19 March 2005:

I received the sad news yesterday from a fellow student in Tokyo that our teacher, Shoji Nishio Sensei, died 15 March 2005.

Nishio was an amazing man and a superb martial artist. He was a wonderful inspiration to me and his other students worldwide. I will miss him greatly.

Regards,

Larry

REGRETTABLE URGENT NEWS

It is with much regret that we must report our great loss of Shoji Nishio Sensei, who was 77th age, passed away at 15th March 2005 by cancer. Funeral has been finished only his family.

Nishio Sensei’s KAIMYO

From: www.nishiosensei.com:

In Japan it is a general rule that after the death of a person he or she is given a new name in the temple.
This new name is called KAIMYO.

合澭榞武畷昭岳優光居士
AI DO IN BU YO SHO GAKU YU KO KO JI

This is a posthumous Buddhist name for Mr. Shoji Nishio.

AI DO IN - These first three characters are called "INGO". IN - This name is given by his temple for ascetic practices as a disciple of AMIDA and Buddha. So, he became a chief priest at one Buddhist temple and started to practice asceticism to take care of us. We know that he mastered the profound principles of Aikido. This name has included our wish that he will be spiritually awakened to follow the teaching of Buddha in the Buddhistos' paradise (heaven) and devote himself to his studies of Buddhist enlightenment sincerely and earnestly.

BU YO - These next two characters are called "YOGO". This name is given to a person that made a remarkable contribution to Martial Arts (BUDO).

SHO GAKU YU KO - These next four characters are generally called "KAIMYO".

About SHO GAKU, the first character SHO originates from the name of Shoji. The next characters GAKU have the meaning of a mountain. He was a vital and pivotal person for the Nishio family. He was diligent and hardworking. And he studied Budo and had a good health.

About YU KO, he had many aikido students in the world. He was a kind and extremely virtuous man. He was also an outstanding master of aikido. We pray that his soul may rest in peace under the peaceful light of AMIDA. And we also pray that he become Buddha keeping an eye on Nishio family, relatives, friends and persons who study aikido in order to live in good health.

The following title (KO JI) will be given to the man after his death.

Kiev Aikido Kuroki translated.
 

Shoji Nishio Sensei Sensei Biography:

Rank: 8th dan, Shihan, Aikikai Dojo: Tokyo-Yokohama area, Japan

Source: Aiki News Encyclopedia of Aikido, 1991

Shoji Nishio Sensei was born in Aomori Prefecture in 1927. He entered the Aikikai Hombu Dojo at the end of 1955. He practiced judo, karate, iaido, and jodo prior to beginning in aikido. The skills he acquired through his practice of these martial arts are incorporated seamlessly into his unique aikido. Nishio Sensei made regular trips abroad to Scandinavia, Europe and the U.S.A. - A.J.

Shoji Nishio Sensei is an 8th dan Shihan, Aikikai Federation, and 7th dan Shihan in the Nihon Zendoku Iaido Federation. He also holds a 4th dan in Kodokan Judo and a 4th dan in Shindo Shizen ryu of Karatedo. He has also studied Shindo Muso ryu - Jodo(staff), and Hozoin ryu - Yari(spear). He has developed a new school of Iaido with forms based upon Aikido techniques, Aiki Toho Iaido.

Links to Nishio Sensei:

http://www.aikidojo.info/html/shoji_nishio_sensei.html Information and links to his students’ web sites
http://www.aikidojournal.com/?id=609 News with links to interviews
http://www.aikipeace.com/aikido/nishio.html Biography

The new book “Aikido: Yurusu Budo (Budo of Acceptance)“ by Shoji Nishio Sensei is now available from Aikido Journal. Here is the link

Also there is a foreword written by Nishio Sensei online.  You can read it here.

12 July 2004:

• several new links updated

24 June 2004:

The new book “Aikido: Yurusu Budo (Budo of Acceptance)“ by Shoji Nishio Sensei is now available from Aikido Journal. Here is the link

Also there is a foreword written by Nishio Sensei online.  You can read it here.

“Aikido is a Language” Article By Nishio Sensei now on line. Click here to read it.

