About Us

The Australasian Aikikai Inc. is a not for profit organisation established in the early 1988 by Sensei Colin Hackett and his students on the N.S.W. Central Coast.

The association grew with the addition of the Late Sensei William Haynes and the Makotokan Budo Dojo at Castle Hill.

The Association was established as a legal entity to oversee Aikido training between these dojos and to provide a framework for the teaching of aikido, to standardise gradings, to provide a code of conduct and oversight of members and to promote aikido in our region and internationally.

The Association was initially linked to the Aikikai Foundation (Hombu Dojo), which is the world governing body for Aikido, via the United Kingdom Aikikai (U.K.A).

Technical direction of the Association had been tirelessly provided by Gordon Jones Shihan (7^th Dan) of the UKA until 2022 and the Association would not be where it is today without his guidance and support.

Under the care and mentoring of the U.K.A, Sensei Jones and other senior international teachers, as well as the hard work of Association members in Australian and abroad, the Association grew and expanded with Dojos in Newcastle, the Central Coast and Castle Hill.

In October 2014 the Australasian Aikikai Inc was recognised by the Aikikai Foundation, World Aikido Headquarters, as an official Hombu Association.

There are only two such organisations in Australia.

All ranks issued by the Association are internationally recognized and all yudansha grades are issued directly from Hombu Dojo.

In 2015, the Association was joined by Sensei Matt Teale, who’s wealth of experience and many years of teaching with a strong dojo in Adelaide, further enriched the organisation.

The Association now has member dojos on the N.S.W. Central Coast, Castle Hill, Newcastle and Lightning Ridge as well as in Adelaide South Australia and enjoys a close relationship with Hombu Dojo and friendly relations with other Aikido organisations in Australia and abroad.