Sensei Andrew

Sensei Andrew was the President and Technical Director of Aikido UK and an 8th Dan.

In 1973 at the age of 26 he began to study Aikido under Sensei Matt Tennant, who was affiliated with Sensei Williams, President and Technical Director of the Ki Federation of Great Britain. Sensei Andrew also practised under Koichi Tohei Sensei founder of the Ki No Kenkyukai, and Koretoshi Maruyama Sensei founder of Aikido Yuishinkai.

He quickly became Sensei Tennant’s assistant teaching both Junior and Senior classes at East Kilbride Sports Centre, and also at Strathclyde University, Glasgow. In 1981, he was encouraged by Sensei Tennant to open his first class at Barrhead Sports Centre and, after a few years, more dojos were opened.

Sensei Andrew became a Senior Teacher and Executive Committee Member with the Ki Federation of Great Britain from which he resigned in May 2000 to form Aikido UK, which is a non-profit making organisation. Its aims are to cultivate and develop the co-ordination of mind and body using the principles of Ki.

His view was that if his students progressed they would push him to learn and understand more, and to develop his practice forming a continuous learning cycle. The outcome of his teaching is one of the largest clubs in the country boasting more than 30 Dan grades. Since he began teaching, we believe that Sensei Andrew has guided over one hundred students to Dan grade level.

Sensei taught that Aikido is more than just a series of physical movements. He promoted its use in everyday life in terms of general awareness and the adoption of a calm approach to problems. Sensei Andrew leaves two important legacies and he was extremely proud of both – his own family and his Aikido family. And a family it is in every sense – we have a few father and son teams in the club, a husband and wife and a father and daughter.

It is a testament to Sensei that the club members are committed to the continuation and growth of Aikido UK. We were proud to be his students and he will always be with us on the mat.

The spirit and determination Sensei demonstrated over the course of his years of teaching Aikido, and in particular during his illness, was nothing short of extraordinary and he will be sorely missed by all club members.