New Nishio Sensei technical book to be published by Aikido Journal:

During kagami-biraki 2003, Nishio-Sensei was given honorable recognition by the Japanese Budo Federation for his lifelong mission of developing and spreading aikido over the world

If you do not see a Nishio affiliated dojo listed here, please send me the link and I will add it.webmaster@aikidojo.info

Nishio Sensei in action:

Here is a very cool video of the - Nishio Sensei aikido demonstration, Japan 1986 (format *.wmv for Win Media Player, 9.6 MB - please download to run!!)

Of Special Interest

Information about Nishio Sensei

Nishio Sensei An interview with Nishio Sensei - excellent!
Seminar Review: Shoji Nishio Sensei
Aikido Journal Encyclopedia Biography of Shoji Nishio Sensei
Interview with Shoji Nishio, Part 1 : New! 17 Oct 2003
Interview with Shoji Nishio, Part 2 : New! 17 Oct 2003
Link to Aiki toho kata page

Teachers I have studied with having decades of experience faithfully following the practice of Nishio Shoji Sensei

Shoji Nishio Shihan
Koji Yoshida Sensei
Takao Arisue Sensei
Ichiro Shishiya Sensei
Jean-Michel Bovio
Remi Delcos
Takashi Kuroki
Hichem Lejri
Jiri Marek

Nishio Shoji Sensei Affiliated Aikido Schools

Japan:

Shoji Nishio Official Home Page Japanese and English
Shishiya Ichiro Sensei web site A senior student of Nishio Sensei in Japan
Koji YOSHIDA Sensei web site A senior student of Nishio Sensei in Japan
Aikido Shiga Shiga, Japan in Japanese and English
Shunyoukai Dojo Takao Hattori Sensei in Yokohama, Japan

Europe:

Bohemia Aikikai Nishio Affiliation Czech Republic (my gang:-)
USK Aikido Plzen Plzen, Czech Republic
Nishio Video aikido BA MPEGs files of Sensei we made
Hokuo Aikikai - Nishio Aikido Sweden. A Nishio Dojo
Uppsala Aikikai Uppsala, Sweden. A Nishio Dojo
Helsinki Aikikai Finland A Nishio Dojo
Arhus Aikikai Denmark. A Nishio Dojo
Danish Aikikai Nishio Page Denmark. A Nishio Dojo
Renshin Aikido Dojo Malmo Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark Hosoda Sensei and Nishio Sensei dojo
CEAB Nishio Aikido Paul Muller France
www.aikido-renmei.de Official Nishio Aikido in Germany
Nishio Aikido Deutschland Nice Nishio site in Germany with some videos
www.sakura-dojo.de A Nishio affiliated dojo site in Saarbrucken site with a lot of links
A.Trevisan ( Munchen ) Munich, Germany
Frederikshavn budo klub Frederikshavn, Germany Nishio Aikido
M.Russ ( Kronach ) Germany
O.Tiedje ( Kiel ) Germany
Aikido Dillingen Sato Sensei’s site near Strasbourg, Germany
Nishio Aikido Deutschland Nice Nishio site in Germany
Aikikai Poznan A Nishio dojo in Poznan, Poland
Mutokukai Kiev -Aikido Club Kiev, Ukraine, Instructors: Julia Paeskaya & Vadim Puzanov (Style Nishio)
Kiev Aikido and Martial Arts Federation Kiev, Ukraine Takashi Kuroki

Americas:

West Wind Dojo, Stoner Park, West LA/Santa Monica, California 90404, Instructor: Micheal Fowler. No web site. Contact at  Phone: 310-457-6554 or Email: william.hazen@verizon.net
The dojo USA Robert Bryner's (6. Dan Aikido) web site in West Los Angeles, California
Round Rock Community Dojo Texas, USA
Seishin Kai USA Los Angeles, California, USA
Manzanita village In Warner Springs, CA NEW!
Aikido Center of San Antonio - Nishio affiliate Texas, USA
Tsunami Aikido Dojo Parker CO A Nishio Dojo Run By Varjan Sensei 5 dan.
Aikido Center of San Antonio Sho Shin Juku Texas, USA. Instructors David Ham and John Bollinger. New site!
Shosenjuku Aikido Club Tlalpan, México