40 Years of Aikido - Joe Thambu Shihan

In 1972, Joe Thambu Sensei began his Aikido training at the age of 11, under the tutelage of his Uncle, Thamby Rajah Sensei., the father of Aikido in Malaysia. He also studied some Kendo and Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo. Graded to Shodan in 1978, Thambu Sensei travelled to Australia where he began training in Aiki-Kai, whilst studying at university. After deciding he was unsuited to this, Thambu Sensei took up Ju-jitsu before beginning the first Yoshinkan Aikido dojo in Melbourne, Australia.
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In 1983, Thambu Sensei travelled to Japan to further his Aikido training and has been returning to Japan many times since then. Thambu Sensei has trained under many great Instructors, including; Soke Shioda Gozo, the founder of Yoshinkan Aikido, Inoue Kyoichi Hanshi, Chida Tsutomu Shihan and Takeno Takefumi Shihan, all influential Aikido teachers, Thamby Rajah Sensei, Don Draeger Sensei, Soke Obata Toshishiro, the founder of Shinkendo and Shihan Nariyama Tetsuro, the Chief Instructor of Tomiki Aikido. All of these instructors are world-renowned Martial Artists.
Thambu Sensei has continually dedicated himself to making a name for the Aikido Shudokan in the martial arts community both locally and overseas. In 1997, Thambu Sensei received the Blitz (martial arts magazine) "Hall of Fame Aikido Instructor of the Year" award, in recognition for his outstanding. Every year the Aikido Shudokan receives a constant stream of international visitors and Thambu Sensei continues to teach, train and demonstrate his aikido worldwide to men, women and children. During one of these memorable visits in 2005, Thambu Sensei was presented with the Tokubetsu Embu Sho (an award given for the best demonstration), at the 50th All Japan Yoshinkan Aikido Demonstration.
Thambu Sensei was awarded his seventh dan by Shioda Yasuhisa Kancho, the current head of Yoshinkan Aikido in December 2007 and was promoted to the rank of "Shihan" in October 2008. Joe Thambu Sensei is the first non-Japanese person ever to receive this title from the Yoshinkan Hombu dojo. It is a very apt and well-deserved title.
To this present day, Thambu Sensei continues to spread the art of Aikido worldwide and has been instrumental in the development of Aikido throughout South-east Asia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Poland, Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Iran.