Makotokan Aikido

Sensei

Sensei Tony Hughes - 3rd Dan

Tony began training in Aikido in 1983 at the Epsom and Ewell Aikido Society under Sensei Ron Walters. Here he spent 10 years training in an eclectic mix of Aikido and Ju-jitsu, achieving a shodan grade in 1992. Following the fragmentation of this organisation Tony left to join his Sempai John Jenkin at the newly formed Koshinkan.

Now a sandan, Tony is instructing at the Makotokan branch dojo that he co-founded. He has evolved his aikido several times, finally adopting the Yoshinkan system as his main inspiration yet not renouncing other influences.

Tony has trained with many of the top sensei in the UK and has participated in many courses/seminars conducted by visiting Japanese sensei. Tony has thrice visited Japan, training at both the Yoshinkan and Aikikai hombu’s and with Thomas Makiyama at the Keijutsukai. He is also famous for getting lost in Iwama!! Tony is a qualified coach under the British Aikido Board for both adults and children.

It is Tony’s belief that our main endeavour in aikido should be to integrate the basic principles and thus acquire kokyu-ryoku, and not over technicalise our practice. As O’sensei said, “don’t look for the differences between techniques, but for what they have in common”. He also believes that, despite all of the politics, Aikido is a ‘world family’ that he is honoured to be a part of, albeit a distant cousin three times removed.