Shinshin Toitsu Aikido

Our Dojo

On visiting our dojo you will see that there is a group of pretty regular people training here, people „like you and me“. The atmosphere is friendly, almost family-like. All are here to follow the same path and help each other, seasoned black-belts and fresh beginners alike. Ki-Aikido works without force, domination or pain, and can therefore be practiced by anyone regardless of age, gender, body size, muscular power or gymnastic talent.   

You can visit us anytime to ask questions, see the dojo and watch a class, or for a free introductory class. For this please bring long jogging pants and a t-shirt or sweater – we train in an appropriately heated room on firm but also damping canvass-covered mats (with socks for Ki class, barefeet for Aikido class). Please be here about 15 minutes before class starts.

The dojo is in 63110 Rodgau-Weiskirchen, in the backyard of Hauptstraße 125b. The entrance to the property can only be reached on foot or by bike – there is nowhere to park a car or even turn around. Since the dojo is on private property, only dojo members and invited visitors have access. We kindly ask that you contact us by phone (0176-30730607) or via email (info@ki-aikido-rodgau.de) when you want to visit us… we look forward to welcoming you in our dojo!

Ki Society

The Ki Society was founded in 1971 by Soshu Koichi Tohei Sensei (1920-2011). The Ki Society is active through dojos in Japan and many countries around the world and through its over 30.000 members. Since 2007 it is lead by Kaicho Shinichi Tohei Sensei. Our mission is to help build a positive society through the teachings of oneness of mind and body and oneness with the universe. We will do our best to support all people who wish to grow and develop through these five main disciplines of our study:  

Ki-Aikido (Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, Aikido in oneness of mind and body) is the most extensive and most practiced method,

Ki-Breathing is breathing in oneness of mind and body – essential for understanding Ki and developing breath power,

Ki-Meditation is a very quiet method for realizing oneness of mind and body and oneness with the universe,

Sokushin No Gyo (bell misogi) is a group excercise for oneness of mind and body and calmness in action while giving 100%,

Kiatsu is a healing method based on the Ki principles developed by Koichi Tohei Sensei. 

Germany – as well as Holland, Belgium, Spain and Slovenia – is supported by our Ki Society HQ Advisor Christopher Curtis Sensei (8. Dan, Okuden). Curtis Sensei comes here every year (from Hawaii) for a few weeks to teach weekend seminars, visit the member dojos, and support the local instructors and students. These seminars are also used to hold higher Ki and Aikido Dan examinations.

Currently there are four Ki Society dojos in Germany:

Ki Society Stuttgart, Udo Schill Sensei

Ki Aikido Bavaria (Bubenreuth), Uwe Filusch Sensei

Ki Society Krefeld, Christel Buchloh Sensei

Ki Aikido Dojo Rodgau, Olaf Schubert Sensei.

We are in close cooperation with the Ki Society in Holland, represented by Ki-Aikidoschool Torii (Helmond) and lead by Senseis Ad and Toby Voogels. Toby Voogels Sensei teaches our European Ki Aikido Summercamp since 2014 –  where students and instructors of all dojos come together for 8 days of intensive training. Every fall we also gather in Helmond/Holland for a central Dan- and Examination weekend Seminar, where the instructors of the participating dojos share the teaching.

The center and headquarter of Ki Society, called Ki no Sato, is about 100km north of Tokyo in Tochigi prefecture. On the very spacious premises there is the main dojo „Tenshinkan“ featuring a 520-tatami training area, the Ki dojo „Tenshin Gosho“ with a wooden floor, the office building including further seminar rooms, a large common building including the dining hall and a Japanese bath, as well as 4 two-storey rooming houses for the seminar participants. Additionally, there is the historic Tohei family mansion, as well as the residential home for Shinichi Tohei Senseis family. 

Throughout the year there are many courses and seminars being taught here covering all aspects of Ki Society Training, including courses in traditional calligraphy and tea ceremony (taught by Ishikawa Sensei). Besides Kaicho Shinichi Tohei Sensei, classes are also taught by Otsuka Sensei, Kataoka Sensei, Ishikawa Sensei and Kobori Sensei.

Regularly many members from all over the world come to Ki no Sato for several days of intensive Training Camps. This way members of the different dojos and countries across continents come or stay in contact and train together. While the principles stay the same – practices and teaching methods are continuously enhanced and further developed. For this reason, it is vital for the instructors of all dojos worldwide to come here regularly, train with other fellow instructors, grow further on the path lead by Shinichi Tohei Sensei, and make sure the training back home stays in touch with the current teaching.

