Aikido Shurenkan is a traditional dojo teaching Yoshinkan Aikido in the heart of Durham city.
The name Shurenkan is derived from three kanji: Shu 修 means to learn and to train, and is also the same character as is found in the name of our parent organisation, Aikido Shudokan International, Ren 練 means to persevere through hardship and to train constantly, and Kan 館 means house or building. Our Dojo name represents the attitude and spirit that we seek to cultivate in our students, the spirit of Budo, where difficulty and adversity are overcome by hard work and strong spirit.
Our instructor, Jack, is passionate about martial arts with experience not just in Aikido, but also Judo, Karate, and some traditional Chinese martial arts. Finding Aikido to be most suited to him, he spent seven months living as Dojosei (a live-in student) at the Aikido Shudokan Hombu Dojo in Melbourne under the instruction of Joe Thambu Shuseki Shihan, 8th Dan. Upon returning to the UK and finding no Yoshinkan style Aikido Dojo in Durham, Jack started the Shurenkan under the auspices of Joe Thambu Shihan in order to further the practice and understanding of the art.
