Cambridge Budokai

Cambridge Budokai is a dojo that teaches the Japanese martial arts of Aikido (合氣道) and Shinkage-ryu Iaijutsu Yamamoto-ha (神影流 居合術 山本派). 

Class time:

Thursday between 20:15-22:15

Nikos Papanikolaou, 4th Dan Aikido; 3rd Dan Iaijutsu 

I started aikido back in October 2000 at the Brighton Aikikai (which is affiliated to the Aikikai Hombu in Japan), under the local teachers, as well as David Harrandell Sensei and Pascal Durchon Sensei. I achieved the rank of 1st dan (shodan) in November 2003 and in November 2011, I graded to 2nd dan (nidan). During university holidays, I also used to train in Greece, when in 2002 I met Yannis Tsorotiotis Sensei, whose teacher was Kazuo Chiba Sensei. This was a very technical and powerful style, which taught me how to think critically about every technique and why it works. As my footsteps eventually brought me back to England in 2008, I trained with some excellent sensei, including John Longford at the Cambridge Iwama aikido club.

My appetite for a more philosophical approach to aikido led me to extend my horizons, and in November 2008 I found myself knocking at the door of Quentin Cooke Sensei (https://www.burwell-aikido.co.uk) and at this period of my life, I have found a dojo to truly call home. I graded for nidan in March 2010, this time under the Aikido for Daily Life (ADL) association (http://www.aikidofordailylife.org.uk).

I was subsequently graded to 3rd dan (sandan) in July 2011 and was awarded 4th dan (yondan) in December 2015. The last award was also ratified by Koretoshi Maruyama sensei, as ADL was affiliated with his organisation at the time.

Alongside aikido, I also train and teach Iaijutsu. I started training in the sword style of Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido, under Yannis Tsorotiotis sensei, from 2002 until 2014, when Sensei passed away. I continued practising this style on my own until about 2018. However, during a trip to Japan in December 2015, I discovered a very special style of swordsmanship, the Shinkage-ryu Iaijutsu Yamamoto-ha. 

​This is a traditional martial art with deep historical roots, under the tutelage of grandmaster Yoshio Yamamoto sensei, founder of the Sano Budokai, Japan (https://shinkageryu-sanobudokai.com/en/home-3/, Shinkage-ryu Ichimon Sano Budokai - 神影流 一門 佐野 武道会).

Outside of Japan and Australia, currently only two people are permitted to teach this discipline in the West; one is my student, Daniel Easton sensei (Noushinkan Dojo - Aikido & Iaijutsu club in Herefordshire) and the other is myself. In April 2023, during a training trip to Sano Budokai, Dan was graded to nidan, while I was graded to sandan. That means my dojo, the Cambridge Budokai (currently residing in Pampisford Village Hall, https://pampisfordvillagehall.org), is among the very few dojo in the world offering instruction in this amazing discipline!