Ki Training

The condition of our mind influences directly the condition of our body. We call this the Ki-Principle: Mind moves Body. The body has form and is visible and touchable – but the mind cannot be grasped like this. That’s why the influence of the mind is too often neglected. However, if we coordinate and unify mind and body, we can naturally be at our best in all circumstances. 

A natural posture is naturally stable. An unnatural posture however, for instance when we add unnecessary tension or collapse into a state of „dead“ relaxation, our body will have no stability. When we coordinate mind and body we have a natural stability, without having to think about it. Once we have realized and experienced this relationship, we can practise to keep this correct posture even when moving. This way we can move faster and with less effort, and our body has natural balance and strength.

A „Ki Test“ is a way to test the condition of oneness of mind and body – and hence the condition of mind. Sitting or standing camly in various postures, a partner gives us a ki test (touching the body and seeing if it can be moved) to show us if we currently experience oneness of mind and body or not. Besides habitual wrong postures and movement patterns, this way we can also uncover typical or habitual thinking and behavioural patterns that inhibit us from experiencing oneness. 

In Ki Training we learn various Ki excercises, which teach us how to keep oneness of mind and body in various postures and movements, and which also form a whole system of health excersices. We practise the so-called 3-Minute-Excercise (Toitsu Taiso), a set of natural stretching excercises while sitting on the floor (Junan Taiso), the Aiki Taiso or Hitori Waza (a set of basic solo movements borrowed from Ki-Aikido), and the Oneness Rhythm Taiso (a 5-minute set of movements done to a dedicated music). All movements and positions can be Ki-tested by a partner – so that we feel vindicated in our correct execution of the forms.  

Ki Breathing is (besides Ki Meditation) our most important excercise to deepen the experience of oneness of mind and body and oneness with the universe. Sitting in living calmness, without external distractions, we pay attention to our breathing, centered in our Onepoint in the lower abdomen, connected to the infinite universe. 

Ki Training is a comprehensive program (also known as Japanese Yoga), which trains our minds and bodies, and which can be practised by everyone (even with health problems).  What we learn here we can use everywhere in our daily lives. Whether you are a therapist, dance instructor, manager, hobby- or pro-athlete, school teacher, salesperson, practitioner of the martial arts, mother/father… everthing works better in oneness of mind and body!

Ki-Aikido Training

Shinshin Toitsu Aikido – Aikido in oneness of mind and body – was founded in 1974 by Soshu Koichi Tohei Sensei (10. Dan Aikido). Based on the Ki principle „Mind moves Body“ we learn to use our natural abilities to the fullest, to respect others, and to lead others effectively. These are fundamental abilities which can be applied to all aspects of our daily lives. Shinshin Toitsu Aikido (often simply called Ki-Aikido) is therefore practised by people of all age groups, professions or areas of expertise, as well as by people who „simply“ want to make their family lives more harmonious. Also for children and teenagers it is very valuable to learn about natural posture and mutual respect.

As the foundation we learn in Ki Training the principles of natural posture based on a calm mind, and then learn to apply these principles to movement (mostly without a partner) and various other excercises like breathing. True calmness in oneness of mind and body, however, is calmness which like the eye of a hurrican stays intact even with most rapid action or when in stress or conflict situations. This transfer of the principles to mental and physical communication also when in conflict situations is what we train in Ki-Aikido. Together with a partner we practice to keep our natural posture, to remain calm and centered, and to lead our partner with confidence. When we try to get someone to do something using our selfish mind, his mind will naturally resist. Neither will his body be movable effectively using force or violence, because again his mind will resist automatically. In Shinshin Toitsu Aikido we practice to respect the other persons mind, to agree to the ki of the moment, and to lead them accordingly without conflict. Thus we can lead one another regardless of physical size or power.  

In the various Ki-Aikido-techniques and -excercises we learn to remain in centered living calmness and to act appropriately without confrontation, resistance, force or violence, even in difficult or conflict situations. While physically practicing with a partner, the theoretical ki principles and concepts can be experienced practically and on all levels of perception. Philosophies and concepts are of little use if they are only in our heads – in Ki-Aikido we learn to experience these principles and concepts with our whole being and thus to bring them to life. Mind and body are one!  

Ki-Aikido is usually practiced in pairs. We practice forms, in which an uke („attacker“) will be lead by a nage („defender“) into a non-violent resolution of the conflict. This interaction mostly ends up on the mat, either through immobilizing the uke on the floor, or through leading him into a backward or forward roll out of the interaction. Additionally, we practice taking the weapon away from an uke who attacks with a wooden knife (Tanto), stick (Jo) or sword (bokken). We also practise solo forms (kata) with Jo and Bokken, through which we can learn to include objects or tools into the oneness of mind and body, and how to use these tools naturally and effectively.

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