The Sugino Dojo
The current head of the Tenshinshō-den Katori Shintō-ryū [天真正伝香取神道流] is Iizasa Yasusada1 Sensei. He is a descendant of the founder, Iizasa Ienao Choisai, and now leads the school in its 20th generation. Unfortunately, due to health reasons, he is unable to teach his family’s school himself. For this reason, specific Shihan2 designated by him take on this responsibility on his behalf. One of these is Sugino Yukihiro Shihan. Yukihiro Sensei is the son of Sugino Yoshio Ō-sensei3. He founded the Sugino Dōjō, which bears the actual name Yuishinkan [唯心館]. This roughly translates to the “Hall of Clear Consciousness.” Yuishin refers to a Buddhist teaching from the Kegon-kyō [華厳経] sutra.
Yoshio Ō-sensei initially began his martial arts training in Jūdō [柔道] and Kendō [剣道]. Through the Kōdōkan, the headquarters of Jūdō in Japan, he met his teacher in Katori Shintō-ryū [香取神道流], Shiina Ichizo Sensei, as well as other teachers under whom he was privileged to learn Katori Shintō-ryū. At that time, these sword masters had been asked by Kanō Jigorō Sensei to teach their swordsmanship at the Kōdōkan. This is how that connection was established.
Furthermore, through similar avenues, he made the acquaintance of the great Ueshiba Morihei Ō-sensei, the founder of Aikidō [合気道], and subsequently became his student as well. Over the course of his life, Sugino Yoshio became a master of Katori Shintō-ryū, Yoshin Koryū Jūjutsu, and Aikidō.
As a representative of Katori Shintō-ryū, he was also a founding member of the Nihon Kobudō Kyokai, a Japanese organization dedicated to the preservation of Kobudō. He taught and spread Kobudō both domestically and abroad, and worked as a martial arts choreographer and advisor on Akira Kurosawa’s films such as Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, and Rashomon.
The Sugino Dōjō was originally founded in 1927 as a Jūdō dōjō. Since 1935, it has been an official branch of Katori Shintō-ryū and one of the first branches of the Aikikai, the Ueshiba family’s organization dedicated to the spread of Aikidō.
When Sugino Yoshio Ō-sensei passed away in 1998, his son, Yukihiro Sensei, took over the leadership of the dōjō. Today, he holds a 7th Dan in Aikidō and serves as a teaching master (Shihan) for Katori Shintō-ryū, licensed under Mr. Iizasa. Sugino Yukihiro Shihan and his sons, Hideo and Kimihiko, continue Ō-sensei’s work by regularly teaching international seminars in Europe to spread Kobudō and ensure it is passed down correctly.
Katori Shintō-ryū was brought to Germany in 1996 by our teacher, Ulf Rott, following a multi-year stay in Japan. In Japan, he began his training under Sugino Yoshio Ō-sensei and continues it to this day under Sugino Yukihiro Sensei. In Leer, together with his wife, Izumi Mikami-Rott, he founded a dōjō for Aikidō and Katori Shintō-ryū, the Aiki-Kobudo-Kai Leer e.V., which serves as the headquarters for the German branch of the Sugino Dōjō, the Sugino Dōjō Doitsu Shibu. Furthermore, holding a 6th Dan in Aikidō, he is also a leading instructor in the Aikido Federation Germany and was appointed Shihan by the Aikikai Japan. He currently holds a 6th Dan in Katori Shintō-ryū.
Kobukai Berlin e.V. is a training group under the authority of our instructor Ulf Rott and additionally maintains excellent relations with teachers and members from Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and, of course, Japan. Our Keikojō began its history as a private training group in 2001, became organizationally affiliated with the Aiki-Kobudo-Kai Leer e.V. in 2005, and has existed as its own independent registered organization, Kobukai Berlin, since 2009.
The life’s work of Yoshio Sugino is being carried on by Master Yukihiro and his students all over the world. The Sugino Dōjō boasts branches and training locations in many different countries across the globe. These include France, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Mexico, and Canada.
To our knowledge, Kobukai Berlin is currently the only place in the Berlin and Brandenburg area where you can learn Katori Shintō-ryū in the lineage of the Sugino Dōjō.
