United Aikido Dojos
United Aikido Dojos is the result of the union of a pioneering group of dojos. How was such group created and why its very existence constitutes an innovative approach in the world of Aikido?
UAD founder, Panagiotis Agrios, became a disciple of the martial arts at age 17, starting with judo. He has been studying Aikido ever since 1999 and works as a professional instructor since 2008: he teaches both in his own dojo and in other classes hosted in different dojos. Throughout this time, he traveled more than 15 times in countries such as Japan, Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands or Bulgaria aiming to achieve continuing education and further develop the Aikido style he teaches.
Having studied, over the years, next to world-renowned instructors such as Kazuo Igarashi shihan, Urban Aldenklint shihan, Petteri Sillenious shihan, Andrew Sato shihan and Erik Louw Sensei, he came to the conclusion that teaching Aikido is actually an everlasting process of redefining and practice since one cannot further evolve by following the same, unchangeable Aikido style, throughout his lifetime. That was the reason he decided to create a team which, on the one hand, would follow a specific teaching framework but, on the other hand, would keep evolving in terms of training, through frequent activities of development, teaching and technical skills.
On the same time, within the United Aikido Dojos, the technical committee is established; its tasks include organising the examination procedures but also the responsibility of organising as well activities which will help existing and future instructors to further develop their training style by improving and completing their knowledge of not only technical but also theoretical aspects such as:
- Children’s classes: methodology and teaching particularities
- Proper preparation of students for the examinations
- Ways to conduct the examination procedures
- Targeted feedback to examinees, following the exams procedure
- Proper practice and use of weapons during Aikido classes
- Theoretical background on the tradition of Aikido and the Japanese culture in general
