artists.
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I would like to express my humblest appreciation to Joe Thambu Shihan for the friendship, the experience and the honor to train at his Shudokan Dojo; also not forgetting the autographs. To John Schieven thank you for making this possible.
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To know more about Joe Thambu Shihan and Shudokan Aikido dojo, please visit the link;
www.youtube.com/aikidoshudokan
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Please enjoy the pictures below.
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