HISTORY OF SAKHALIN AIKIDO FEDERATION

Aikido in Sakhalin Region hasnappeared not so long ago – about 15 years. It has happened because of Yuri Misaylov which had started to develop Aikido in Sakhalin Region after the meeting with Vyacheslav Matveev, the director of “Budo club” in Moscow.

At those times (1900-1995) the editorial staff of the magazine under the name “Martial arts of the planet” began to organize seminars and practical trainings attracting masters of different kinds of martial arts. At one of those seminars took part representatives of different kinds of martial arts from Sakhalin Region, Yuri Misaylov had been among them. That was the moment when Aikido which had been unknown before had become a little closer.

Then through the several years Yuri Misaylov was taking part at the seminars under the leadership of Minoru Kanetsuka sensei in Moscow.

During that period Yuri Misaylov understood to develop Aikido in Sakhalin region it was necessary to have the relationships with N.Egorov – the president of Russian Aikido Federation.
That was the first step on the way of Aikido evolution in Sakhalin region.

In 1996 Yuri Misaylov gathered a small group of people who wanted to practice Aikido and in summer 1996 he with his son Victor and Em Dyu Sa went to Minsk on international seminar to Minoru Kanetsuka.

When back to Sakhalin the decision was to create aiki-club. In the same year (1996) aiki-club “Ryushinkan” was organized. But there was no support from sport committee because there is not the competition aspect in Aikido.

Not only because of that reason the developing of Aikido in Sakhalin region was difficult also Yuri Misaylov had not special education. That fact did not stop Yuri Misaylov and he had entered the Sakhalin State University. During 5 years he was learning physiology, psychology, the theory of physical activity, fundamentals of sport training, medicine, etc. under the leadership of great teachers such as Professor Peter N. Pasukov, Olga R. Kokorina, Svetlana A. Pronkina, Vasily A. Syichev and others.

At the same time Yuri Misaylov was occupied with developing Aikido in Sakhalin region. He was taking part at the seminars in Moscow, organizing significant appearances and trying to attract people to study Aikido.

1997 was important for Sakhalin Aikido: the president of Russian Aikido federation N.Egorov had come to Sakhalin and led the first Aikido seminar. After that more and more people began to show interest in Aikido and study it with Yuri Misaylov. The number of members of his aiki-club began to grow up.

January, 1999 was the critical moment for Sakhalin Aikido: Wakayama Masashi, the director of bureau of international communication had visited Sakhalin and led aikido seminar. When he came to Sakhalin once again, in august 1999, he had brought an important news for Yuri Misaylov the president of Sapporo international aikido federation had been planning to visit Sakhalin.

In October 1999 those plans became truth. Imamura Tatsunori sensei (the 6th dan Aikido Aikikai) has visited Sakhalin for the first time. Many people of all Sakhalin region (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Korsakov, Okha and others) came and took part at those seminar.
During 4 days Imamura Tatsunori sensei was teaching and correcting the mistakes in Aikido techniques.

The result of Imamura Tatsunori sensei’s visit was his decision to visit Sakhalin every year and attestation Yuri Misaylov for the first dan.
Later to understand Aikido and process of training more deeply Yuri Misaylov visited native land of Aikido – the Japan.
In 2001 Yuri Misaylov has helped the leader of Khabarovsk’s aiki-club to meet Imamura Tatsunori sensei and to organize Aikido seminar at Khabarovsk. Aikidoists from the whole Far East of Russia had been there.

That was the starting point of Aikido development in Far East region.
In the period from 2002 to 2008 Yuri Misaylov and his pupils were repeatedly taking part in trainings at such cities of Japan as Sapporo, Kurisawa, Kuriyama. One of the most important seminars was in 2007, august at Shirataki – cradle of Aikido. In 2007, October Yuri Misaylov took part in the seminar under the leadership of Doshu – Moriteru Ueshiba at the Chitose.

In 2009 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk aiki-club “Ryushinkan” has become a base for opening a new local public organization – Sakhalin Aikido Federation.
The main purpose and tasks of Sakhalin Aikido Federation are:
1. to attract youth to be engaged in physical training;
2. to learn theory and practice Japan budo (aikido, jodo, iaido);
3. upbringing especially youth and children to feel need for physical training;
4. development and strengthening of international sports and cultural communication.
Newly created Sakhalin aikido Federation is the biggest organization which develops aikido in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Sakhalin region. There are 3 instructors (3rd and 1st dan Aikido Aikikai) who attract people to Aikido and explain them what aikido is.
Together with the Laboratory of regional educational system of Sakhalin State University the new methods of teaching aikido (both for adult people and children) are working out and testing.
In October 2009 Sakhalin aikido Federation has entered into the aikido Kobayashi Dojo. Sakhalin aikido Federation is the only representation of aikido Kobayashi Dojo in Russian Federation.
Sakhalin aikido Federation co-operates with Hombu Dojo aikido Aikikai (Tokyo) – International Aikido Federation.

At local area Sakhalin aikido Federation co-operates with committee of physical culture and sports of Sakhalin region; administration of physical culture and sports of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.