Chief Coach Mike Hurley began his journey in Traditional Aikido in 1972, he was one of the original members of the United Kingdom Aikido Federation under John Cornish and also attended courses with Mr Tao and Chiba Sensei. After moving to the south coast in 1980 he joined Jerry Duffy studying Tomiki Aikido and Jujitsu.
In 1987 he returned to the Traditional path joining the National Aikido Federation (NAF) under Michael Narey and attended the 25 Anniversary Course in Paris in 1989 for Nobuyoshi Tamura.
The Chichester Aikido Club was founded in 1990. As a member of the NAF Mike has attended courses across Europe studying under Michael Narey (8th Dan), Nobuyoshi Tamura (8th Dan), Sadateru Arikawa (9th Dan) and Pierre Chassang (8th Dan).
Mike, under the NAF, gained 1st Dan in 1990 awarded by Michael Narey and Nobuyoshi Tamura. In 2012 Mike was Awarded 5th Dan by Michael Narey.
The Club Senior Coach Scott Luckham (5th Dan) started training in Aikido in 1996. From 1999-2004 Scott was an assistant coach of the junior class with Ken De Hann, until Ken left the National Aikido Federation. At this point Scott went on to complete his coaching qualifications. In 2005 Scott attained his Shodan (1st Dan) and took up the role of Club Coach and has continued to coach both adult and junior classes at Chichester. Scott has attended many courses taken by Michael Narey and has also attended seminars where Pierre Chassang was the Primary Instructor. In 2013 Scott started a new junior and young adult class which continues to grow.
Club Coach Graeme King 3rd Dan started Martial Arts journey with Karate and attained several Dan grades with various Karate style.
He then started Aikido in 1999 and has worked his way to his Dan grade and is currently working towards his Coaching Level 2 certification with the BAB
About Aikido
Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art, developed by Morihei Ueshiba, through a fusion of his martial studies, philosophy and spiritual convictions. Its core principles include both unarmed techniques and weapon training (bokken, tantō and jō - as natural extensions of the practitioner's body).
The term "aikido" (合気道) is rich in significance: 合 (ai) signifying harmony or unity, 気 (ki) representing spirit or energy, and 道 (dō) denoting a path or teachings, often rooted in Confucian or Buddhist philosophy. Among its myriad interpretations, a prevalent translation is "the way of harmonious spirit".
Aikido welcomes individuals of all backgrounds without discrimination based on age, status, creed, origin, or disability. Our approach to practice is rooted in cooperation rather than competition, emphasizing effectiveness without the need for tournaments.