The club was started in the early 70’s by Chris Roworth and based at Bridge Hall on the Oxford Road, Reading. When Chris moved away the club was continued by Fred Mills who was only brown belt at the time. By the mid 80’s the club had moved to the small hall at the Bulmershe leisure centre in Woodley. In 1989 Nigel Vaughan moved back into the Reading area, rejoined Fred and became the club secretary (a post that he held successfully for over 30 years). Fred celebrated his 40th year in Aikido in May 2011, but unfortunately pass away only a few months later on 14th July 2011 due to leukaemia.
It was decided that Craig Hargreaves would take over as Sensei at the club. Craig had been practising Aikido since the age of 15 years old under Sensei Vince Sumpter and had been training at the Ni Sen Kan club after moving into the area circa 2001.
In September 2014 the Bulmershe Leisure centre was schedule to be knocked down, and the club moved to its current location at Woodford Park Leisure Centre. At the end of May 2023 both Craig and Nigel decided to retire from Aikido to pursue other interests and their positions were handed over to Jason Turvey & Nigel Scott. It was decided that a club website was needed and Michael Brook stepped up for the role of webmaster.
Over the years many students have come and gone, and the club has had the honour of creating many dan grade students. Ni Sen Kan translates as “two rivers meeting” which is an apt analogy for the blending principle in Aikido.
About Kai Shin Kai
The Kai Shin Kai is a traditional school of Aikido. The organisation has around twenty member and associate member clubs in the UK and Italy.
The KSK uses the central base of Quarrendon and Meadowcroft Community Centre in Aylesbury HP19 9HH for major courses throughout the year using senior Instructors from within Kai Shin Kai and occasionally inviting senseis from Japan, Italy and America.
Quarrendon and Meadowcroft Community Centre is also used for KSK senior gradings 1st kyu (brown belt) and Dan (black belt).
Kai Shin Kai Style
KSK practices traditional Aikido in the manner of Hombu Dojo (Tokyo), where senior Shihan all have distinctive styles but nevertheless all follow the path of starting as a triangle, moving as a circle and finishing as a square (posture, movement and stability). That is, the KSK recognises that there are many ways of expressing both basic and advanced Aikido, none being incorrect as long as the tenets of Aikido as taught by O-Sensei are followed.
Kai Shin Kai History
Kai Shin Kai – formerly called `Yamarashi’ – was founded in the 1960’s by Mike Smith who was awarded his Nidan by Tielemans Sensei of Belgium. Shortly thereafter, Mike affiliated KSK to the British Aikido Association as a traditional group autonomous to, but working closely with the Tomiki-Kai. The BAA is recognised by the Japan Aikido Association – which later ratified future Dan promotions within the KSK.
In 1994 the KSK left the BAA to establish itself as a separate school recognised by the British Aikido Board (BAB) – the governing body for Aikido in the UK. Mike Smith resigned from the KSK in December 2002 to reform his own group in the BAA. Bill Harris (7th Dan) took over as the Chief Instructor and Examiner. The KSK became independant from the BAB in 2021 to become a founder member of the Aikido Alliance UK.